Rudolf Serkin - Profundity and Passion (2012) [10CD Box Set]

Rudolf Serkin was born in Eger (now Czech Republic) to Russian immigrants in 1903 - he was to become one of the truly great performers of classical and romantic piano music. Serkin studied with Schönberg and his playing boasted many facets: intellectual depth and clarity as well as a burning passion and challenging, expressive creativity. The recordings made between 1932 and 1959 of works written by Beethoven, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Strauss and Bach form an impressive example of his creative art. Passionate abandon and unconditional dedication also distinguish Serkin's performances of chamber music works - as demonstrated by the recordings of Beethoven's Cello Sonatas made together with Pablo Casals and performances given with his father-in-law, the great violinist Adolf Busch, with whom Rudolf Serkin performed chamber music at the highest level for a good thirty years.


Tracks:

CD 1 :

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Concerto No. 14 in E flat major, K449
Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K466

Rudolf Serkin - piano
Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy
The Busch Chamber Players, Adolf Busch

CD 2-4 :

Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15
Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 'Pathetique'
Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53 'Waldstein'
Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 'Appassionata'
Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat major, Op. 81a 'Les Adieux'

Rudolf Serkin - piano
Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma della RAI, Orchestra "A. Scarlatti" di Napoli della RAI, Ferruccio Scaglia, Franco Caracciolo

CD 5-6 :

Ludwig van Beethoven
Cello Sonata No. 1 in F major, Op. 5 No. 1
Cello Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 69
Cello Sonata No. 4 in C major, Op. 102 No. 1
Cello Sonata No. 5 in D major, Op. 102 No. 2
Variations on "Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen", for Cello and Piano, WoO 46
Variations on "Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen" for Cello and Piano, Op. 66

Felix Mendelssohn
Rondo capriccioso in E major, Op. 14

Rudolf Serkin - piano, Pablo Casals - cello

CD 7 :

Felix Mendelssohn
Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25
Piano Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 40

Rudolf Serkin - piano
Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy

CD 8-9 :

Johannes Brahms
Horn Trio in E flat major, Op. 40
Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34

Aubrey Brain - horn, Adolf Busch - violin, Rudolf Serkin - piano
The Busch Quartet

Robert Schumann
Violin Sonata No. 1 in A minor, Op. 105

Rudolf Serkin - piano, Adolf Busch - violin

CD 10 :

Johann Sebastian Bach
Italian Concerto, BWV971
Chromatic Fantasia & Fugue in D minor, BWV903

Richard Strauss
Burleske for Piano and orchestra in D minor, AV85

Rudolf Serkin - piano
Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of New York, Dimitri Mitropoulos