GEZA ANDA

 

Troubadour for the Piano

 

"Géza Anda (1921-1976) was the epitome of keyboard elegance" wrote the renowned piano music critic Bryce Morrison. Wilhelm Furtwängler, no less, referred to him as a "troubadour of the piano" on the occasion of a joint concert they gave in 1943, around the time of the earliest recordings in this set. No glad sufferer of fools or tolerator of slovenliness, Anda worked painstakingly at his interpretations, his technique and the master classes he gave.

 

This CD set provides a nearly-complete overview of the Hungarian pianist's career from his earliest recitals in wartime Berlin almost up to his premature death of cancer in early 1976. Dashing early Liszt performances remind us of his Hungarian background, while the other early Romantics also feature strongly. As Morrison puts it, "Anda's Chopin, Liszt and Schumann - and, most particularly, his Schumann - were all enlivened and illuminated by his magic, his coruscating wit and refinement, the products of a phenomenally acute ear and of the reflexes of a born musical athlete." Separate interpretations of Schumann's Etudes symphoniques from 1943 and 1963 provide the opportunity to appraise Anda's artistic development.

 

Nearly all of the recordings in this set were either deleted or have never been available on CD internationally, and the 1942-3 recordings, apart from the Schumann, are all receiving their first official CD release. In the case of the Franck Symphonic Variations with Eduard van Beinum we were able to locate a tape copy from the since-destroyed original metal parts, permitting optimum sound quality.

 

The concerto recordings in the set benefit from distinguished partnerships with van Beinum, Rafael Kubelik and Ferenc Fricsay. The last movement of the Brahms Second Piano Concerto with Fricsay has long been famous for its authentic Hungarian atmosphere. 

Of the solo works, Anda's reflective version of Schubert's famous posthmous B flat Sonata is now appearing on CD for the first time.

 

CD 1:

ROBERT SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto in A minor, op.54 32’

Berlin Philharmoniker

Rafael Kubelik

P 1964

 

ROBERT SCHUMANN: Etudes symphoniques 24’

P 1943 MONO

rec. Berlin, Polydor Studios, March 1943

 

CÉSAR FRANCK: Symphonic Variations c. 15’

Concertgebouw Orchestra

Eduard van Beinum

Recorded: Amsterdam, 17-21 May 1943

 

FRANZ LISZT:

Mephisto-Walzer (arr. D’Albert);

La Campanella (Grandes Etudes de Paganini Nr.3) (bearb. Busoni )

(Berlin, Polydor Studios, June 1942

 

CD 2:

JOHANNES BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat major, op.83 50’

Berliner Philharmoniker

Ferenc Fricsay

P 1961

 

BÉLA BARTÓK: Rhapsody op.1 24’

Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin

Ferenc Fricsay

P 1961

 

FRANZ LISZT

Waldesrauschen 4’

P 1998 (recorded 1966)

 

CD 3:

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: Diabelli Variations op.120 41’

P 1962

 

FRANZ SCHUBERT: Sonata in B flat major D 960 37’

P 1964

 

CD 4:

FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN: 24 Preludes 36’

Polonaise in A flat major, op.53 7’

P 1960

 

ROBERT SCHUMANN

Davidsbündlertänze op.6 30’

P 1967

 

FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN:

Etude e-moll op.25/5 68088 (c.1943)

Mazurken a-moll op.67/4 & a-moll op. 68/2

(Berlin, May 1943)

 

CD 5:

ROBERT SCHUMANN

Kreisleriana op.16 28’

P 1967

Fantasie in C major op.17 28’

Etudes symphoniques op.13 23’

P 1964

 

Deutsche Grammophon 5cds 4775289