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Horowitz's Concert Repertoire

An attempt to list all works Horowitz performed live during his career
Prepared & Compiled by Christian Johansson

 

 

Welcome to the Concert Repertoire section!
The following list is an attempt to list Horowitz's concert repertoire as a professional musician. I would like to point out that as an index of Horowitz's concert repertoire, the list only includes works Horowitz is known to have performed live before an audience. For people interested in further works that may have been touched by Horowitz I refer to the website of the Horowitz archive at Yale University, which has a list of Horowitz's score collection as it was donated to them in the 1980s. The website can be found at: http://webtext.library.yale.edu/xml2html/music.horowitz.nav.html

In the main part of the index works Horowitz programmed after his graduation as a concert pianist in 1920 up to his last public concert in june 1987 are listed. The years below each work is the years during which Horowitz programmed the work in question in his concerts.  Entries with a lightbulb after them are works which there are no known recordings of with Horowitz, neither professional (released or unreleased), from broadcasts, or pirate recordings (piano rolls doesn't count!). 
An appendix can be found at the bottom of the page listing works Horowitz is only known to have performed prior to his graduation in 1920, and which never popped up in his programs as a professional musician later. Works Horowitz performed both during his conservatory years and after 1920 as a professional musician (Don Juan Fantasy, Arensky's concerto, etc etc) have not been included in the appendix. A further appendix listing works Horowitz recorded but never performed live is in preparation. The link to the concert repertoire is that these would be almost exclusively works which Horowitz loved enough to include in his concert programs but felt were too intimate for a concert hall.

It is difficult to estimate just how complete a concert repertoire list is, but while I do believe Horowitz's repertoire after his emigration from Russia in December 1925 is covered quite well below, a lot of works Horowitz only performed in Russia between 1920 & 1925 are probably missing. Concert programs from Russia during the 1920s have proved to be quite difficult to obtain, and to consider the few programs I have from that time to cover his complete russian repertoire would be most irresponsible. We know Horowitz played chamber music frequently together with violinist Nathan Milstein and the cellist Raya Garbousova for instance, and also accompanied many singers, such as Nina Koshetz, Zoya Lodaya, Leonid Sobinov and others - none of which I have any programs for at all. So there's probably quite a bit of chamber music & songs in particular missing from the listing below unfortunately, but I have done my best to cover as much repertoire as possible without falling in to speculations.

Works or years with a [+] marking have been added or corrected in the latest update.

 

Any additions, corrections or comments to this page would be most appreciated.  Please E-mail to: Christian Johansson

Last updated on November 10, 2003

---

Anonymous

        God Save the Queen

• May 22, 1982: Royal Festival Hall, London, UK
  
          - Only performance known to me

Arensky, Anton

        Piano Concerto in F minor, Op.2   

• Early 1920s

Bach, Johann Sebastian

Chaconne in D minor from Violin Partita No.2 (Arr. Busoni)   

• 1920 (?)*

• 1926

• 1933
  
          * Horowitz opened his debut recital in 1920 with either the Chaconne, or the Toccata, Adagio & Fugue in C major. There is a lot of conflicting information regarding this recital.

Chorale Prelude: Komm, Gott, Schöpfer, heiliger Geist, BWV 631   

• 1933-1934

Chorale Prelude: In dir ist freude, BWV 615   

• 1933-1934

Chorale Prelude: Nun freut euch, lieben Christen, BWV 734 (Arr. Busoni)

• 1933-1934

• 1942

Chorale Prelude: Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland, BWV 659 (Arr. Busoni)

• 1928

• 1930    [+]

• 1932-1934    [+]

• 1942

Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV 532 (Arr. Busoni)    *

• 1926

• 1928

• 1930-1931

• 1934
  
          * Piano roll exists.

        "Prelude & Fugue in A minor (Arr. Busoni)"   

• 1924 and/or 1925
  
          - I don't have a concert program to support this, but Horowitz himself claimed to have performed this in Leningrad during the 1924/1925 season. There is a slight problem with the information though.... there is no transcription by Busoni of a Prelude & Fugue in A minor by Bach. Busoni did transcribe a Fantasy & Fugue in A minor (BWV 904), but LISZT transcribed a Prelude & Fugue by Bach in A minor (BWV 543) which could also very well be what Horowitz meant. What's pointing towards the Liszt transcription is that this is a Prelude & Fugue just as Horowitz claimed he had played, but something that might make the Busoni/Bach Fantasy & Fugue perhaps an even more probable suspect is that Horowitz said in an interview late in life that he had played a whole program in Russia with "the complete Bach/Busoni transcriptions" (he couldn't have, all Busoni's Bach transcriptions would never fit in just one recital, but chances are he played every Bach/Busoni transcription known to him & russia at the time).
  
  Either way, many thanks to the french Horowitz expert Max Massei for alerting me about the paradox with this non-existent transcription.

Prelude and Fugue No.12 in F minor from Das Wohltemperierte Klavier [Book not specified]   

• 1931

Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C major, BWV 564 (Arr. Busoni)

• 1920 (?)*

• 1926-1928

• 1931-1933

• 1935

• 1939-1940

• 1942-1943

• 1945

• 1950-1951    [+]

• 1965
  
          * Horowitz played either this or the Chaconne at his debut recital in Kiev in 1920

(??) Toccata & Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 (??)   

• ???
  
          - This work was in Horowitz's repertoire according to Horowitz scholar Robert McAlear, but I have never seen any proofs supporting that he really played it live.

Toccata & Fugue in C minor, BWV 911

• 1926 (program error?)

• 1949

Balakirev, Mili

        Islamey - Oriental Fantasy (Edited by Horowitz)

• 1936

• 1950

Barber, Samuel

        Excursions, Op.20 (Nos. 1, 2 & 4 only)

• 1945
  
          - Horowitz gave the New York Premiere of these on March 28, and the world premiere earlier the same season

        Sonata in E-flat minor, Op.26

• 1949-1950
  
          - Horowitz gave the world premiere in Havanna on December 9, 1949

Beethoven, Ludwig van

        Cello Sonata in D major, Op.102 No.2   

• 1927

        Piano Concerto No.5 in E-flat major, Op.73 (Emperor)

• 1933

• 1935

        Sonata in D major, Op.10 No.3

• 1949

• 1965*
  
          * Only on November 9, a rehearsal in Carnegie Hall with a specially invited audience of ca 200 people.

        Sonata in C-sharp minor, Op.27 No.2 (Moonlight)

• 1947

Sonata in E-flat major, Op.31 No.3

• 1939-1941

Sonata in C major, Op.53 (Waldstein)

• 1945

        Sonata in F minor, Op.57 (Appassionata)

• 1920 (?)*

• 1928
  
          * Horowitz did not remember whether he played this or the Op.110 Sonata at his debut recital in 1920

        Sonata in F-sharp major, Op.78   

• 1933

        Sonata in E-flat major, Op.81a (Les Adieux)   

• 1933-1934

        Sonata in A major, Op.101

• 1933

• 1967-1968

• 1980

• 1983

Sonata in A-flat major, Op.110   

• 1920*

• 1920s*
  
          * Horowitz couldn't remember whether he played this or the Appassionata at his debut recital in 1920, but he claimed himself to have played it in other concerts as well in Russia (he performed it during his student years at the conservatory, was it those concerts he meant??).

Violin Sonata No.5 in F major, Op.24 (Spring Sonata)   

• Early 1920s

Piano Trio No.7 in B-flat major, Op.97 (Archduke Trio)   

• 1932

32 Variations in C minor, WoO 80

• 1931

• 1941

• 1944

• 1948

• 1951

• 1966

 

Blumenfeld, Felix von

        Six Preludes from Op.17 [unspecified selection]*   

• May 30, 1920: Kiev Conservatory (Debut recital)*
  
          * A contradicting source claim that it was four unspecified ETUDES and not these Preludes from Op.17 that he played in his debut. He is not known to have performed anything by his teacher Blumenfeld except at his debut recital.

Borodin, Alexander

        Au couvent (from the Petite Suite)   

• 1945

Brahms, Johannes

        Ballade in G minor, Op.118 No.3   

• 1933

        Cello Sonata No.1 in E minor, Op.38   

• 1927

        Intermezzo in B-flat minor, Op.117 No.2

• 1928

• 1939 and/or 1940

• 1942

• 1951

        Intermezzo in E-flat minor, Op.118 No.6   

• 1928

• 1930

• 1933-1934 (also 1932?)

        Intermezzo in C major, Op.119 No.3   

• 1928

• 1930

• 1933-1934 (also 1932?)

• 1939 and/or 1940

• 1942

        Piano Concerto No.1 in D minor, Op.15

• 1934-1936

        Piano Concerto No.2 in B-flat major, Op.83

• 1928-1929    [+]

• 1932-1934    [+]

• 1939-1940

• 1945

• 1948

        Piano Trio No.2 in C major, Op.87   

• 1932

        Rhapsody in E-flat major, Op.119 No.4

• 1928

• 1953

        Sonata No.3 in F minor, Op.5   

• 1929-1930

        Variations on a theme by Paganini, Op.35 (Edited by Horowitz)    *

• 1931-1935

• 1939    [+]

• 1942 (also 1943?)
  
          * One side of this was recorded for RCA, but the recording is now either lost or destroyed.

        Violin Sonata No.3 in D minor, Op.108

• 1931

        Seven Waltzes from Op.39 [unspecified]   

• 1931-1932

        Waltz in A-flat major, Op.39 No.15

• 1932 (most likely part of the 1932 selection of seven)

• 1939    [+]

• 1942

• 1945-1946

• 1949

Chopin, Frederic

        Andante Spianato & Grande Polonaise Brillante, Op.22

• 1943-1944

• 1946

• 1950

        Ballade No.1 in G minor, Op.23

• 1928

• 1930

• 1946-1948

• 1950-1951

• 1965

• 1968

• 1969

• 1974-1976

• 1978-1979

• 1981-1982

• 1985

        Ballade No.2 in F major, Op.38   

• 1925

• 1928

• 1930

• 1933

        Ballade No.3 in A-flat major, Op.47

• 1928

• 1949-1950

        Ballade No.4 in F minor, Op.52

• 1928

• 1931

• 1938-1939    [+]

• 1944

• 1948

• 1950

• 1969

• 1980-1982

        Barcarolle in F-sharp major, Op.60

• 1926

• 1931-1935

• 1938-1940    [+]

• 1943

• 1947

• 1951

• 1967-1968

• 1978-1980

        Cello Sonata in G minor, Op.65   

• 1927

        Piano Concerto No.2 in F minor, Op.21   

• 1925
  
          - Horowitz himself claimed to have played this once in Europe too early in his career, meaning 1926 or later, but I've never managed to pin down the date or location for the concert, if he remembered right at all.

        Etude in E major, Op.10 No.3

• 1941

• 1944-1947

• 1949

        Etude in C-sharp minor, Op.10 No.4

• 1934-1935

• 1940

• 1947

• 1949

• 1951

        Etude in G-flat major, Op.10 No.5 (Black Key)

• 1928

• 1934-1935

• 1939-1940    [+]

• 1943

• 1945

• 1975

• 1980

        Etude in E-flat minor, Op.10 No.6

• 1928

• 1933-1934

• 1938

• 1943

• 1947

• 1951

        Etude in F major, Op.10 No.8

• 1928

• 1930-1934

• 1936

• 1938-1939    [+]

• 1941-1942

• 1944-1945

• 1965

• 1983

        Etude in C minor, Op.10 No.12 (Revolutionary Etude)

• 1946-1947

        Etude in F minor, Op.25 No.2

• 1939 and/or 1940

• 1942

        Etude in F major, Op.25 No.3

• 1927

• 1930

• 1933

• 1939 (possibly also in 1940)    [+]

        Etude in G-sharp minor, Op.25 No.6

• 1930-1931

        Etude in C-sharp minor, Op.25 No.7

• 1928

• 1935

• 1938-1940    [+]

• 1942

• 1945

• 1949-1950

• 1980

• 1983

        Etude in G-flat major, Op.25 No.9 (Butterfly Etude)   

• 1938-1939 (possibly also in 1940)    [+]

• 1942-1943

• 1945

        Etude in B minor, Op.25 No.10 (Octave Etude)

• 1926-1928

• 1930

• 1935    [+]

• 1939-1940    [+]

• 1983

        Etude in A minor, Op.25 No.11 (Winter Wind Etude)

• 1930

• 1933-1934

        Etude in C minor, Op.25 No.12 (Ocean Etude)

• 1930

        Fantaisie in F minor, Op.49

• 1920

• 1928

• 1933

• 1938

• 1948

        Impromptu No.1 in A-flat major, Op.29

• 1929-1930

• 1939    [+]

• 1947-1951    [+]

        Introduction & Rondo in E-flat major, Op.16

• 1974-1976

        Mazurka in A minor, Op.7 No.2    [+]   

• 1932

        Mazurka in F minor, Op.7 No.3

• 1943 (?)

• 1946-1947

• 1949

• 1967-1968

• 1975

• 1985-1986

        Mazurka in A minor, Op.17 No.4

• 1934

• 1950

• 1974-1980

• 1982

• 1985-1986

        Mazurka in B-flat minor, Op.24 No.4

• 1951

        Mazurka in B minor, Op.30 No.2

• 1945

        Mazurka in D-flat major, Op.30 No.3

• 1950

        Mazurka in C-sharp minor, Op.30 No.4

• 1930

• 1932-1933

• 1949

• 1965

• 1969

• 1974-1976

• 1978

• 1986

        Mazurka in B minor, Op.33 No.4

• 1945

• 1966

• 1969

• 1978

• 1986-1987

        Mazurka in C-sharp minor, Op.41 No.1

• 1940

• 1943 (?)

• 1946

• 1950

        Mazurka in E minor, Op.41 No.2

• 1940

• 1943-1947

• 1949

        Mazurka in C-sharp minor, Op.50 No.3

• 1935

• 1941

        Mazurka in C minor, Op.56 No.3

• 1943

        Mazurka in F-sharp minor, Op.59 No.3

• 1950

        Mazurka in F minor, Op.63 No.2

• 1934    [+]

• 1942

• 1944-1947

• 1950

        Mazurka in C-sharp minor, Op.63 No.3

• 1942

• 1944

• 1947

• 1975-1976    [+]

• 1985-1986

        Nocturne in F major, Op.15 No.1

• 1930

• 1933

        Nocturne in F-sharp major, Op.15 No.2

• 1946-1949

        (?) Nocturne in D-flat major, Op.27 No.2 (?)   

• 1953
  
          - I cannot guarantee this one.... Horowitz is said to have performed this Nocturne in 1953, but I have never seen any concert programs supporting it.

        Nocturne in F minor, Op.55 No.1

• 1950-1951

• 1967-1968

• 1978

        Nocturne in E minor, Op.72 No.1

• 1942

• 1944

• 1946

• 1948-1949

• 1953

• 1966

• 1976

• 1978-1980

        Nocturne in G minor [unspecified]   

• 1929

        Polonaise in C-sharp minor, Op.26 No.1

• 1929

• 1934-1935

• 1950-1951

• 1978

        Polonaise in A major, Op.40 No.1 (Military Polonaise)

• 1951

        Polonaise in F-sharp minor, Op.44

• 1967-1968

        Polonaise in A-flat major, Op.53 (Heroic)

• 1925-1926

• 1928

• 1930

• 1933

• 1935

• 1938

• 1941

• 1943-1944

• 1946

• 1948-1949

• 1951    [+]

• 1974-1979

• 1982-1983

• 1985-1987

        Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat major, Op.61

• 1931

• 1938

• 1942

• 1951

• 1965*

• 1966

• 1974

• 1978

• 1982-1983
  
          * Only on November 9, a rehearsal in Carnegie Hall with a specially invited audience of ca 200 people.

        Unspecified Preludes from Op.28 [Horowitz is known to have played Nos. 6, 8, 13, 15, 16 & 20]    *

• 1933

• 1946 (probably different selection from 1933. This selection included AT LEAST Preludes Nos.8 & 13)
  
          * Studio recordings exist of Nos. 6 & 15, both recorded for Columbia in the early 1970s.

        Scherzo No.1 in B minor, Op.20

• 1926

• 1928

• 1931-1934    [+]

• 1942

• 1951

• 1953

• 1966

• 1969

• 1975-1976

• 1980

• 1982

• 1986

        Scherzo No.4 in E major, Op.54

• 1935-1936

• 1938-1939    [+]

        Sonata No.2 in B-flat minor, Op.35

• 1925-1926

• 1930

• 1935

• 1940-1943

• 1949-1950

• 1952

• 1966

• 1977-1978

        Sonata No.3 in B minor, Op.58   

• 1930-1931

        Waltz in A minor, Op.34 No.2

• 1943-1945

• 1947

• 1949

• 1951

• 1953

• 1967

• 1968

• 1975-1979

        Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op.64 No.2

• 1944-1946

• 1950

• 1966

• 1968

• 1974

• 1976

• 1978-1979

• 1982

• 1986

        Waltz in A-flat major, Op.69 No.1

• 1980-1982

Clementi, Muzio

        Adagio in F major, Book I No.14 from Gradus ad Parnassum

• 1980

Allegro con brio (1st mvt) from the Sonata in B-flat major, Op.24 No.2 (a.k.a Op.47 No.2)

• 1950

(?) Duet in C major from the second movement of the Sonata Op.14 No.1 (Arr. Horowitz) (?)   

• ???
  
          - Note: This was mentioned in Plaskin's biography on Horowitz as part of his repertoire, but I have never seen any proofs myself that he actually played it live.

        Rondo from the Sonata in E-flat major, Op.12 No.2

• 1980

Rondo (3rd mvt) from the Sonata in B-flat major, Op.24 No.2 (a.k.a Op.47 No.2)

• 1949-1950

• 1953

        Sonata in F-sharp minor, Op.25 No.5 (a.k.a Op.26 No.2)

• 1974-1975

         Sonata in A major, Op.33 No.1 (a.k.a. Op.36 No.1)

• 1949

        Sonata quasi Concerto in C major, Op.33 No.3 (a.k.a Op.36 No.3)

• 1976-1979

        Un poco andante, quasi allegretto from the Sonata in C major, Op.34 No.1

• 1950

Czerny, Carl         Variations on Rode's La Ricordanza, Op.33 1945

Debussy, Claude Achille

        Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum (No.1 from the Children's Corner suite)   

• 1928

        Etude No.1 (Pour les cinq doigts - d'après Monsieur Czerny)

• 1933-1934

• 1940

• 1946

• 1949

        Etude No.3 (Pour les quartes)   

• 1934-1935

• 1939    [+]

        Etude No.4 (Pour les sixtes)

• 1940

• 1949

        Etude No.6 (Pour les huit doigts)

• 1934-1935

• 1939-1940    [+]

• 1943

• 1948

        Etude No.7 (Pour les degrés chromatiques)   

• 1934

        Etude No.8 (Pour les agréments)   

• 1939-1940    [+]

        Etude No.11 (Pour les arpèges composés)

• 1933-1935

• 1943

• 1946

        L'isle joyeuse

• 1929

• 1966

        The Little Shepherd (No.5 from the Children's Corner Suite)

• 1952-1953

        Prelude No.4 from Book II (Les fées sont d'exquises danseuses)

• 1936

• 1966

        Prelude No.5 from Book II (Bruyères)

• 1936

• 1946

• 1966

        Prelude No.6 from Book II (General Lavine - Eccentric)

• 1936

• 1946

        Prelude No.7 from Book II (La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune)

• 1966

        Serenade for the Doll (No.3 from the Children's Corner Suite)

• 1928

• 1933-1934

• 1943