JOHN OGDON

70th Anniversary Edition

 

CD 1

Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor Op.18

Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Op.43  previously unreleased

Philharmonia Orchestra / Sir John Pritchard

 

Fauré : Ballade in F sharp Op.19

Litolff: Scherzo (Concerto symphonique No.4 in D minor Op.102)

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra / Louis Frémaux

 

CD 2

Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No.1 in B flat minor Op.23

Franck: Symphonic Variations

Philharmonia Orchestra / Sir John Barbirolli

 

Liszt: Hungarian Fantasia S123*

Liszt arr. Busoni: Rhapsodie espagnole S254*

Philharmonia Orchestra / Sir John Pritchard

 

CD 3

Bartók: Piano Concerto No.1 Sz83  previously unreleased

Philharmonia Orchestra / Sir Malcolm Sargent

 

Glazunov: Piano Concerto No.1 in F minor Op.92*

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra / Paavo Berglund

 

Ogdon: Piano Concerto No.1*

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Lawrence Foster

           

CD 4 (solo piano)*

Ogdon: Piano Sonata

Ogdon: Theme and Variations

 

Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor S178

Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No.15 in A minor (Rákóczy March) S244 No.15

Liszt: Valse oubliée No.1 S215 No.1

Liszt: Csárdás macabre S224

Liszt: En rêve: Nocturne S207

 

“There was no gentler giant in music than John Ogdon.”

Edward Greenfield of The Guardian

 

“His never diminishing interest in contemporary music should continue to be an example for all performing artists” Daniel Barenboim

 

“a genius of enormous sensitivity and very great humour”

Sir Peter Maxwell Davies

 

One of the greatest pianists Britain has ever produced, John Ogdon died prematurely in 1989, aged 52. This 4CD set is released to mark what would have been his 70th birthday.

 

Many of the recordings appear on CD for the first time (*) and two - the Rachmaninov Paganini Rhapsody and the Bartók concerto - have never been published before.

 

All are entirely newly transferred and digitally remastered. The result - superb value at budget price - is an ear-ravishing feast of musical virtuosity and a glorious memento of Ogdon in his heyday. Of particular musical interest are three of Ogdon’s own compositions, including his First Piano Concerto, and a towering account of Liszt’s B minor Sonata.

 

EMI 4cds 3927472