Wilhelm Backhaus, pianist (Complete Deccas)

[Lance]

While rummaging around the mega-box sets that have been accumulating, I picked up the 38 CD boxed set of all of pianist Wilhelm Backhaus's complete Decca recordings. What a treasure! We don't see much about Backhaus on CMG, but the pianist had a long and productive career from early acoustic recordings right through the stereo era. The set was issued around mid-2020 and I believe it is now unavailable [couldn't find it on Amazon at least]. His final recital recording was made on June 28, 1969 in Ossiach. By July 5, 1969 we would be dead. That is really cutting it close! This box also contains his complete Carnegie Hall recital in 1954. This 38 CD set contains music by Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, Mozart, Chopin, and Haydn and Mendelssohn. Many of the CDs were previously reissued, and many of them done only in Japan. This box gives it all to us.

We have two sets of the 32 Beethoven sonatas, first in mono, the second in stereo excepting only the "Hammerklavier," only because Backhaus died before it could be recorded. Two sets of the Beethoven Piano Concertos, the early mono included only concertos 2 through 5 (No. 1 was not recorded), and another complete stereo set of all five concertos. We get two Brahms second piano concertos, one of the first; two cello sonatas with Pierre Fournier, and so much more, too much to list here. If you want to traverse the mono/stereo years through Decca, this is the set to have, all in one box set with booklet containing all details.

If one wants to look further back on Backhaus, the best place to go is Appian/APR (or Biddulph) who have him well represented on their labels in, especially, the early acoustic and very early electric recordings. These were done when Backhaus's repertoire included Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Rubinstein, and a plethora of other composers' works he would not approach again throughout his career, at least on recordings nor even in concert for that matter.

When discussing great pianists with university students studying the piano, I am once again, shocked that the preponderance of these younger would-be pianists do not even know the name of Backhaus! They are missing much - and could learn about interpretation and pianism as Backhaus was not a showman of the instrument that we observe in many pianists around his time and much later up to the present day. It is music-making of the highest order. ♫

[david johnson]

The first Backhaus recording I ever saw was a mono lp of a Beethoven sonata at a local record shop in my small town. I was a 9th grader. I have his LvB piano concerto recordings with Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt/VPO. They are very enjoyable.

[Seán]

Hello fellow CMG loving people. I recently discovered and instantly fell in love with the musical performances of Wilhelm Backhaus on this marvellous 10 CD set, if you can get a copy I urge you to do so:




Klavierkonzerte Nr. 1-5; Klaviersonaten Nr. 5, 6, 8, 14, 15, 17, 21, 23, 25, 26, 29, 30, 32 (Nr. 5, 6, 8 in zwei Einspielungen); Diabelli-Variationen op. 120
Wilhelm Backhaus - Piano
Wiener Philharmoniker, New York Philharmonic Orchestra,
Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, Guido Cantelli

As Maestro Brian might say, this is a 5 out of 5.

Happy New Year everyone.

[Rach3]

If one wants to look further back on Backhaus, the best place to go is Appian/APR (or Biddulph) who have him well represented on their labels in, especially, the early acoustic and very early electric recordings. These were done when Backhaus's repertoire included Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Rubinstein, and a plethora of other composers' works he would not approach again throughout his career, at least on recordings nor even in concert for that matter.

Agreed. I have the Pearl set , but not the APR which latter has more works:

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-British ... 80&sr=1-39 (Pearl)

https://www.amazon.com/Wilhelm-Backhaus ... -1-catcorr (APR)

Also can recommend his last concerto recording,ca 1969, the Brahms 2nd PC with Bohm/VPO on a Decca cd paired with an early '50s recording, same forces, of Mozart K.595 PC.

[Rach3]

Here he is playing Moszkowski's "Caprice Espagnol" on a 1923 acoustic recording , I believe his only recording of the work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmE-PF-fINA

[maestrob]

I have that Decca box sitting in my cabinets unopened. Perhaps it's about time to do so!

[barney]

Hello fellow CMG loving people. I recently discovered and instantly fell in love with the musical performances of Wilhelm Backhaus on this marvellous 10 CD set, if you can get a copy I urge you to do so:




Klavierkonzerte Nr. 1-5; Klaviersonaten Nr. 5, 6, 8, 14, 15, 17, 21, 23, 25, 26, 29, 30, 32 (Nr. 5, 6, 8 in zwei Einspielungen); Diabelli-Variationen op. 120
Wilhelm Backhaus - Piano
Wiener Philharmoniker, New York Philharmonic Orchestra,
Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, Guido Cantelli

As Maestro Brian might say, this is a 5 out of 5.

Happy New Year everyone.

What a weird cover Sean. Why would they split Back Haus in two when it would clearly fit on one line? But a great set.

[Lance]

I took out the two-CD set of Backhaus live at Carnegie Hall in 1954 from his Decca Edition. I thought to myself, here I am seven decades later listening to this great master of the piano, absorbing the acoustics of Carnegie Hall, hearing the great man play the piano as though I was there. I know I get "sentimental" at times, but it is really incredible that we live in a time to be able to do this. Perhaps even Backhaus would be surprised he's being heard all these years later. In the final analysis, these really ARE treasures.