de Larrocha's SCHUMANN now on a 2-CD set

[Lance]

I have been impressed with pianist Alicia de Larrocha's recordings of the piano music of Robert Schumann. Having had the original Decca/London LPs, only a small portion of her Schumann appeared in British Decca's commemorative set [7 CDs, 473.813, issued in 2003]. Further, three of the works that appear on this newly issued two-CD set appeared on Decca/London 421.525 (Carnaval, Fasschingschwank aus Wien, and the Allegro in B Minor). Now all her Schumann is available on an Australian-issued budget-priced Decca set [476.9910], which also includes the Kreisleriana, the Novelette No. 8, the Romance #2 in F#, and the Fantasy in C.

We don't hear much about de Larrocha these days. She's retired and played her last concert some time ago. From what I hear, she is alive and well. I would consider her to be among the finest pianists of the last half of the twentieth century.

[Jack Kelso]

I have been impressed with pianist Alicia de Larrocha's recordings of the piano music of Robert Schumann. Having had the original Decca/London LPs, only a small portion of her Schumann appeared in British Decca's commemorative set [7 CDs, 473.813, issued in 2003]. Further, three of the works that appear on this newly issued two-CD set appeared on Decca/London 421.525 (Carnaval, Fasschingschwank aus Wien, and the Allegro in B Minor). Now all her Schumann is available on an Australian-issued budget-priced Decca set [476.9910], which also includes the Kreisleriana, the Novelette No. 8, the Romance #2 in F#, and the Fantasy in C.

We don't hear much about de Larrocha these days. She's retired and played her last concert some time ago. From what I hear, she is alive and well. I would consider her to be among the finest pianists of the last half of the twentieth century.

Thanks, Lance. This is DEFINITELY worth looking into---er, rather "hearing". I do recall her name connected with Schumann, and I still need the ultimate recording of the difficult "Fantasie in C", opus 17.

Jack

[Sapphire]

I have been impressed with pianist Alicia de Larrocha's recordings of the piano music of Robert Schumann. Having had the original Decca/London LPs, only a small portion of her Schumann appeared in British Decca's commemorative set [7 CDs, 473.813, issued in 2003]. Further, three of the works that appear on this newly issued two-CD set appeared on Decca/London 421.525 (Carnaval, Fasschingschwank aus Wien, and the Allegro in B Minor). Now all her Schumann is available on an Australian-issued budget-priced Decca set [476.9910], which also includes the Kreisleriana, the Novelette No. 8, the Romance #2 in F#, and the Fantasy in C.

We don't hear much about de Larrocha these days. She's retired and played her last concert some time ago. From what I hear, she is alive and well. I would consider her to be among the finest pianists of the last half of the twentieth century.

Thanks, Lance. This is DEFINITELY worth looking into---er, rather "hearing". I do recall her name connected with Schumann, and I still need the ultimate recording of the difficult "Fantasie in C", opus 17.

Jack

JACK: You might have a look at this link:

http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse ... top10.html

It's one of 3 related sites discussing great pianists. There isn't much about Larrocha but what there is suggests that her Schumann interpretations leave something to be desired.

As for Fantasie, Op 17, the version I like best is by Catherine Collard. I think this work ranks in my top 5 of all solo piano pieces. It's Schumann at his very best here. I don't mean to start WWIII but IMO nothing by Brahms or Chopin gets close in quality. There are only a few pieces by Beethoven and Schubert I like as much as Op 17.


Saphire

[Jack Kelso]

I have been impressed with pianist Alicia de Larrocha's recordings of the piano music of Robert Schumann. Having had the original Decca/London LPs, only a small portion of her Schumann appeared in British Decca's commemorative set [7 CDs, 473.813, issued in 2003]. Further, three of the works that appear on this newly issued two-CD set appeared on Decca/London 421.525 (Carnaval, Fasschingschwank aus Wien, and the Allegro in B Minor). Now all her Schumann is available on an Australian-issued budget-priced Decca set [476.9910], which also includes the Kreisleriana, the Novelette No. 8, the Romance #2 in F#, and the Fantasy in C.

We don't hear much about de Larrocha these days. She's retired and played her last concert some time ago. From what I hear, she is alive and well. I would consider her to be among the finest pianists of the last half of the twentieth century.

Thanks, Lance. This is DEFINITELY worth looking into---er, rather "hearing". I do recall her name connected with Schumann, and I still need the ultimate recording of the difficult "Fantasie in C", opus 17.

Jack

JACK: You might have a look at this link:

http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse ... top10.html

It's one of 3 related sites discussing great pianists. There isn't much about Larrocha but what there is suggests that her Schumann interpretations leave something to be desired.

As for Fantasie, Op 17, the version I like best is by Catherine Collard. I think this work ranks in my top 5 of all solo piano pieces. It's Schumann at his very best here. I don't mean to start WWIII but IMO nothing by Brahms or Chopin gets close in quality. There are only a few pieces by Beethoven and Schubert I like as much as Op 17.


Saphire

Thank you so much, Saphire. That link is marvelously interesting!!

Jack

[piston]

Fascinating source, Saphire! For what it's worth, I tend to agree with the top ten list, all outstanding pianists. The author tends to be less than objective at times such as his very personal opinion of Argerich. Yet, I would have to agree, as a whole, about Hamelin -- superb technician who is not at his best when playing ethnically-inspired music (I mentioned his less than passionate playing of Albeniz before) or highly sentimental music. Still, it's nice to see two Canadian pianists making the top 20 list

[Sapphire]

Jack and Piston

On a completely separate subject, the following is another music website which I find very useful indeed for general purposes. You may already know it. It's:

http://www.wku.edu/~smithch/music/index2.htm

I am pretty sure you will find this of interest, and well worth putting in your list of favourites. It contains lots of very useful information about all the main composers, their works, styles etc. It has an article about the most influential composers, but I'm not suggesting you take that too seriously. It's the other, more general background information which I have found most useful.

Let me know what you think.


Saphire

[Ralph]

Thanks for the reference. I've bookmarked it and will refer to it regularly.

Ms. de Larrocha has always been a favorite of mine. For many years she appeared each summer at Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart festival and I attended virtually all of her concerts as well as others in New York.

[Lance]

I have been impressed with pianist Alicia de Larrocha's recordings of the piano music of Robert Schumann. Having had the original Decca/London LPs, only a small portion of her Schumann appeared in British Decca's commemorative set [7 CDs, 473.813, issued in 2003]. Further, three of the works that appear on this newly issued two-CD set appeared on Decca/London 421.525 (Carnaval, Fasschingschwank aus Wien, and the Allegro in B Minor). Now all her Schumann is available on an Australian-issued budget-priced Decca set [476.9910], which also includes the Kreisleriana, the Novelette No. 8, the Romance #2 in F#, and the Fantasy in C.

We don't hear much about de Larrocha these days. She's retired and played her last concert some time ago. From what I hear, she is alive and well. I would consider her to be among the finest pianists of the last half of the twentieth century.

Thanks, Lance. This is DEFINITELY worth looking into---er, rather "hearing". I do recall her name connected with Schumann, and I still need the ultimate recording of the difficult "Fantasie in C", opus 17.

Jack

JACK: You might have a look at this link:

http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse ... top10.html

It's one of 3 related sites discussing great pianists. There isn't much about Larrocha but what there is suggests that her Schumann interpretations leave something to be desired.

As for Fantasie, Op 17, the version I like best is by Catherine Collard. I think this work ranks in my top 5 of all solo piano pieces. It's Schumann at his very best here. I don't mean to start WWIII but IMO nothing by Brahms or Chopin gets close in quality. There are only a few pieces by Beethoven and Schubert I like as much as Op 17.


Saphire

Well, of course each is entitled to an opinion. I've read some of the articles pertaining to various pianists, but I think this person is a little bit out of whack. Schumann's music is perhaps among the most complex and intellectual music of any music written during his period. Not every pianist can "bring off" Schumann's music easily. De Larrocha may have been mosted noted for her interpretations of Spanish music, but she was a complete artist in interpreting any music. Her music speaks for itself. I have, for example, rarely heard a more sophisticated performance of the Fasschingsswahk aus Wien, op. 21, and particularly the fourth section (Intermezzo), which was preferred to me over all other recorded versions enough for it to be used as the introductory theme song for weekly radio broadcasts.

Beauty of music performance will always remain in the ears/minds of the listeners and we can be as critical as we want to be, but in de Larrocha's case, her recordings will live on as a testament to her wonderful pianistic art. I continue to recommend her Schumann recordings to anyone who loves great music making.

[Jack Kelso]

Jack and Piston

On a completely separate subject, the following is another music website which I find very useful indeed for general purposes. You may already know it. It's:

http://www.wku.edu/~smithch/music/index2.htm

I am pretty sure you will find this of interest, and well worth putting in your list of favourites. It contains lots of very useful information about all the main composers, their works, styles etc. It has an article about the most influential composers, but I'm not suggesting you take that too seriously. It's the other, more general background information which I have found most useful.

Let me know what you think.


Saphire

Once again, Saphire---thank you for an interesting url!

Like all sites based on "lists", this one too is entertaining---and somewhat inaccurate. Guess who again....?!

Right. Schumann is number 10 (behind Chopin!!!). I guess I didn't know Chopin had such an impact on Wagner, Elgar, Glazunov, Bruch, Brahms, etc.

Well, well. Live and learn.

Tschüß!
Jack

[Sapphire]

Jack

I did say don't take too much notice of the "influence" list. It is based on a curious methodology that is flawed, but it's too boring to go in to details here. In essence, the influence list is based on another set of ranks for "greatness" per se, but the details of this list are not given. You will notice that Schubert is No 36 on the influence list, which must be wrong. I had correspondence with the author over all this, and I'm afraid I didn't get very far as I was accused of being too meticulous in my statistical analysis. I gather the intention is to update these results in due course, based on further grant money to the University.

It's more the other information on the Kentucky site that's more interesting, e.g. who influenced who. It also tells you under which "label" the main late 19th and 20th C composers are categorised, and how their styles changed during their careers (e.g. Stravinsky). This sort of information is often very useful for Board discussions. At least I have found it so from experience in the past.

As regards the separate matter of greatest pianists, I trust you found the URLs of interest. I like reading about such matters, and I gather you do too. There is always something one can learn from such places. I fully realise that it's easy to pick holes in all this as it's mere opinion, but I get the impression that author really knows what he's talking about. It's not just mere assertion, as he backs up his views with examples. In the cases I'm familiar with, I agree largely with what he says. I especially like Horowitz, Richter, Rubinstein, Van Cliburn and Schnabel, and I agree with most of his comments.

Talking of Horowitz, I especially like his version of Schumann's Piano Sonata No 3, Op 14.

Regards


Saphire

[Jack Kelso]

Jack

I did say don't take too much notice of the "influence" list. It is based on a curious methodology that is flawed, but it's too boring to go in to details here. In essence, the influence list is based on another set of ranks for "greatness" per se, but the details of this list are not given. You will notice that Schubert is No 36 on the influence list, which must be wrong. I had correspondence with the author over all this, and I'm afraid I didn't get very far as I was accused of being too meticulous in my statistical analysis. I gather the intention is to update these results in due course, based on further grant money to the University.

It's more the other information on the Kentucky site that's more interesting, e.g. who influenced who. It also tells you under which "label" the main late 19th and 20th C composers are categorised, and how their styles changed during their careers (e.g. Stravinsky). This sort of information is often very useful for Board discussions. At least I have found it so from experience in the past.

As regards the separate matter of greatest pianists, I trust you found the URLs of interest. I like reading about such matters, and I gather you do too. There is always something one can learn from such places. I fully realise that it's easy to pick holes in all this as it's mere opinion, but I get the impression that author really knows what he's talking about. It's not just mere assertion, as he backs up his views with examples. In the cases I'm familiar with, I agree largely with what he says. I especially like Horowitz, Richter, Rubinstein, Van Cliburn and Schnabel, and I agree with most of his comments.

Talking of Horowitz, I especially like his version of Schumann's Piano Sonata No 3, Op 14.

Regards


Saphire

Yes, Horowitz could be very deep in his playing. I have (again from German radio) a live performance of his interpretation of Schumann's "Fantasie in C", opus 17. I don't like it quite as well as Geza Anda's, but it's still wonderful. So few pianists around that fully understand that work....

Best,
Jack

[Burchest]

We don't hear much about de Larrocha these days. She's retired and played her last concert some time ago. From what I hear, she is alive and well. I would consider her to be among the finest pianists of the last half of the twentieth century.

At the age of 78 she is indeed entitiled to retirement. You are right about her being one of the finest pianist of the last half of the20th century. I have a half dozen Mozart piano concertos Nos. 9,21,22,23,24,and 26 that she recorded with Colin Davis and the English Chamber Orchestra in the early 90's. She not only knew her Schumann but Mozart too. The Mozart recordings are as delightful as her Schumann.

[piston]

From what I have found, she was in Provence lately.

[lmpower]

I also want to thank Sapphire for these links. The biggest surprise on the pianist list was Benedetti. I was familiar with the name but didn't realize he was that important. I'm happy that half of the great pianists are represented in my collection. I also enjoy Alicia De La Rocha's Mozart recordings but have never heard her in Schumann. Benno Moisievitch was a pianist who had the highest opinion of Schumann's work. The classical music navigator is also a nice site. Influential isn't as important as great, but it is of interest to the student of history. I have to agree that Wagner had a tremendous impact on opera and music in general.