Artur Schnabel - Schnabel Plays Beethoven vol. 5 (1994) [3CD]

The importance and the unique nature of the performances contained on these discs are such that words can only detract from one’s repeated listening to them. Perhaps one day the public (including musicians and those scholars who do more than look at music) will realize that they and so many other recordings comprise a museum, an art gallery of classical music and its interpreters, captured at its height. There is easy access to museums of art, history and science, but for some reason historic recordings are still considered as only a matter for specialist collectors. Historic recordings are often regarded as inferior, simply became their technology is now out of date, a situation which applies to no other form of artistic reproduction. Although sixty years have passed since Artur Schnabel recorded the major part of Beethoven’s works, his influence is still present among us. Not only have his recordings, editions and writings preserved his view of Beethoven, but his octogenarian son Karl Ulrich Schnabel maintains a continuity through his own extensive teaching activities and performing (piano four-hands). The following material is drawn from an interview he granted in 1991, long before this project was planned. He touched on many facets of his own musical life and that of his parents, leaving an important portrait of their way of life...
© 1994 Allan Evans (booklet)


Tracks:

Cd. 1
Piano Sonata n° 28 in A Major, Op. 101
1 I. Allegretto ma non troppo 3:55
2 II. Vivace alla Marcia 5:22
3 III. Adagio ma non troppo, con affetto 3:10
4 IV. Allegro 6:46

Piano Sonata n° in B-Flat Major, Op. 106 'Hammerklavier'
7 I. Allegro 8:47
8 II. Scherzo. Assai vivace 2:39
9 III. Adagio sostenuto 18:05
10 IV. Largo. Allegro risoluto 11:05


Cd. 2
Piano Sonata n° 30 in E Major, Op. 109
1 I. Vivace ma non troppo 4:54
2 II. Prestissimo 2:18
3 III. Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo 14:07

Piano Sonata n° 31 in A-Flat major, Op. 110
4 I. Moderato cantabile molto espressivo 6:31
5 II. Allegro molto 1:54
6 III. Adagio ma non troppo. Fuga 9:51

Piano Sonata n° 32 in C Minor, Op. 111
7. I. Maestoso - Allegro con brio ed appasionato 8:14
8. II. Arietta (Adagio molto semplice e cantabile) 17:46


Cd. 3
Thirty-Three Variations on a Waltz by Anton Diabelli
in C Major , Op. 120
1 Tema. Vivace 0:50
2 Var. 1. Alla marcia maestoso 1:39
3 Var. 2. Poco allegro 1:11
4 Var. 3. L’istesso tempo 1:17
5 Var. 4. Un poco più vivace 1:02
6 Var. 5. Allegro vivace 0:53
7 Var. 6. Allegro ma non troppo e serioso 1:36
8 Var. 7. Un poco più allegro 0:57
9 Var. 8. Poco vivace 1:27
10 Var. 9. Allegro pesante e risoluto 2:03
11 Var. 10. Presto 0:34
12 Var. 11. Allegretto 1:08
13 Var. 12. Un poco più moto 0:50
14 Var. 13. Vivace 0:53
15 Var. 14. Grave e maestoso 3:49
16 Var. 15. Presto scherzando 0:37
17 Var. 16. Allegro 0:51
18 var. 17. [not marked] 0:52
19 Var. 18. Poco moderato 1:34
20 Var. 19. Presto 0:45
21 Var. 20. Andante 3:40
22 Var. 21. Allegro con brio 1:00
23 Var. 22. Allegro molto, alla ‘Notte e giorno faticar’ 0:30
24 Var. 23. Allegro assai 0:53
25 Var. 24. Fughetta. Andante 3:06
26 Var. 25. Allegro 0:46
27 Var. 26. Piacevole 1:01
28 Var. 27. Vivace 0:56
29 Var. 28. Allegro 0:50
30 Var. 29. Adagio ma non troppo 1:21
31 Var. 30. Andante, sempre cantabile 2:00
32 Var. 31. Largo, molto espressivo 5:39
33 Var. 32. Fuga - Allegro 2:50
34 Var. 33. Tempo di Menuetto moderato 3:44

Bagatelles, Op. 126
35 N° 1 in G Major. Andante con moto 3:02
36 N° 2 in G Minor. Allegro 3:03
37 N° 3 in E-Flat Major. Andante 2:36
38 N° 4 in B Minor. Presto 3:51
39 N° 5 in G Major. Quasi allegretto 1:33
40 N° 6 in E-Flat Major. Presto 5:29

Personnel:

Artur Schnabel - p

Recorded at EMI Abbey Road Studio, n° 3, London ; March 22, 1932 [Cd. 2, # 1-3] January 21, 1932 [Cd. 2, # 4-6] ; January 21 & March 21 & 22, 1932 [Cd. 2, # 7-8] ; April 24, 1934 [Cd. 1, # 1-4] ; November 3 & 4, 1935 [Cd. 1, # 7-10] ; January 13, 1937 [Cd. 3, # 35-41] ; October 30 & November 2, 1937 [Cd. 3, # 1-34]