Reading Hurwitz's review, I could only chuckle at that line... Who knew the eight Boyce symphonies even existed? Um, I did... and so did many other classical music enthusiasts, thanks to a very fine (and still impressive) recording of these "little gems" by I Solisti Di Zagreb, led by Antonio Janigro, made by Philips-Vanguard in 1965-- some thirteen years before Marriner's Argo release. Vanguard later re-released it on the Bach Guild label in '72, which is when I heard it repeatedly on the radio and soon after bought the LP (pictured below). Granted, I'm a little older than David Hurwitz and started collecting classical LPs when he was in the 4th grade. But for heaven's sake, David, do your homework.
This 3 SACD-only set from Japan was waiting for me when I got home from Chicago today. Played disc number one--Symphonies 26, 32,33. Beautifully played and DSD remastered from the analog originals.
First listen to CD 2 from "Dvorak - Complete symphonies / Tone Poems / Overtures / Requiem" performed by the London Symphony Orchestra led by Istvan Kertesz on Decca. CD 2: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3
Jed Distler's review from a few years ago, taken from the Arkiv site: Icon: Witold Malcuzynski - The Polish Master Piani ... - Warner Classics: 5099901924428 | Buy from ArkivMusic A popular pianist in his day, Witold Malcuzynski’s reputation has been in eclipse since his death in 1977. Several reissues appeared with little fanfare, notably a two disc “Artist Profile” EMI Chopin compilation and a selection of 1946/7 shellac discs from Pearl. With Malcuzynski’s centenary on the horizon for 2014, Warner Classics now releases an eight disc “Icon” box set devoted to this almost forgotten yet deserving Polish pianist. It does not encompass Malcuzynski’s complete EMI output, yet the contents give a judicious and wide ranging representation of his artistry, with numerous items appearing for the first time in an official, international CD release. Discs one and two replicate the aforementioned “Artist Profile” release. The Waltzes and a selection of fifteen Mazurkas embody some of Malcuzynski’s cleanest and most stylish Chopin playing, replete with fascinating details such as the C-sharp Minor Waltz’s lavishly stretched-out yet logically proportioned Trio section, and the unusual dry-point articulation that justifies the D-flat Op. 30 No. 3 Mazurka’s fluctuations of pulse. Similar clarity and discreet pedaling in the B Minor Sonata (bracing in the Finale but too notey in the Scherzo) brings out the work’s line-oriented classicism rather than its Romantic ardor. By contrast, liberal phrase distentions and old school expressive devices color Malcuzynski’s blustery yet obviously committed pianism in the last of his three studio Chopin F Minor Concerto recordings, and the only one to present the orchestral ritornellos complete. Having recently reviewed Rafal Blechacz’s mostly fussy and mannered Chopin Polonaises, Malcuzynski’s far more direct and rhythmically idiomatic connection with this genre amounted to a revelation. His Polonaises may not match Rubinstein’s thrust and elan, yet their nobility and breadth are enhanced by fuller-bodied engineering than the norm for many of Malcuzynski’s early stereo releases. The B-flat Minor Sonata is better than I remember it from my long “de-collected” LP copy. Some of the first movement’s point making impedes the music’s flow, but the Scherzo movement’s outer sections and Trio are distinctively characterized, while the pianist grasps the terrifying quick chord-octave leaps with the utmost assurance and ferocity. A slow but limpidly sustained Funeral March leads into a suave, understated account of the two-handed unison finale. One might describe Malcuzynski’s Chopin Ballades as a more technically consistent manifestation of Alfred Cortot’s freewheeling, declamatory style and push/pull rubatos, although the F Minor Fantasie’s comparable leeway yields relatively static results. The atmosphere set by the F-sharp Nocturne Op. 15 No. 2’s conversational elegance is shattered by the central episode’s emphatic accents and heavy-handed arpeggiated texures. Despite admirable flights of fancy, Malcuzynski’s fingers seem slightly hard pressed in the Second and Third Scherzo’s loud climaxes; the notes are all there but the pianist holds little energy in reserve. The 1953 Liszt A Major Concerto proves far superior to Malcuzynski’s prosaic 1946 predecessor. Here the pianist imbues the glittery passagework with much more poetry and scintillation, helped by a vivid and realistic orchestra/soloist sonic image and Walter Susskind’s intelligently detailed support. Perhaps the solo cello is a tad spotlit, but the unaccredited cellist is so good that he nearly steals the show from the piano player! Aside from occasional strain in the octaves, Malcuzynski’s 1953 Liszt Sonata stands out for its organic unity and for how he projects declamatory passages for maximum oratorical impact while avoiding vulgarity (easier said than done, sample the Andante Sostenuto to hear what I mean). The Spanish Rhapsody is well played but lacks lightness, elan and sufficient dynamic contrast. A 1956 Tchaikovsky First Concerto features sensitive, polished moments (the central movement’s supple leggerissimo phrasing) and crude musicality (the poor accentuation of the first movement main theme’s rhythmic figure of two triplets followed by a rest, and the pounded-out octaves) side by side. Malcuzynski’s 1949 Rachmaninov Third Concerto was this work’s first recording made specifically for LP. One notes the Philharmonia Orchestra’s responsive playing and Paul Kletzski’s ear for detail, such as the clarity of the first movement first desk soloists and shapely, balletic phrasing in the central Intermezzo, where Malcuzynski’s fingers take imaginative wing. But the pianist’s loud, undifferentiated and occasionally pounding execution in the outer movements’ gnarliest climaxes lacks the tension and release of Horowitz’ comparable nervous energy. Furthermore, the performance incorporates all of the regrettable cuts observed in the Rachmaninov/Ormandy recording, as did Malcuzynski’s equally unmemorable stereo remake (never on CD). However, his Apollonian reserve and brisk, feathery sculpting of the Rachmaninov Op. 32 Preludes in G Major and G-sharp Minor make an interesting and convincing contrast to Horowitz’s more expansive and nuanced interpretations. Collectors who appreciate the sober, bronze-toned Brahms style of Wilhelm Backhaus or Arthur Rubinstein’s later recordings will find a kindred spirit in Malcuzynski’s excellent 1953 D Minor Concerto with Fritz Rieger leading the Philharmonia Orchestra, although the pianist’s stereo remake with Stanislaw Wislocki and the Warsaw National Philharmonic (once available on a Seraphim LP) benefits from more impassioned outer movements. The Brahms Handel Variations range from stolid and earthbound (Variations 10 and 14) to surprisingly supple and fluent (Variation 24). Malcuzynski’s Beethoven “Appasionata” is not particularly colorful, but its stern focus and dynamism are very much in the Backhaus, Serkin and Petri mold. Unfortunately, he omits the finale’s repeat. My only quibble about Malcuzynski’s large-scaled treatment of the Bach Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue is that the Fugue’s basic tempo gradually decreases as the music builds. Perhaps drab, constricted engineering makes the Franck Prelude, Chorale and Fugue sound more dour and uninflected that what the pianist intended, although the dry ambience of Debussy’s La Cathédrale engloutie takes nothing away from Malcuzynski’s carefully gauged colorations and dramatic build-up. Prokofiev’s March from “The Love for Three Oranges” lacks Rubinstein’s sardonic swagger, and his fidgety way with the Scriabin C-sharp Minor and D-sharp Minor Etudes cannot match Horowitz’s poised, singing paradigms. Yet Paderewski’s Cracovienne fantastique has a tender charm not always apparent in Malcuzynski’s music making, while the Szymanowski Op. 4 No. 3 Etude’s textural unfolding reaches it peak without being hammered out. Whatever this collection’s inconsistencies, piano mavens will find much to enjoy for a reasonable price. -- Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com
This disc arrived in the post today, which I listened to tonight. I'm very fond of the pianist in question, and he plays beautifully, just as he does on his Couperin disc, but I don't share his affection for these Tchaikovsky pieces. Perhaps they require repeated listens, I guess time will tell. I've had a few of the pieces on another disc which also featured the Grand Sonata (Barry Douglas is the pianist on there), but not all 12.
One of my favorite Mozart albums on the TT tonight... A young Christoph Eschenbach plays Sonatas K.332 and K.333, Andante in F major, K.616, and Variations in C on "Ah, Vous Dirai-Je Mamam," K.265. DG -- stamped "1965" in deadwax.
1993 Time-Life/Warner Special Products compilation with Vivaldi's Four Seasons (Gerard Schwartz/Delos); Bach's Brandenburg No. 2 (Ton Koopman/Erato), Toccata & Fugue BWV 565 (Marie-Claire Alain/Erato) and Mass in B Minor excerpts (Harnoncourt/Teldec); and Handel Organ Concerto Op. 4 No. 6 (Koopman/Erato) & Messiah excerpts (Harnoncourt/Teldec).
I recently listened to a Malcuzynski LP and I liked the playing so I bought the box set. Mastering sounds OK but have only listened to one CD so far. The LP sounded good too.
Comparing the two sets I have of Monteverdi‘s Vespers of the Blessed Virgin, proto-HIP recordings. On the right is the 1966 recording by Jürgen Jürges and Nikolaus Harnoncourt on Telefunken. On the left, the 1974/75 recording by Hanns-Martin Schneidt on Archiv. I prefer the Archiv recording. The interpretation is slightly more fresh than the rather stale sounding Telefunken one. But even the latter has beautiful moments.
Mr. Distler spends so much of that lengthy review picking apart Malcuzynski’s playing with an astonishing number of negatives, that he doesn't adequately support his concluding line: "Whatever this collection’s inconsistencies, piano mavens will find much to enjoy for a reasonable price." If you don't have any of Malcuzynski’s recordings on your shelf, then just get it. His artistry is worth it, IMO.
Interesting. I usually reach for the Harnoncourt/Telefunken recording. I"ll have to dig out the Archiv one for another listen...
On the turntable this morning, this will help me wake up while the coffee is brewing... Rudolf Buchbinder plays the Beethoven Eroica Variations. Telefunken LP, German press, 1976.
OK, so much for posting reviews. As I've said before I may not agree with some of Mr Distler's writings, but he's one of the few critics whose reviews I do take seriously and I am not going to be the one to expose him to negative criticism. As for the Membran/Documents sets, to each their own, of course.
My favourite Monteverdi Vespro is still the 1990 Gardiner disc he did in Venice. But I don't think that ever came out on LP. I have it on CD, though.
