The Music Pages | February 2010


	Cat. No.: 480 0481 Barcode: 0028948004812 Label: Decca CD Release Date: February			Arthur Grumiaux \| STRAVINSKY, BERG, TCHAIKOVSKY: Violin Concertos ARTISTS Arthur Grumiaux, violin Concertgebouw Orchestra / Igor Markevich (Stravinsky, Berg) Wiener Symphoniker / Bogo Lestowicz (Tchaikovsky) TRACK LISTING BERG: Violin Concerto STRAVINSKY: Violin Concerto in D major TCHAIKOVSKY: Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 Arthur Grumiaux was a prince among violinists and recorded extensively for Philips/Decca. Many of his recordings – some of them released internationally for the first time on CD – have appeared on an extensive series on the Eloquence label. Here is another – a rare 1956 performance of the Tchaikovsky concerto coupled with his highly-praised traversals of the Stravinsky and Berg concertos. [Berg/Stravinsky]: "Grumiaux's pure style brings rare magic to both these works. To the Berg he brings above all tenderness and sweetness; to the Stravinsky he brings above all strength and dynamism. The one virtuoso, remaining his individual self all the time, effortlessly encompasses the utterly different demands of each work." Gramophone RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 480 0447 Barcode: 0028948004478 Label: Decca CD Release Date: February			Karl Münchinger DVORAK, SUK: Serenade for Strings GRIEG: Holberg Suit WOLF: Italian Serenade ARTISTS Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra Karl Münchinger TRACK LISTING DVORÁK: Serenade for Strings in E, Op. 22 SUK: Serenade for Strings in E flat, Op. 6 WOLF: Italian Serenade GRIEG: Holberg Suite In 1960, the Stuttgart-born conductor Karl Münchinger (1915-1990), made a Decca recording of Pachelbel’s Canon and Gigue that assured the piece its immortality in years to come. Münchinger recorded extensively for Decca with his Stuttgarter Kammerorchester (Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra). Moderate-size forces, rhythmic sprightliness and judicious ornamentation were the hallmarks of his recordings of 17th and 18th-century repertoire, and their general airiness also informs his readings of the Serenades on this anthology. The Dvorak, Suk and Wolf recordings date from the 1970s, whereas the Grieg, which he only recorded once, and has been on many “reissue request” lists, dates from 1956. This generous CD, released to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his death and nearly 80 minutes long, is comprised entirely of first international CD releases. RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 480 2080 Barcode: 0028948020805 Label: Decca 2CD Release Date: February			Ruggiero Ricci \| Romantic Violin Concertos ARTISTS Ruggiero Ricci, violin London Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Adrian Boult (Beethoven) Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra / Jean Fournet (Mendelssohn) London Symphony Orchestra / Piero Gamba (Bruch) London Symphony Orchestra / Sir Malcolm Sargent (Dvorak) TRACK LISTING CD1 Beethoven: Violin Concerto Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 CD2 Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26 Dvorak: Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 53 A double-CD of Romantic Violin Concertos celebrating the art of Ruggiero Ricci, this set includes the first international release on CD of the Ricci/Boult 1952 recording of the Beethoven. Boult characterised it as ‘perhaps the most thoughtful concerto, the one which needs for the violinist to be a great man as well as a great player’. Indeed it is a thoughtful and poised reading from both soloist and conductor, coupled with classic accounts of the Mendelssohn, Bruch and Dvorak. The booklet notes by Tully Potter include a biography of Ricci and (sometimes wry!) comments by the violinist himself on the recordings. [Beethoven] “I do not think we are likely to get a better recording for a long while” Gramophone [Bruch] "Ricci gives very good performances indeed of both concertos; caught out nowhere, even on the margin of intonation, by their technical demands in the outer movements, he manages also to communicate both poetry and impulse to the slow movements." Gramophone RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 480 2083 Barcode: 0028948020836 Label: Decca 2CD Release Date: February			Ruggiero Ricci \| Virtuoso Violin Concertos ARTISTS Ruggiero Ricci, violin London Symphony Orchestra / Oivin Fjeldstad (Sibelius, Tchaikovsky: Sérénade; Scherzo) London Symphony Orchestra / Sir Malcolm Sargent (Tchaikovsky: Concerto) London Symphony Orchestra / Piero Gamba (Sarasate, Saint-Saëns) London Philharmonic Orchestra / Anatole Fistoulari (Khachaturian) TRACK LISTING CD1 SIBELIUS: Violin Concerto TCHAIKOVSKY: Violin Concerto; Scherzo; Serenade melancolique CD2 SAINT-SAENS: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso; Havannaise SARASATE: Zigeunerweisen; Carmen Fantasie KHACHATURIAN: Violin Concerto Ruggiero Ricci is in his element in these virtuoso concertos and showpieces, with both, the Tchaikovsky Concerto (with Sargent) and Scherzo and the Sibelius Violin Concerto being released internationally on CD for the first time. The perceptive booklet notes by Tully Potter include a biography of Ricci and (sometimes wry!) comments by the violinist himself on the recordings, and some fascinating detail on the first movement cadenza of the Khachaturian. All the recordings were made in a five-year period from 1956 (Khachaturian) to 1961 (Tchaikovsky). RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 480 2086 Barcode: 0028948020867 Label: Decca 2CD Release Date: February			Ruggiero Ricci \| Violin Sonatas ARTISTS Ruggiero Ricci, violin Carlo Bussotti, piano [Prokofiev: Sonata No. 2] TRACK LISTING CD1 BACH: Sonata No. 2, Partita No. 3 BARTOK: Sonata for solo violin CD2 STRAVINSKY: Elegie HINDEMITH: Sonatas Op 31 Nos.1 & 2 PROKOFIEV: Violin Sonata in D PROKOFIEV: Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2 Ruggiero Ricci has enjoyed a variegated and colourful discography on Decca and these recordings, are, apart from Prokofiev’s Second Violin Sonata, all comprised of music for solo violin. The Bach pieces date from 1957 London sessions and the 20th-century pieces were recorded three years later at Victoria Hall in Geneva. Tully Potter’s perceptive liner notes include material from an interview with the violinist, who offers interesting perspective on recording venues and corrects an error in the Decca discographical information about the recording of the Prokofiev Second Violin Sonata with Bussotti, which was recorded at his home in New Jersey. It makes its first release on CD, while several of the solo works are released internationally on CD for the first time. [Prokofiev] “Ricci’s intonation is faultless throughout (which is more than can be said of many fiddlers), his tone is sweet and warm, and his technique carries him without a qualm over the most taxing difficulties… [His] elegance stands him in good stead in the Prokofiev, where his partner at the piano also distinguishes himself by some most artistic leggiero playing. The toy-like Scherzo could scarcely be bettered by any other violin-and-piano team.” Gramophone RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 480 1288 Barcode: 0028948012886 Label: Decca CD Release Date: February			Wilhelm Kempff \| Baroque Recital ARTISTS Wilhelm Kempff, piano TRACK LISTING BACH: Chromatic Fantasy & Fugue, BWV 903 BACH: Nun komm der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659 BACH: Jesu, joy of man's desiring BWV 147 BACH: Herzlich tut mich velangen, BWV 727 BACH: In dulci jubilo BWV 729 BACH: Nun freut euch liebe Christen g'mein BWV 734 BACH: Siciliano BWV1031 BACH: Wachet Auf BWV 140 HANDEL: Harmonious Blacksmith; Minuet from Harpsichord Suite No.1 COUPERIN: The bells of Cythera RAMEAU: Le Rappel des oiseaux BEETHOVEN: Bagatelle in C minor WoO 52 BEETHOVEN: Bagatelle in C minor WoO59: Fur Elise Kempff’s Baroque pedigree stemmed from the influence of his father, also named Wilhelm Kempff, and his grandfather Cantor Friedrick Kempff, both of whom were organists, and who taught the budding prodigy much of the organ’s core repertoire. In fact, Kempff’s youthful debut as an organist took place before his first recital as a pianist in 1907. With help from the great German violinist Joseph Joachim, the nine-year-old Kempff was awarded two scholarships at the Berlin Hochschule: one in composition with Robert Kahn, the other studying piano with Heinrich Barth, who also taught Arthur Rubinstein. While most of Wilhelm Kempff’s recordings were made for Deutsche Grammophon, his early Decca LPs and EPs are collector’s items. Here issued internationally on CD for the first time are an LP of his Bach recital coupled with a delicious LP of miniatures by Couperin, Rameau and Beethoven, including the latter’s ubiquitous Für Elise. In his fascinating liner notes, Jed Distler compares Kempff’s arrangements of Bach with those of Busoni, and his performances with those of Hess and others. ‘Für Elise gently soars from Kempff’s fingers in full-throated, legato arcs that might convince you that the piano has lungs in addition to hammers and strings,’ he writes, and concludes, ‘The warm, naturally balanced and timbrally true sonic image typical of Decca’s piano recordings of this vintage only enhance Kempff’s singular artistry. Whatever one makes of his style, his spirit defines authenticity.’ "…excellently recorded programme of arrangements made by Kempff himself…" Gramophone RETURN TO THE TOP

	Cat. No.: 476 9913 Barcode: 0028947699132 Label: Decca CD Release Date: February			Wilhelm Kempff SCHUBERT: Sonata in A minor, D. 845; Sonata in B flat, D. 960 ARTISTS Wilhelm Kempff, piano TRACK LISTING SCHUBERT Sonata in A minor, D. 845 SCHUBERT Sonata in B flat, D. 960 ‘When he is at his best he plays more beautifully than any of us,’ Alfred Brendel told William Steinberg, and described Kempff as ‘an Aeolian harp, ever ready to respond to whatever interesting wind blew his way’. Brendel chose Kempff’s 1953 Decca recording of Schubert’s A minor Sonata, D.845, for inclusion in Philips’ monumental “Great Pianists of the 20th Century” series. The B flat Sonata was recorded three years earlier and has never previously been published on CD. In contrast with today’s bountiful D. 960 discography, Schubert’s last sonata was a relative rarity on disc when this recording first appeared, and it met with critical enthusiasm. ‘Out of many lovely things in (the) first movement,’ wrote the late and long-time Gramophone critic Alec Robertson, ‘I will single out Kempff’s playing of the second tune (F sharp minor) in which he achieves a perfect balance between the tenor and treble registers, and his instinctive feeling for the magical music hovering between D minor and B flat major, which proceeds the recapitulation – one of the supreme things in the whole of piano literature.’ In the 1000th issue of Gramophone (December 2005) the magazine asked its panel of reviewers to choose a single artist they’d like to hear perform just for them. Ivan March chose Wilhelm Kempff, and in particular, this 1950 Decca recording of Schubert’s B flat sonata: ‘Long ago, in my teens, I discovered the inspirational playing of Wilhelm Kempff. It is he I would invite to my command performance and it is Schubert I would ask him to play – the last, wonderful Sonata in B flat, for me the peak of 19th-century piano music. I heard it first on a Decca mono LP, elysian in his hands. But that early pressing had an irritating background swish. I tried to replace it but it appeared that all copies carried the same fault; it was some time before I secured a perfect pressing. Many years later I had afternoon tea with the illustrious Alec Robertson, whose enthusiastic review in The Gramophone had drawn me to the record. I gently took him to task about not mentioning the swish in his review. His eyes twinkled. “Ivan,” he said, “the playing was so beautiful that I didn’t hear the swish”.’ RETURN TO THE TOP