An hour of Gieseking playing Chopin

[neilnw]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEi1Xn9voe8

[barney]

Many thanks, Neil. I'll look forward to listening to this.

[Lance]

Great pianist for sure, particularly in the impressionistic composers. Did you ever get his Warner 48-CD boxed set [24559] issued at the beginning of 2023. It contains Gieseking's 1923-1956 "complete" recordings. Fanfare magazine has a good revue in the July-August issue. Long after his unexpected passing, Gieseking's name lives on and his recordings still sell. From what I understand, not every recording he made is in this box set, and what's not there is available on Appian/APR including all the Homocords from 1923-1927, some of which are apparently missing from the big Warner box. The Fanfare review compares which recordings are the most favorable among the various releases/labels. I must also say that I was not terribly enamored with his Chopin (which he did not record much of commercially), and have heard better-played Mozart, but overall, one of the great of the past IMHO. With the Warner set, the Music & Arts, Tahra, and Appian, you'll probably have the most of Gieseking you would want. As you know, Gieseking work appears on myriad labels even though he was contracted to Homocord early on, then DGG and EMI.

Thanks for displaying Gieseking/Chopin. I note he is using a Bechstein concert grand in the photo.

[maestrob]

Neil, thanks for posting this. I'll be listening soon.

Lance, I did acquire the big box you mentioned, but it sits on my shelves unopened at the moment, as I am working on the Gilels Red Box and some other smaller boxes. I love his Debussy, for sure, but his Rachmaninoff suffers from a poor conductor who has no idea how to shape the music, just to cite one example. I'm looking forward to opening the big box later on this year.

[neilnw]

I have none of the boxes mentioned above; I've heard vast amounts of Gieseking's out put these last several decades, and it's a spotty output, to be blunt. I too don't completely savor his Chopin; his Ravel and Debussy sets are great (though when I finally got a hold of the Ravel set I was disappointed somehat, not as consistent as Casadesus' in the neo-Classical pieces). His Mozart and Beethoven sound emasculated, as though he dressed them in a pink tutu (apart from that superlative early "Waldstein" performance). I consider him above all else to be the Master Miniaturist, and indeed, on my first two laptops I ripped togetner about 30 pieces from YouTube to a compilation of that title. His Grieg Lyric Pieces (and you know me and Grieg!) are treasures.

And Gieseking's repertoire was impressive in terms of sheer vastness.

[barney]

Well, that was wonderful. Thanks, Neil, for posting. So delicate.

[Lance]

Funny, from as far back as I can remember in the earliest years, the name Gieseking was on the tip of the tongues of anyone who loved piano music or was a pianist themselves. Even now, there seems to be a contingent of people still enamoured with his playing, particularly his piano "touch." Among the artists we consider "old" today (who died in the mid-1950s), Gieseking's recordings continued to be reissued and discoveries are being made of his live performances, though those have certainly thinned out by now. I am delighted to have this box from Warner along with the other labels I've mentioned. My Canadian friends seemed to have a particular fondness for the man. It was in the Toronto area that i found some LPs years ago that were somewhat unavailable in the US.

I have none of the boxes mentioned above; I've heard vast amounts of Gieseking's out put these last several decades, and it's a spotty output, to be blunt. I too don't completely savor his Chopin; his Ravel and Debussy sets are great (though when I finally got a hold of the Ravel set I was disappointed somehat, not as consistent as Casadesus' in the neo-Classical pieces). His Mozart and Beethoven sound emasculated, as though he dressed them in a pink tutu (apart from that superlative early "Waldstein" performance). I consider him above all else to be the Master Miniaturist, and indeed, on my first two laptops I ripped togetner about 30 pieces from YouTube to a compilation of that title. His Grieg Lyric Pieces (and you know me and Grieg!) are treasures.

And Gieseking's repertoire was impressive in terms of sheer vastness.

[maestrob]

This was quite fascinating, Neil, thanks. I was particularly intrigued by the two renditions of the Barcarolle. The earlier one was quite virtuosic, almost a taffy-pull in regards to inventive tempo changes, yet the later one was not only in better sound but rounder and better played. Quite a contrast.

[CharmNewton]

The Warner set includes some first releases in stereo of some of Gieseking's last recordings, and I believe there is more stereo material lost in the vaults given how much recording he did in the mid 1950s. His tone is much improved in these stereo recordings (the box lists Debussy's Suite bergamasque as being in stereo, but it is not).

The recordings of Debussy that Gieseking made in 1951 for American Columbia (I still have the 3-LP Odyssey re-isssue) are also included in the Warner box, marking their first release on CD. They were recorded by EMI, who re-recorded the material after the end of the contract between American Columbia and EMI in 1953 (and led to the creation of Angel Records in the U.S.).

John

[maestrob]

The Warner set includes some first releases in stereo of some of Gieseking's last recordings, and I believe there is more stereo material lost in the vaults given how much recording he did in the mid 1950s. His tone is much improved in these stereo recordings (the box lists Debussy's Suite bergamasque as being in stereo, but it is not).

The recordings of Debussy that Gieseking made in 1951 for American Columbia (I still have the 3-LP Odyssey re-isssue) are also included in the Warner box, marking their first release on CD. They were recorded by EMI, who re-recorded the material after the end of the contract between American Columbia and EMI in 1953 (and led to the creation of Angel Records in the U.S.).

John

John, are you sure that the Warner box is the first release on CD of Gieseking's Debussy? I own two copies of a 3CD EMI box that was issued some decades ago. I can't imagine those are not the same recordings. I'll post the catalogue number later on if you need it.

I seem to recall that they were originally mastered on 78RPM discs to improve the bass.

[barney]

I t hink I've told this story before, but it bears repeating. A friend of mine as a youth heard Gieseking play a recital in Bendigo (a rural city in my state), probably about 1953. At the reception after, Gieseking stood silently at the window, then clicked his heels and shot out his arm. "Today is the Fuhrer's birthday," he announced. My friend said he never saw a room with free drinks in it empty so fast.

Still, a wonderful pianist.

[CharmNewton]

John, are you sure that the Warner box is the first release on CD of Gieseking's Debussy? I own two copies of a 3CD EMI box that was issued some decades ago. I can't imagine those are not the same recordings. I'll post the catalogue number later on if you need it.

I seem to recall that they were originally mastered on 78RPM discs to improve the bass.

It's the first release of the Debussy recordings Gieseking made in 1951 under the sponsorship of American Columbia. The recordings were made by EMI and then licensed by EMI for release in the U.K. After the licensing/disribution contract between EMI and American Columbia expired in 1953, EMI re-recorded the material and the later recordings have been issued many times. CBS Masterworks and Sony have never re-issued the 1951 recordings on CD.

It may be that the rights have transferred back to EMI (and now Warner) for these recordings as no mention is made in the booklet acknowledging Warner's licensing them or thanking Sony in any way for allowing their release in this collection. In fact one of the Debussy Préludes for his 1930s recording of Book I (La Cathédrale engloutie) was recorded by American Columbia and is excluded from this set (and leaving that Book I recording incomplete, although it was re-issued in the recent collection published by APR).

The 1951 Debussy didn't sound very good on Columbia LPs and doesn't sound much better here. To my ears, many of Gieseking's 1950s recordings sound poorly recorded for the time. I had hoped that Warner might take some care in the remastering and improve the sound, but I can't say that is the case, at least yet, although those released in stereo sound much better than those in monaural. Perhaps playing them on the home-theater system (with its ability to switch between different sound fields) may add some spaciousness to these recordings and reveal more of the fluidity of the Gieseking touch, which can sound very special.

John

[CharmNewton]

I t hink I've told this story before, but it bears repeating. A friend of mine as a youth heard Gieseking play a recital in Bendigo (a rural city in my state), probably about 1953. At the reception after, Gieseking stood silently at the window, then clicked his heels and shot out his arm. "Today is the Fuhrer's birthday," he announced. My friend said he never saw a room with free drinks in it empty so fast.

Still, a wonderful pianist.

I can't dispute the story, but it seems strange behavior given Hitler had been dead for eight years and Gieseking having been through the ringer after the war.

Here is a link I found from the Melbourne Sun announcing Gieseking performing in two upcoming benefit concerts in May, 1952, one being for the War Veterans' Homes and the Sir John Northcott Neurological Center (Town Hall recital, possibly in Melbourne) and the other for the Sydney Symphony Benevolent Fund.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230704874

John

[maestrob]

John, are you sure that the Warner box is the first release on CD of Gieseking's Debussy? I own two copies of a 3CD EMI box that was issued some decades ago. I can't imagine those are not the same recordings. I'll post the catalogue number later on if you need it.

I seem to recall that they were originally mastered on 78RPM discs to improve the bass.

It's the first release of the Debussy recordings Gieseking made in 1951 under the sponsorship of American Columbia. The recordings were made by EMI and then licensed by EMI for release in the U.K. After the licensing/disribution contract between EMI and American Columbia expired in 1953, EMI re-recorded the material and the later recordings have been issued many times. CBS Masterworks and Sony have never re-issued the 1951 recordings on CD.

It may be that the rights have transferred back to EMI (and now Warner) for these recordings as no mention is made in the booklet acknowledging Warner's licensing them or thanking Sony in any way for allowing their release in this collection. In fact one of the Debussy Préludes for his 1930s recording of Book I (La Cathédrale engloutie) was recorded by American Columbia and is excluded from this set (and leaving that Book I recording incomplete, although it was re-issued in the recent collection published by APR).

The 1951 Debussy didn't sound very good on Columbia LPs and doesn't sound much better here. To my ears, many of Gieseking's 1950s recordings sound poorly recorded for the time. I had hoped that Warner might take some care in the remastering and improve the sound, but I can't say that is the case, at least yet, although those released in stereo sound much better than those in monaural. Perhaps playing them on the home-theater system (with its ability to switch between different sound fields) may add some spaciousness to these recordings and reveal more of the fluidity of the Gieseking touch, which can sound very special.

John

Thank-you, John, for the clarification. This is why I post here, to learn something new every day.

I've just moved the Gieseking/Warner box next to my Gilels box, and it will be the next on my playlist, along with a revisit to the 1995 EMI box of Debussy.

[neilnw]

EMI was so slow-on-the-draw in reissuing their Gieseking catalogue. In '88 at the Portland Tower store I bought EMI's de rigeur reissue of their Preludes recordings, but the budget-line reissue label Price-Less had already put out a slightly truncated version of their Grieg Lyric Pieces set, which I've kept along with my other Grieg CDs.

[CharmNewton]

John, are you sure that the Warner box is the first release on CD of Gieseking's Debussy? I own two copies of a 3CD EMI box that was issued some decades ago. I can't imagine those are not the same recordings. I'll post the catalogue number later on if you need it.

I seem to recall that they were originally mastered on 78RPM discs to improve the bass.

It's the first release of the Debussy recordings Gieseking made in 1951 under the sponsorship of American Columbia. The recordings were made by EMI and then licensed by EMI for release in the U.K. After the licensing/disribution contract between EMI and American Columbia expired in 1953, EMI re-recorded the material and the later recordings have been issued many times. CBS Masterworks and Sony have never re-issued the 1951 recordings on CD.

It may be that the rights have transferred back to EMI (and now Warner) for these recordings as no mention is made in the booklet acknowledging Warner's licensing them or thanking Sony in any way for allowing their release in this collection. In fact one of the Debussy Préludes for his 1930s recording of Book I (La Cathédrale engloutie) was recorded by American Columbia and is excluded from this set (and leaving that Book I recording incomplete, although it was re-issued in the recent collection published by APR).

The 1951 Debussy didn't sound very good on Columbia LPs and doesn't sound much better here. To my ears, many of Gieseking's 1950s recordings sound poorly recorded for the time. I had hoped that Warner might take some care in the remastering and improve the sound, but I can't say that is the case, at least yet, although those released in stereo sound much better than those in monaural. Perhaps playing them on the home-theater system (with its ability to switch between different sound fields) may add some spaciousness to these recordings and reveal more of the fluidity of the Gieseking touch, which can sound very special.

John

Thank-you, John, for the clarification. This is why I post here, to learn something new every day.

I've just moved the Gieseking/Warner box next to my Gilels box, and it will be the next on my playlist, along with a revisit to the 1995 EMI box of Debussy.

I was listening to Gieseking's Debussy and Mozart last night, actually much longer than I should have. What I found was that nothing will make these recordings sound modern, several of the multi-channel settings (Dolby Surround, DTS, Orchestra and what my receiver calls "Full Mono" (i.e. all 5 channels with a central focus) revealed a warmth of tone, intimacy in expression and dynamic shadings that at times were breathtaking, notably in Clair de lune, Arabesque No. 1 and slow movements of Sonatas K. 279 and K. 280.

I encourage anyone with a 5.1 or greater system to have a listen to Gieseking and other artists and perhaps discover something that hadn't been revealed as well before.

John

[Lance]

Because of my interest in pianos, when Gieseking performed in the United States, it was the Baldwin piano he played, otherwise in Europe it was the German Steinway but I think mostly the Bechstein. I am uncertain if any recordings of Gieseking playing on Baldwin pianos were made. The Bechstein was Hitler's favorite piano as evidenced by his gift of a grand piano by Mrs. Helene Bechstein [a Bechstein through marriage] who was a great supporter/friend to Hitler.

[barney]

I t hink I've told this story before, but it bears repeating. A friend of mine as a youth heard Gieseking play a recital in Bendigo (a rural city in my state), probably about 1953. At the reception after, Gieseking stood silently at the window, then clicked his heels and shot out his arm. "Today is the Fuhrer's birthday," he announced. My friend said he never saw a room with free drinks in it empty so fast.

Still, a wonderful pianist.

I can't dispute the story, but it seems strange behavior given Hitler had been dead for eight years and Gieseking having been through the ringer after the war.

Here is a link I found from the Melbourne Sun announcing Gieseking performing in two upcoming benefit concerts in May, 1952, one being for the War Veterans' Homes and the Sir John Northcott Neurological Center (Town Hall recital, possibly in Melbourne) and the other for the Sydney Symphony Benevolent Fund.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/230704874


John

Great research, John, thanks.

[Rach3]

With Gieseking,I think perhaps the earlier the better.

[neilnw]

With Gieseking,I think perhaps the earlier the better.

Right, definitely the 30s & 40s.

[CharmNewton]

Because of my interest in pianos, when Gieseking performed in the United States, it was the Baldwin piano he played, otherwise in Europe it was the German Steinway but I think mostly the Bechstein. I am uncertain if any recordings of Gieseking playing on Baldwin pianos were made. The Bechstein was Hitler's favorite piano as evidenced by his gift of a grand piano by Mrs. Helene Bechstein [a Bechstein through marriage] who was a great supporter/friend to Hitler.

Unless I find out otherwise, I believe he made his 1950s recordings with a Bechstein piano. Here is a brief biographical note from the Bechstein website which also shows a late photo of Mr. Gieseking playing a Bechstein.

https://www.bechstein.com/en/the-world- ... gieseking/
Walter Gieseking, born in 1895, began as 4-year-old to play piano and made fast, sensational progress. In 1911 he was student of Karl Leimer. In winter 1915/16 he played in Hanover on six evenings all Beethoven Sonatas with the exception of Opus 49. After a sensationally received Berlin debut in 1920 he was committed the next year to more than 130 concerts and began in Zurich his first foreign tour. The first U.S. tour in 1926 was followed by 12 more until 1939. While recording his Beethoven series for EMI in 1956, he suddenly collapsed and died in London after an emergency operation. After concerts Gieseking cordially thanked "for the excellent Bechstein concert grand piano“.

Listening to the new Warner set on my 5-channel stereo, was revelatory in bringing out a warmer tone overall, a firmer bass without muddying the midrange, and reproducing a wider dynamic range than I heard through my two channel stereo. That said, the piano as recorded didn't have the transparency of Artur Schnabel's Bechstein In Beethoven's Op. 109, recorded by EMI in the same studio in 1932 (also in the new Warner transfers). As the studio is fairly large and used to record orchestras, perhaps the Edward Fowler, the engineer for Mr. Schnabel's recordings, sought to capture more of the ambience in the hall. Listening to his Beethoven through 5 channel playback revealed similar improvements to those heard in the recordings of Mr. Gieseking.

John

[CharmNewton]

...In fact one of the Debussy Préludes for his 1930s recording of Book I (La Cathédrale engloutie) was recorded by American Columbia and is excluded from this set (and leaving that Book I recording incomplete, although it was re-issued in the recent collection published by APR).

John

I want to correct an error in what I wrote above. La Cathédrale engloutie) was recorded by English Columbia at Abbey Road on February 9, 1936. That recording is included in the Warner box on CD4, but not with the other Book I Préludes (which are on CD 7). Gieseking recorded the remainder of Book I in Berlin on August 10, 1938.

Gieseking recorded all of Book II in New York on February 21, 1939 while touring America. Anerican Columbia was able to hold seven recording sessions with Gieseking between February and April 1939. It is that complete Book II and the other recordings from these sessions that are omitted from the Warner collection.

Perhaps Sony will issue them much like they did the RCA recordings of Artur Schnabel.

John

[Philip M]

Some 40 years ago I visited Gieseking's daughter snd her family in Germany to see if they had any private recordings that we at Dell'Arte could release. But the family had zilch....

I remember they were a lovely family.

Philip

[maestrob]

Some 40 years ago I visited Gieseking's daughter snd her family in Germany to see if they had any private recordings that we at Dell'Arte could release. But the family had zilch....

I remember they were a lovely family.

Philip

Hello, Philip! How nice to hear from you at last!

Hope all is well.

[Rach3]

Here might be some lesser known recordings of interest:

https://arbiterrecords.org/catalog/gies ... 1924-1945/

[neilnw]

Not to be egoistic, but.....

35 years ago, during the third year of my stay at the University of Oregon, I had the pleasure of knowing a close associate and pupil of Gieseking during his final years (Hanover Conservatory)--Ronald Booth. (Booth, who himself passed away two years after I met him, was, at the time, on a sabbatical from the University of North Carolina [Charlotte]).

Anyway, during that one year Booth showed me portions of his sizeable collection of Gieseking photos. These included one of Gieseking, at a dinner table beside James Dean and Ursula Andress. Gieseking has his head peering over in the direction of Andress and smiling/leering at her.

(Booth told me he always had an eye for a pretty woman.)

[Rach3]

Here might be some lesser known recordings of interest:

https://arbiterrecords.org/catalog/gies ... 1924-1945/

And another:

https://arbiterrecords.org/catalog/brah ... gieseking/