Bach, J S: | Sarabande from Partita No. 4 BWV828 Recorded on 16th December 1925 |
Beethoven: | Variations (32) on an Original Theme in C minor, WoO 80: excerpt Recorded on 13th April and 14th May 1925 The Ruins of Athens -Turkish March arr. Rubinstein. Recorded on 14th December 1925 |
Borodin: | Scherzo Recorded on 23rd December 1935 |
Gluck: | Orfeo ed Euridice: Mélodie arr. Sgambati. Recorded on 14th May 1925 |
Handel: | Keyboard Suite, HWV 430 in E major 'The Harmonious Blacksmith': Air & Variations Recorded on 3rd January 1936 |
Liszt: | Ständchen - Leise flehen meine Lieder (No. 7a from Schwanengesang, S560, after Schubert) Recorded on 27th February 1942 Das Wandern (No. 1 from Müllerlieder von Franz Schubert, S565) Recorded on 14th April 1925 Gnomenreigen, S145 No. 2 Recorded on 13th April 1925 |
Mendelssohn: | 3 Etudes, Op. 104b Nos. 2 and 3. Recorded on 25th April 1927 Song without Words, Op. 67 No. 4 in C major 'Spinning Song' or 'Bee's Wedding' Recorded on 25th April 1928 |
Mozart: | Rondo alla Turca from Piano Sonata No. 11, K331 Recorded on 14th May 1925 |
Paderewski: | Minuet in G major, Op. 14 No. 1 Recorded on 5th April 1927 |
Schubert: | Impromptu in A flat major, D899 No. 4 Recorded on 29th December 1925 |
Scriabin: | Prelude, Op. 11 No. 8 in F sharp minor Recorded on 16th April 1929 |
Tausig: | Man lebt nur einmal. No. 2 from 'Walzer-Capricen nach J. Strauss' Recorded on 5th April 1927 |
Tchaikovsky: | The Seasons, Op. 37b: November (Troika) Recorded on 11th April 1928 |
Rachmaninov’s reputation as a composer has waxed and waned over the years, but as a pianist he remains renowned, not least among other pianists, as one of the greatest. His perfect technique, utter clarity and discipline, and supreme musicianship shine undiminished through even his earliest recordings.
Ever the perfectionist, he would often set down multiple takes of even the shortest pieces (no fewer than 22 of Mendelssohn’s Spinning Song, for instance), carefully choosing only the best for release. His account of a selection of Beethoven’s 32 Variations in C minor WoO 80 effortlessly negotiates every nuance, from utmost delicacy to thunderous virtuosity, while his affinity for the Romantics is self-evident.
Producer and Audio Restoration Engineer: Ward Marston
