CD-1195(2) ELISABETH SCHWARZKOPF: EARLY SONG RECORDINGS FOR GERMAN RADIO

47 Songs and Arias by Rameau, Bach, Sammartini, Gluck, Mozart, Beethoven, Weber, Rossini, Loewe, Schubert, Schumann, Verdi, Cornelius, J. Strauss Jr., Brahms, Humperdinck, Wolf, R. Strauss, Busoni and Reger, from recordings made for RRG (German Radio) between 1941 and 1943, with Michael Raucheisen, piano. Added bonus: Schwarzkopf speaks (in English) on the art of lieder singing (1980). AAD; 77:27 + 63:25;  UPC #0-17685-11952-1

Buzz: The recordings of songs presented here, ranging from a Bach cantata excerpt to folk songs,were all made during World War II for the Reichsrundfunk Gesellschaft (Germanradio system), whose classical music division was headed between 1940 and 1945 by the pianist Michael Raucheisen, Schwarzkopf ’s first important mentor (and the husband of Maria Ivogün, Schwarzkopf ’s teacher). Raucheisen invited the young soprano, whom he had accompanied in several Lieder recitals in 1941, to take part in his radio project “Lied der Welt” for which such famous vocal artists of the time as Peter Anders, Erna Berger, Anton Dermota, Hans Hotter, Frieda Leider, Tiana Lemnitz, Julius Patzak, Elisabeth Rethberg, Heinrich Schlusnus, and numerous others recorded more than a thousand songs.

Interviewed at length by J.B. Steane for the book Elisabeth Schwarzkopf: a Career on Record, (Alan Sanders and J.B. Steane; Portland, OR, Amadeus Press, 1995), the singer recalled the circumstances under which these wartime recordings were made: much of the repertoire was new to her and she virtually sight-read most of the pieces, not even realizing that the performances were being recorded for posterity. Re-hearing these radio recordings more than fifty years later, Schwarzkopf was displeased by the flat pitch of the duets with Lea Piltti, but liked many of the others, “particularly for their natural use of legato” (op. cit., p. 58). Indeed,  those who complained of Schwarzkopf’s later interpretive style as too mannered will find a fresh and less studied approach in these early recordings. And as Schwarzkopf never re-recorded most of the repertoire, we have an additional reason to cherish them.

CD-1193(5) ARTUR SCHNABEL PLAYS MOZART
The complete EMI recordings, augmented by live performances.

CD 1 (78:24) Concerto for Piano & Orchestra, No. 22 in E-flat, K.482 * [13 or 16 November, 1941]; Piano Sonata No. 8 in A minor, K.310  [27 January, 1939]; Concerto for 2 pianos and orchestra in E flat major, K.365 London Symphony Orchestra, cond. Sir Adrian Boult  [28 October,1936]. CD 2: (76:15) Piano Quartet No 1 in G minor K.478 w/ members of the Pro Arte Quartet [19 December, 1934]; Piano Sonata No. 12 in F major, K.332 [5 June 1946 & 5 June, 1947]; Piano Concerto No. 27 in B flat major, K.595 London Symphony Orchestra, cond. John Barbirolli [2 May 1934].CD 3: (76:37) Piano Concerto No 20 in D Minor, K.466 Philharmonia Orchestra, cond. Walter Susskind [17 & 18 June, 1948]; Piano Sonata No. 13 in b flat, K.333 * U.S. Armed Forces Radio Recording [1944/45?]; Piano Concerto No. 19 in F major, K.459 London Symphony Orchestra, cond. Sir Malcolm Sargent [9/12 January, 1937]. CD 4: (72:24) Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K.491 Philharmonia Orchestra, cond. Walter Susskind  [18 & 19 June, 1948]; Piano Sonata No. 16 in B Flat major, K.570 [16 June, 1948]; Piano Concerto No. 23 in A, K.488 * Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, cond. A. Rodzinsky  [3 March, 1946]. CD 5: (71:23)  Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K.467 London Symphony Orchestra, cond. Sir Malcolm Sargent [12 January, 1937]; Rondo in A minor, K.511 [4 June, 1946]; Sonata in F, K.533/494 *  [14 November, 1943]; From a public performance at the Frick Museum, New York Piano Concerto No. 17 in G, K.453 * (excerpt)  New Friends of Music Orchestra, cond. Fritz Stiedry [22 March, 1942]. *live performance • Restorations: Kit Higginson (2006) • Notes: Farhan Malik • Released under license from EMI Classics.
UPC #0-17685-11932-3  Special: 5 CDs for the price of 4

Buzz: Artur Schnabel once wrote: “Children are given Mozart because of the small quantity of the notes; grown-ups avoid him because of the great quality of the notes.”  He was one grown-up who did not avoid Mozart. For him, the quality of the notes was the predominating factor in what music he chose to play. Along with Beethoven and Schubert, Schnabel was a tireless advocate of Mozart’s music at a time when Mozart was often maligned and scoffed at by those who considered the music simplistic and unchallenging. This set presents all his celebrated HMV recordings of Mozart’s keyboard works, together with his best public performances, all newly restored, with extensive analytical notes.