This is one that Claudio Arrau never released
mainThe Chilean pianist was a great Lisztian, with a particular love for the Totentanz.
For some reason, he never recorded it commercially.
You hear it here first.
Thanks to Mikhail Kaykov.
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Yes, Arrau was a great Lisztian. And this performance is wonderful.
My wish is that some of the lesser known pieces, such as the late works (Unstern!, Nuages gris, Bagatelle sans tonalite, and the like) would be played more often by the present generation of pianists and become better known.
Holy Toledo!
Thanks ! I am a great fan of Arrau ! I love everything he did from Bach to Debussy.
Bravo, maestro! Terrific virtuosity coupled with his usual depth of musicianship. I still think his early recording of Islamey is among the best. I would be happy if I could play one tenth as well as this man.
Write us at classicalpianorarities@outlook.com if you would like a copy of this recording on CD.
Buy our latest commercial release of recordings never-before available on CD:
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Track List
Brailowsky: Liszt Concerto No 1 (live 1945, Mitropoulos)
Arrau: Liszt Concerto No 2 (live 1935, Rosbaud)
Cziffra: Liszt Totentanz (live 1962, Benzi, from superior source)
Magaloff: Liszt Hungarian Fantasy (new to the discography – live 1965, Ansermet)
Btw There is also an Arrau recording of the Totentanz with the Little Orchestra Society from 1954, which we have not located yet.
Arrau performed this work on occasion, from 1945 until 1968.
Vladimir Horowitz is another who performed “Totentanz” in the 1930s but left no record of it. I’ve heard Andre Watts play it well, also Erno Daniel with Frederic Balazs conducting, and Byron Janis with Reiner.
Erno Danie and Balazs paired it with the Hungarian Fantasia, which Benno Moisiwitsh and surprisingly Solomon recorded.
As far as I know, there is no record of Horowitz playing the Totentanz.
He did have the Liszt 1st concerto in his repertoire until 1933 and the 2nd concerto until 1944.
Superb rendition!
Orchestra, conductor, date, venue?