RCA Victor: 50749

Horowitz reDiscovered

RCA Victor: 82876-50749-2

CD 1

1. Applause

Robert Schumann
2. Blumenstück, Op.19
3-6. Sonata No.3 in F minor, Op.14 (Concerto without Orchestra)

CD 2

1. Applause

Sergei Rachmaninoff
2. Prelude in G major, Op.32 No.5
3. Etude-Tableau in E-flat minor, Op.39 No.5

Franz Liszt
4. Valse Oubliée No.1
5. Au bord d'une source

Frederic Chopin
6. Waltz in A minor, Op.34 No.2
7. Scherzo No.1 in B minor, Op.20

Claude Debussy
8. Serenade for the Doll

Robert Schumann
9. Träumerei

Moritz Moszkowski
10. Etincelles, Op.36 No.6

Sergei Rachmaninoff
11. Etude-Tableau in D major, Op.39 No.9

High Voltage Pianism

2003 marks the centennial year of the birth of Vladimir Horowitz. In commemoration, RCA has released the complete, unedited recital of November 16, 1975. None of the repertoire on this release is new to the Horowitz discography, but as the pianist never played the same works twice in the same way, the performances contain new insights.

The first half of the recital featured two works by Schumann which were somewhat off the beaten path. The Blumenstück (Flower Piece) is played in a considerably different manner than his live performance from 1966. The tempo is dramatically slower, with more rubato as Horowitz occasionally slows down to smell the roses.

The Sonata in F Minor, (sometimes referred to as the Concerto Without Orchestra) is a problematic piece. Horowitz's go-for-broke performance here is in marked contrast to the version he approved for release on LP in 1976 (and far superior to the botched CD "outtake" version on RCA 6680-2-RG). The pianist takes considerably more liberties in regard to tempo and rubato, and he takes a great number of risks technically (particularly in the second movement, which is very fast) which don't always pay off. That was the thing about Horowitz in concert: rather like a box of chocolates, you never knew what you were going to get. In the final analysis, the LP version (which is not available on CD) remains the benchmark performance of this piece.

Rachmaninoff's G major Prelude is played with loving tenderness and astonishing control of the lower levels of dynamics. The two Rachmaninoff Etudes-Tableaux (one of them was an encore) are given spasmodic, occasionally brutal "go for broke" performances which teeter on the brink of disaster, but remain remarkable for all that.

Liszt's Valse Oublieé and Au bord d'une source had been recorded by Horowitz before, but it's interesting just how much more effective these live performances are. Whether it's due to superior recorded sound, or perhaps because Horowitz was "in the mood" that day, the pianist perfectly captures the prismatic mystique of the forgotten waltz, and the bubbling brook of the water piece.

Horowitz recorded more music by Chopin than any other composer. The A Minor Waltz (Horowitz's favorite) is played in a brooding, inward manner altogether different from his straightlaced 1971 studio version. The B minor Scherzo, a Horowitz staple, is given a feverish, slashing performance similar in tempo and mood to his 1951 recording, building to a stunning climax and concluding with interlocking octaves replacing the usual chromatic scales.

The encores by Debussy, Schumann, Moszkowski and Rachmaninoff are a typical Horowitzian show (the pianist announces the encores, which he usually didn't do), and bring an effective close for the recital.

To be frank, there are numerous unissued Horowitz performances in RCA's vaults (not to mention Sony's and Deutsche Grammophon's) which are even more deserving of release than this one. They include stunning live renditions of Balakirev's Islamey and Liszt's St. Francis Walking on the Water, alongside studio renditions of the Bach-Busoni Toccata in C and numerous shorter works. Nevertheless, this release is an important document as it is the first time a complete, unedited Horowitz recital has been released by a major label. Despite its imperfections, it should be in every serious music lover's CD collection. The sound is a bit close for comfort but acceptable.

© Hank Drake

This page is part of The Vladimir Horowitz Website
http://w1.854.telia.com/~u85420275/index.htm