MORIZ ROSENTHAL (1862 -1946) piano

 

Complete Solo Recordings

 

 

CD1 (75’07)

Victor Talking Machine Company, Camden, New Jersey, USA 8 May 1928

Okeh, New York March or April 1928

Thomas A. Edison Inc., West Orange, New Jersey, USA March & April 1929

 

CD 2 (73'31)

Lindström group (Odeon and Parlophone), Berlin 1929, 1930 & 1931

 

CD 3 (78'27)

Lindström group (Odeon and Parlophone), Berlin continued 1930 & 1931

Ultraphon, Berlin 16 April 1930

Gramophone Company Ltd. No. 3 Studio, Abbey Road, London 1934 & 1935

 

CD 4 (67'24)

Gramophone Company Ltd. No. 3 Studio, Abbey Road, London continued 1935–1937

 

CD 5 (71'29)

RCA Victor, Camden, New Jersey, USA June 1939 & March 1942

British Broadcasting Corporation, London 24 March 1935 (live broadcast)

National Broadcasting Company, New York 19 December 1937 (live broadcast)

 

Total duration: 6 hours 6 minutes

 

Repertoire includes Chopin Piano Concerto No.1 (Berlin State Opera Orch./Weissmann), Sonata No 3, Berceuse, Tarantelle and many Etudes, Mazurkas, Nocturnes, Preludes & Waltzes, also works by Albeniz, Debussy, Handel, Liadov, Liszt, Schubert, and Rosenthal himself.

 

Moriz Rosenthal was from the earliest generation of pianists to have made a significant number of recordings, and he was also one of the more important Liszt pupils, therefore his legacy is of the utmost importance as representative of 19th century style.

 

In his youth he was renowned as being one of the supreme technicians and, although he began to record only in old-age, this can still be heard in his own two Strauss paraphrases recorded here; still today pinnacles of the most ridiculous virtuosity. But it is for his Chopin above all that Rosenthal should be remembered. In his youth he studied with the composer’s most important student, Karol Mikuli, and his uniquely free lyricism in the Mazurkas and other miniatures must surely be considered close to the composer’s own.

 

This is the first time all Rosenthal’s recordings have been transferred to CD and two recent discoveries issued only in Argentina and Japan respectively and known only in unique copies are included, as is a beautiful live performance from his 75th birthday concert.

 

APR 5cds APR7503