Marcelle Meyer, pianist

[Lance]

I mentioned the forthcoming EMI "Introuvables" Nathan Milstein four-CD set and someone mentioned Marcelle Meyer. She deserves a thread of her own in my opinion. Hers is a name that is frequently mentioned in discussions on this board. I have attempted to collect anything I can find of the pianist and thought I would give a list for those interested in obtaining the art of this now legendary pianist, whose playing will leave wonderful impressions in your mind:

• EMI 51825 [Rarissimes Series/Holland, 2 CDs] - Chabrier: 10 Picturesque Piece; 3 Romantic Waltzes for Two Pianos w/Poulenc, piano: , Stravinsky: Petrouchka + other pieces
• EMI 86483 [Rarissimes Series/Holland, 2 CDs] - Scarlatti: 32 sonatas; Bach: 15 2-part Inventions and 15 3-part Inventions
• EMI 67405 - [Introuvables, Volume I, 6 CDs]: Recordings 1925-1956 with Poulenc, Milhaud, piano; Cluytens, conductor
• EMI 68092 - [Introuvables, Volume II, 3 CDs]: Rameau, Couperin, Scarlatti and Rossini piano works
• EMI 68498 - [Introuvables, Volume III, 5 CDs]: Bach, Mozart, Schubert (including Mozart Piano Concertos 20 and 23)
• Dante 080 - Couperin and Rameau (recorded 1946)
• Pearl 0137 - Scarlatti: 27 sonatas; Bach Toccata in c (1947 recordings)
• Tahra 564 - Debussy: Images, Books I/II; Chopin: Barcarole; Falla: Nights in the Gardens of Spain w/M. Rossi, conductor [all live material]
• Tahra 579-580, 2 CDs - Scarlatti and Mozart sonatas; Beethoven: Piano Concerto #5 w/Andreae, conductor; pieces by Chabrier, Debussy, Petrassi, Poulenc and Casella (recorded 1950-1956, live and some commercial, I suspect)

I'm sure there are more recordings out there, probably on Tahra or one of the more esoteric labels. But having any of the above will greatly enhance your musical enjoyment and your collection of recorded music and if you don't know the pianistic art of Marcelle Meyer {1897-1958}, you will make a wonderful discovery!

If there ARE other recordings out there not listed above, I trust you will let me know what they are.[/color]

[Chalkperson]

I have attempted to collect anything I can find of the pianist and thought I would give a list for those interested in obtaining the art of this now legendary pianist, whose playing will leave wonderful impressions in your mind

Well, as should be expected you have a few more recordings than I do, I just have the Boxes and the Pearls...for me she was the real Joyce Hatto, nobody I played her to had ever heard of her, and what surprised me most was that there were no Japanese Recordings to be had, inexcusable considering that she recorded for EMI...

[otterhouse]

A refined pianist (and virtually impossible to find her original lp's!)

Rolf

[gfweis]

Lance, the following inexpensive Bach set at Crotchet in the UK may have some material you don't have. I don't know much about the sound quality on Andromeda releases in general, but I recently got the their Toscanini 1939 Beethoven symphony box and was happy to learn that the sound had not been over-filtered.

CATALOGUE NR: ANDRCD5021
RECORD LABEL: Andromeda
FORMAT: 2 CD Set
PRICE: £ 7.99 including VAT, or £ 6.80 excluding VAT
RELEASE DATE: 15-Aug-2005


COMPOSER: Johann Sebastian Bach
TITLE: Meyer plays Bach
TRACKS: 2 Part Inventions No.1 in C BWV772 / No.2 in C minor BWV773 / No.3 in D BWV774. Chromatic Fantasy & Fugue in D minor BWV903. Fantasy and Fugue in A minor BWV904. Fantasia in C minor BWV906. 7 Toccatas : Toccata No.1 in F sharp minor BWV910 / Toccata No.2 in C minor BWV911 / Toccata No.3 in D BWV912.
ARTISTS: Marcelle Meyer

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: recorded 1946-1950

Normally ships in 5-6 complete working days after order

[charmnick]

Hi all,

There are a couple of other Marcelle Meyer recordings on CD, the most important probably being Oscar Esplà's Sonata del Sur Op.52, actually a concertante work with orchestra recorded by Meyer for Hispavox in 1956 with the composer himself conducting and reissued by EMI Spain in a twofer dedicated to Esplà, 7243 5 62585 2.

WARNING! - do not attempt to buy that set! It is a travesty! Not only does it carry EMI's (probably illegal, in some countries) 'Copy Controlled' software, which silently installs itself on your PC without your permission, but (like all of EMI Spain's lamentable post-2000 series 'Grandes Compositores Españoles') it suffers from some of the worst remastering I have ever heard, of what was (presumably) a perfectly serviceable tape master.

Luckily, I have it on very reliable authority that a project initiated by EMI France's innovative, long-serving back-catalogue producer Rémi Jacobs, before his recent retirement, has finally come to fruition: in November this year, EMI France will release a set, very like M. Jacobs' complete Yves Nat anniversary box, containing much if not all of Meyer's commercial legacy, INCLUDING the Esplà and 1946 Rameau sessions only reissued on Dante HPC.

Great news!

Nick

[Lance]

Well Nick, I am delighted to know that there will be a Marcelle Meyer Edition much in the tradition of EMI-France's salute to Yves Nat with their 15-CD set [47826], which I have enjoyed enormously. Obviously, there will be much duplication with the former Meyer multi-disc EMI sets, but they will probably reissue this all in one box at a budget price. Thank you for keeping us abreast of these details!