The great Chilean pianist, Claudio Arrau (1903-1991) was a child prodigy, apparently able to
read music before he could read words. At the age of four he was reading
Beethoven sonatas and he gave his first concert a year later. By the age of
eight Arrau was sent on a ten-year-long grant from the Chilean government to
study in Germany, travelling with his mother and sister. He studied at the
Stern Conservatory in Berlin where he became a pupil of Martin Krause, who had
studied under Franz Liszt. By the age of eleven Arrau could play Liszt's Transcendental Etudes as well as
Brahms's Paganini Variations. After
the death of Krause, Arrau did not continue formal study.
Highlights of his career included a celebrated performance
of the entire keyboard works of Johann Sebastian Bach over twelve recitals in
1935 with the following year bringing a complete cycle of Mozart keyboard works
over five recitals. Complete Schubert and Weber cycles followed as did the complete
Beethoven piano sonatas and concertos in Mexico City in 1938. Arrau repeated
this several times in his lifetime, including in New York and London. In 1941
the Arrau left Germany for the United States, eventually settling in New York
City. Arrau died on June 9, 1991, at the age of 88, in Mürzzuschlag, Austria.
Amongst many fine recordings Arrau’s Brahms Concertos with Bernard
Haitink and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra for Philips were a highlight.
However, Praga
Digitals www.pragadigitals.com have just released a fabulous live
recording of Brahms’ First Piano Concerto
recorded in Munich in 1964, with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra www.br-so.com under Rafael Kubelík coupled with the Variations and Fugue on a theme of Handel recorded in Lugano in
1963.
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| Stereo SACD PRD/DSD 350 068 |
Kubelik and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra give an
opening to the Maestoso of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No.1 in D minor,
Op. 15 hewn from granite. When they soon slacken the intensity, there is
still a remaining underlying storm out of which they rise again. When he enters,
Arrau brings a concentrated powerful authority, rising to passages equally
granite like. Arrau and Kubelik are clearly in control of the overarching structure
of the music bringing a natural rise and fall. There is something that is just
right about this tremendous performance. Set with the power and strength are
moments of lovely repose, Kubelik drawing some fine, quite special orchestral
playing and Arrau finding much poetry. Arrau finds a youthful vigour and power
as well as a fine sense of the longer line before a formidable coda.
Kubelik brings a pensive, beautifully shaped opening to the Adagio to which Arrau adds a beautifully
withdrawn touch, a reflective look at the drama that has gone before. They rise
to little moments of greater intensity with Kubelik drawing some quite
exquisite playing from the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Arrau brings such
a fine poise, a gentle rise and fall, beautifully paced and phrased. As the
movement progresses this pianist seems to find greater solace, though still
without losing moments of power and anguish before arriving at the hushed coda.
Arrau leaps into the Rondo:
Allegro non troppo with the orchestra chasing, providing some formidable
scales. Arrau and Kubelik bring a ray of
light to this movement with some particularly deft orchestral playing with a
great rhythmic forward flow. There are some fine dynamic forward surges as the
movement develops before a wonderfully fluent and well-shaped cadenza. There is a terrific clarity to later passages
that lead up to the coda where Arrau brings some formidable moments.
This is a phenomenal performance in every way. The enthusiastic
applause at the end of this live recording is retained but otherwise there is
little evidence of a live audience.
Praga have done a terrific job of re-mastering this recording
for SACD. If you love this work then don’t miss this.
Arrau brings a lovely poise to the opening of Brahms’ Variations and Fugue on a theme By Handel,
Op. 24 with such fine little
decorations before leaping into the variations. After the D minor concerto
Arrau’s sense of fun is terrific. As he works his way through the variations
there are passages of freely flowing breadth, dramatic power where he finds a
terrific fire, passages that bring a great sense of freedom as well as some
wonderfully rhythmic moments. It is Arrau’s ability to change mood so suddenly
that is impressive. At times he brings an unstoppable forward motion, a
wonderful breadth of phrasing, tremendous fluency and a fine poise and poetry.
There is lovely phrasing and often a sense of sheer audacious fun, all forming
an organic whole. A tremendous achievement.
If anything the recording of the Variations and Fugue is
even finer.
This will be an unmissable release for many. It is listed as
a ‘limited edition’ so better snap it up while you can – just in case. There
are useful booklet notes about the music, Arrau and Kubelik.
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