Old Mozart Piano Sonata Recordings.

[eighthobstruction]

....glad you are back smittims....

[smittims]

Thanks. We haven't mentioned complete recordings. I think Gieseking was the first, and still my own favourite. Walter Klien on Vox/Turnabout is well-worth a spin, too.

[Mandryka]

I like Gieseking very much, but that Mozart set seems to me not so interesting - but it’s enormous and I could well have missed the best bits. Maybe you could point to a track.

I listened to some Gieseking last week in fact - Grieg lyric pieces and the Bach English suites seem to me have unbelievable sweep, as if he spits whole movements out in a single unbroken stream of sound. All his faults are forgiven because he’s so radiant and fresh, and because the phrasing is so vigorous and alive.

But I haven’t found this with the solo Mozart.


One very very bizarre Gieseking Mozart thing is the slow movement of 491 with Karajan.

[smittims]

I'm a dyed-in-the -wool Gieseking fan since 1971 and for me he has has no faults!

The first movement of the sonata in E flat, K282 swept me away with his apprehension of its stoic melancholy. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed his Bach and Grieg, two highlights in his repertoire. But you're in good company: his Mozart didn't win praise from the critics.

He was quite a friend of Karajan, or 'Herbertchen' as he called him. They were both pupils of Karl Leimer. They had a mad week at Kingsway Hall in 1951 recording probably too many concertos, Grieg, Schumann, two Beethovens, Mozart, etc. I love them all; but Herbert didn't go in for accompanying concertos much after that.

[Bryn]

I'm a dyed-in-the -wool Gieseking fan since 1971 and for me he has has[sic] no faults! . . .

Unlike the man himself, in his politics. What a pianist, though!

[Mandryka]

The first movement of the sonata in E flat, K282 swept me away with his apprehension of its stoic melancholy..

Thanks for that. The internet is great for this sort of advice, steer! Maybe “stoic melancholy” will help me reframe the slow movement of K 491.

The other thing I really enjoyed last week was the 1949 op 111/ii (LvB)

[Sir Velo]

I'm a dyed-in-the -wool Gieseking fan since 1971 and for me he has has no faults!

Faultless in spite of all his faults?

[smittims]

I think a little context can help. Gieseking was in a bad road accident in the late '40s in which his wife died and he suffered two broken ankles. I sense a different mood in his playing after that. His previously bouyant personality aquired a darker patina.

He was in the middle of a complete Beethoven sonatas series at Abbey Road in October 1956 when he was suddenly taken ill and died of post-op problems. Quite a few of his famous recordings were issued posthumously.

[Mandryka]

Getting lots of stoic melancholy vibes from Gieseking in 533/494 this morning. Just what I need before going to the dentist this afternoon.

[smittims]

AArgh! You have my full sympathy, Mandryka.

Another old Mozart sonata recording which has given me pleasure is Emil Gilels' Columbia disc of the B flat sonata K570, 33CX 1217. One of a number of sessions he recorded in Paris in the mid-'50s, maybe the first time he was let out of Russia. I'm not a Gilels fan so it was a pleasant surprise to hear such beautiful playing. I suppose it's on CD somewhere in a massive Gilels Edition.

[french frank]

Another old Mozart sonata recording which has given me pleasure is Emil Gilels' Columbia disc of the B flat sonata K570, 33CX 1217. One of a number of sessions he recorded in Paris in the mid-'50s, maybe the first time he was let out of Russia.

This one, perhaps, recorded in 1954?

[Barbirollians]

I had a lovely Wilhelm Kempff LP of Mozart sonatas but seems to have gone awol

[Mandryka]

AArgh! You have my full sympathy, Mandryka.

Another old Mozart sonata recording which has given me pleasure is Emil Gilels' Columbia disc of the B flat sonata K570, 33CX 1217. One of a number of sessions he recorded in Paris in the mid-'50s, maybe the first time he was let out of Russia. I'm not a Gilels fan so it was a pleasant surprise to hear such beautiful playing. I suppose it's on CD somewhere in a massive Gilels Edition.

At the precise moment that the Queen died I was crowned by my dentist.

This Gilels recording has been released by Doremi - unless I’m mistaking yours for another - and there’s a very similar one on Testament (which I bought for the Shostakovich but was very pleased by how satisfying the Mozart performance was.)

By the way, this afternoon I listened to Edwin Fischer’s wonderful Danish recording of K491. It’s such a shame that he didn’t record more solo Mozart I think. He was a great Mozartian.

[smittims]

Thanks, the Testament is probably the Columbia recording. They've done wonders transcribing old Columbias.

Fischer was one of the few people who played the probably-spurious Romance in A flat, KAnh.205. Lovely performance.

Glad you survived your visit to the dentist.

[gurnemanz]

By the way, this afternoon I listened to Edwin Fischer’s wonderful Danish recording of K491. It’s such a shame that he didn’t record more solo Mozart I think. He was a great Mozartian.

Talking Fischer, Annie of that surname has a K457 Sonata on BBC Legends, a fine Maida Vale recording from 1971.