Ludwig van Beethoven

All of Sviatoslav Richter’s concert appearances in Prague, from his 1950 Prague Spring performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor, to his 1993 performance of the Grieg concerto, were highlights of Prague’s musical life. Richter, however, enjoyed traveling to small cities, often playing on instruments whose quality would be simply unacceptable for many of today’s musical stars. His concerts were generally completely sold out and offered his listeners an extraordinary musical experience regardless of the venue or quality of the instrument. The ability to surpise his audiences again and again was an inborn part of his personality. Under his fingers, pieces played a hundred times could suddenly take unexpected turns, as evidenced by both of the Beethoven concertos on this album (Concerto No. 1, recorded at Prague Spring on June 2, 1956, and Concerto No. 3, recorded on June 21, 1962) with the Czech Philharmonic and Karel Ancerl. These sensitively remastered recordings show Richter as a musician whose respect for stylistic purity never impeded his fascinating freedom of interpretation and inspiration.

This is the first complete recording of Barry Cooper’s new edition, published by ABRSM.

Martin Roscoe is a versatile musician who flourishes in performance, whether as a concerto soloist, recitalist or chamber musician. He is an artist who endeavours always to serve the composer and the music. His enduring popularity and solid reputation are built on a deeply thoughtful musicianship which is allied to an easy rapport with audiences and fellow musicians alike.

Roscoe is now recording the complete Beethoven piano sonatas for the Deux-Elles label and this first collection includes Beethoven’s popular Pathetique sonata, on which he comments “a work of peculiar intensity and dynamic energy which can still blow away its listeners with its power and freshness….The Pathétique remains a huge thrill to perform: I’d even say I find it much more exciting now than when I first learnt it some thirty-five years ago!”

“Roscoe is a pianist who both thinks and offers full-blooded playing of breadth and depth. In this country, he is an uncommon creature.” Daily Telegraph

"Roscoe remains one of the most reassuring voices, bringing mastery and sheer musical quality to bear on everything he plays.” The Gramophone

The famous, near-legendary recordings from the seventies of the late Beethoven String Quartets by the LaSalle Quartet. At last, available separately, at budget price!

The Quartet was formed at the Juilliard School of Music in New York, taking its name from the LaSalle Street near the school where the four music students spent all of their time rehearsing string quartets. Upon graduation, the young musicians became quartet-in-residence at Colorado College and subsequently moved to Cincinnati where they are to this day resident string quartet of the CollegeConservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.

Their album "The New Vienna School" containing the complete quartets of Schoenberg, Berg and Webern, created a sensation in the music world, winning the Grand Prix du Disque and four other international recording awards. TIME Magazine called the album "a landmark in recorded music." This is also available on Brilliant Classics – cat no. 9016

In 1978, the LaSalle again won the Grand Prix du Disque, for this recording of the Five Late Quartets by Beethoven.

The strange title of this CD refers to the regulation of the action of the piano being played. It has an action which was considered normal until the middle of the 20th century. The playing is largely unencumbered by pressure points and the performer can make the piano “sing” the melody in the same way as the human voice sings.

This is a recital of rarities by one of the most important and controversial pianists of the 20th century. He was as at home in the world of jazz as well as classical music and this brought elitist criticism. He performs Bach’s Capriccio sopra la lontananza del suo fratello dilettissimo BWV 992 (first time on CD), Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas Nos 10 and 31 and works by Haydn which he rarely performed in public.

6CD+1DVD

The present collection offers fascinating insight into the artistry one of the great musicians the twentieth century, the legendary cellist Gregor Piatigorsky (1903-1976). The recordings in this collection are either previously unissued studio recordings, or if issued, were not widely distributed when they were initially released, or are previously unissued public performances that were only heard when originally broadcast from the concert hall. This material constitutes a significant portion Piatigorsky’s recorded legacy and provides eloquent evidence of his importance in the world of modern cello playing, especially for those who never had the opportunity to hear him live.

Confidence, energy, brashness, terseness and humour: these five words succinctly characterize Beethoven's early piano sonatas. However, with Op. 10 No. 3's D minor Largo e mesto, a new quality - soul-bearing depth - comes into play - and settles in for the remainder of Beethoven's creative life. During the late 1970s, when VladimirAshkenazy's integral Beethoven sonata project for Decca neared completion, the pianist decided to remake several works that had been recorded and released earlier on. As a result, the cycle included Ashkenazy's 1978 version of the 'Appassionata', 1979 version of Op. 10 No. 3 and 1980 version of the 'Pathetique', but not the earlier traversals reissued here for the first time on CD. These earlier readings - Op. 10 No. 3 and the 'Appassionata' were recorded in 1970 and the 'Pathetique' in 1972 - can be more impetuous, with greater rhetorical freedom and more liberal inflections. Their kinetic power and dynamism are hard to resist.

“...Quite Simply An Amazing Pianist!” The New York Times