Beethoven: Variations (6) on an original theme 'Die Ruinen von Athen', Op. 76

Parnassus's ongoing documentation of the little-known early period of Sviatoslav Richter's career continues with a monumental, mostly unpublished Beethoven recital from 1951. While there are well-known recordings of Richter playing the "Diabelli" Variations from 1971 and 1986, this is the earliest documented performance of him playing the music. Of the material in this concert, only the "Diabelli" Variations have ever been published before. The remaining material from this concert has never been published in any form.

The art of variation lies at the heart of much music, including that of Beethoven, who practised this demanding technique as both performer and composer at many stages throughout his career.

For his ‘Eroica’ Variations Beethoven used a theme originally written for his ballet music from The Creatures of Prometheus which he later incorporated into his Third Symphony.

Other variations, whether based on the music of his contemporaries or of his own invention, such as the famous Turkish March from The Ruins of Athens, provide considerable insights to Beethoven’s much vaunted virtuosity and profound creativity.

Rudolf Buchbinder is firmly established as one of the most important pianists on the international scene, he is a regular guest of such renowned orchestras as the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Orchestre National de France, London Philharmonic, National Symphony, and the Philadelphia Orchestra. He has collaborated with the world’s most distinguished conductors including Abbado, Dohnányi, Dudamel, Frühbeck de Burgos, Giulini, Harnoncourt, Maazel, Masur, Mehta, Saraste, Sawallisch and Thielemann and is a regular guest at the Salzburger Festspiele and other major festivals around the world.

Until his retirement in 2009, Alfred Brendel was renowned the world over for his mastery of the Classical repertoire that pushed forwards the boundaries of the piano at the turn of the 18th century. Here are his early recordings of these subtle and dramatic concertos and sonatas, all stereo and all as fresh and dynamic in impact as when they were recorded over 50 years ago.

Alfred Brendel’s early recordings for Vanguard may long have been scorned by the pianist himself as he sought ever to refine in particular his mastery of the Classical repertoire, but they have stood the test of time.

Brendel’s way with Beethoven back then was perhaps more eruptive, his Mozart less suave, and in the concertos he was accompanied by stalwarts of the music scene in postwar Vienna. This set includes Beethoven’s complete sonatas and concertos as well as the Choral Fantasy, various bagatelles and many of the more obscure variation sets as well as a splendid early traversal of the Diabelli variations. Eight Mozart concerto recordings include his favourite ‘Jeunehomme’ K271, which he returned to many times during the course of his career, including his very last concert and recording; smaller Mozart works in size rather than expressive content include the masterly quintet for piano and winds, the C minor Fantasy and endlessly consoling A minor Rondo.

Wilhelm Kempff (1895–1991), one of the great piano masters, receives an exceptional tribute from the label with which he was most closely associated.

This is a beautiful, limited-edition 35-CD box of Kempff’s complete solo repertoire on DG and Decca Classics.

It includes the stereo Beethoven sonata cycle, the Schubert sonata cycle, generous anthologies of Bach, Brahms, Liszt, Schubert, and Schumann – plus Chopin and Baroque. There are many rarities, not readily available at present.

It comes with a Bonus CD of four early recordings from the 1930s – Bach, Beethoven, Schumann and Schubert/Liszt, all first-time releases – and a short series of spoken recordings by Kempff (synopses in English and French in booklet)

The booklet essay is a warm tribute from piano expert Gregor Willmes.