Solomon

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

a pianist i have scarce paid attention to ... an old 10" lp in the radiogram of the Moonlight being one of my father's favourites and that was pretty much where i had left Solomon

on Monday Sarah Walker played the Schubert A Maj by Solomon .. what a revelation, an airy light and fluent performance with no heavy angst or thumping - i scarce noticed how many notes [usually feel Schubert writes too many]

the Testament recording is the only available version i could find, bought second hand form the river shop .... if you can find it an absolute musical experience of the very best sort

does any one have any other suggestions for a newbie Solomon fan?

[rauschwerk]

Where to start? The Chopin Berceuse (amongst other very fine Chopin recordings), Brahms's 2nd concerto (with Philh/Dobrowen), Liszt Hungarian Fantasia (Horowitz apparently thought Solomon's playing 'boring' but he couldn't possibly have heard this electrifying account!)

[Nick Armstrong]

does any one have any other suggestions for a newbie Solomon fan?

Similar family resonances here, Cal - my late mama used to rave about having heard Solomon's performance of Schumann's 'Carnaval', saying he made the whole thing cohere into a whole as no other performance she had heard. We were always on the look-out for a recording by him to give as a present, but none was available... until way too late ... another Testament release:



It's terrific.

[BBMmk2]

Similar family resonances here, Cal - my late mama used to rave about having heard Solomon's performance of Schumann's 'Carnaval', and made the whole thing cohere into a whole as no other performance she had heard. We were always on the look-out for a recording by him but none was available... until way too late ... another Testament release:



It's terrific.

I am glad that companies like this are issuing recordings of the past by the great artists such as Solomon. Much to learn from them, imo.

[Bryn]

Similar family resonances here, Cal - my late mama used to rave about having heard Solomon's performance of Schumann's 'Carnaval', and made the whole thing cohere into a whole as no other performance she had heard. We were always on the look-out for a recording by him but none was available... until way too late ... another Testament release ...

It's terrific.

When was that Carnival recorded? Is it different from that on Audite, recorded in Berlin in 1956?

[Nick Armstrong]

When was that Carnival recorded? Is it different from that on Audite, recorded in Berlin in 1956?

The back cover says '7-8 June, 1952, London' but a commentator on Amazon says that recording and the Brahms "were withheld from publication until after Solomon suffered a stroke in 1956"

So I suspect that they were release to compete with the Audite which as you say comprised "1956 RIAS recordings of Solomon, made shortly before the tragic end of his career"

Why the London recording was not released till then remains a mystery.

.

PS Thanks for the info about the Audite disc, and the later recording, which I didn't know existed. What's the sound like?.

[aeolium]

Calum, for me these discs would be absolutely indispensable:

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/EMI/7647082

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Archipel%2BRecords/ARPCD0226

The Mozart concerto is quite peerless playing imv, and I would never want to be without Solomon's version of the Hammerklavier sonata.

[Bryn]

The back cover says '7-8 June, 1952, London' but a commentator on Amazon says that recording and the Brahms "were withheld from publication until after Solomon suffered a stroke in 1956"

So I suspect that they were release to compete with the Audite which as you say comprised "1956 RIAS recordings of Solomon, made shortly before the tragic end of his career"

Why the London recording was not released till then remains a mystery.

.

PS Thanks for the info about the Audite disc, and the later recording, which I didn't know existed. What's the sound like?.

The piano sound is a little clangorous, but still clear enough. The playing reveals some deterioration in Solomon's finger work, but remains revelatory. I do not know the earlier recording issued by Testament, so cannot offer direct comparison. You should be able to hear samples via Qobuz (I say "may" since I subscribe (€199 per annum), so get to hear their full 'discs' in 320kbps mp3 format).

[Stanley Stewart]

I strongly recommend Bryan Crimp's "Solo - The biography of Solomon", (1994).

[Barbirollians]

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/search.php?searchString=solomon+icon

Icon box a great place to start containing many of his best records. The Solomon/Menges Beethoven Concerto No 5 is marvellous- other great Solomon records - an earlier Beethoven 3 with Boult , all his Beethoven sonata records I collected them all from Testament , a sensational Tchaikovsky 1 on APR with a second rate American Orchestra - I would avoid the Brahms 1 in Italy on Guild - Solomon is great the recording isn't . The Chopin and Brahms Handel Variations on Testament are also superb . I agree about the Mozart concertos too . Frankly , all Solomon's studio recordings are desert island stuff to me .

The biography is excellent though I think unduly critical of the Solomon/Kuenlik Brahms 1 ! Very sad story but for his chain-smoking that led to his stroke he could well have played for the rest of his long life .

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/sea...g=solomon+icon
Frankly , all Solomon's studio recordings are desert island stuff to me .

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

thank you for such attractive suggestions; i have just downloaded The Master Pianist box as an mp3 for £6-49p from the river shop ... in a month or so i shall be blowing the pension pennies on the Mozart Concertos.


i repeat that the Schubert sonatas are utterly beyond any that i have heard in their perfection ...

Cali it took years before i knew there was anything to the Moonlight beyond the first movement, as a young sprouting jazbo it very quickly lost its appeal, now of course ......

[Ferretfancy]

Solomon often attended recitals by younger pianists after he had his crippling stroke and was unable to play himself. It was always a bitter sweet experience to see him in the audience at the RFH and elsewhere. A very special man.
His Mozart concertos are wonderful, as is his performance of the Beethoven C minor. I'd like to put in a special recommendation for his lovely disc of the Grieg and Schumann concertos. Apparently he was already beginning to have difficulties when he recorded these, but it doesn't show in the playing.

My feeling would be to buy anything by him that you can find, there are unlikely to be many disappointments.