Claudio Arrau

[Barbirollians]

Going through all my collection I realise I have only one record by Arrau - his late Emperor with Colin Davis which I found magisterial but a bit stately.

Anyone recommend any Arrau records they consider unmissable ?

[VodkaDilc]

Going through all my collection I realise I have only one record by Arrau - his late Emperor with Colin Davis which I found magisterial but a bit stately.

Anyone recommend any Arrau records they consider unmissable ?

I'm not sure if it's still available, but I have a wonderful 2-CD box of the Debussy Preludes and Images.

[Panjandrum]

Schumann's Waldszenen, and a surprisingly athletic Carnaval from the early 70s.

His Liszt 12 "Etudes d'execution transcendante" are both poetic and virile. Still a library choice, IMO.

Unlike some octogenarian pianists, Arrau's technique never went off; even in his later recordings the control is still superb, and, of course, a magnificently burnished sound.

[Pianorak]

Chopin : The 26 Preludes
The 5 CD set of his Liszt recordings.
Beethoven: Sonata op. 31/2 The Tempest

[amateur51]

Slightly OT, I'd recommend this as a right rivetting read, full of insights ...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Conversations-With-Arrau-Joseph-Horowitz/dp/0394513908/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334659395&sr=1-1

The sticker on my copy shows I paid £4.95 for it at Dillons

For a more personal insight, read ...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flute-Richar...4659569&sr=1-1

[Pianorak]

Chopin : The 26 Preludes

These refer to the Philips 1973 recording.
"Conversations with Arrau" by J. Horowitz, mentioned by Am51, compares the Philips and the earlier Columbia recording (1950-51) on pp.255/56.
Am51, you got yourself a bargain - I paid £8!

[umslopogaas]

His 1970 Philips LP of Liszt: Sonata in B minor, Benediction de Dieu dans la solitude no. 3, 2 Concert Studies (Waldesrauschen and Gnomenreigen). Great stuff, the first performance of the sonata that I heard.

[silvestrione]

His Beethoven Hammerclavier is special (as are almost all his Beethoven recordings). There are now several live recordings of the Liszt Sonata, all giving a better sense of the wonder and power of his reading, than the Phillips studio one. His Debussy is special too, as someone says. Brahms Piano Conc 1 is terrific with Guilini on EMI

[Barbirollians]

Thanks for those suggestions . I have picked up his Brahms piano concertos with Giulini on an EMI France double for about £3 and I rather like them . They are very different to my old favourites Gilels/Jochum and Curzon/Szell ( in No 1) especially that understated opening to the D Minor but time stands still ( in a good way ) in the slow movements and Arrau's tone is a delght

[amateur51]

Thanks for those suggestions . I have picked up his Brahms piano concertos with Giulini on an EMI France double for about £3 and I rather like them . They are very different to my old favourites Gilels/Jochum and Curzon/Szell ( in No 1) especially that understated opening to the D Minor but time stands still ( in a good way ) in the slow movements and Arrau's tone is a delght

Brahms piano concerto no 1, Claudio Arrau with Philharmonia/Basil Cameron 1947

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cR154Hk3Mk&feature=related

[Barbirollians]

I was prompted to go back to that recording of the Emperor by hearing his performance of the G minor with Davis and now in my 40s I find what I thought was a bit stately 20 years ago to be a marvellous performance !