https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8-9KcZimUE
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 13 in E flat major ("Quasi una fantasia"), Op. 27/1
00:00 - 1. Andante
05:57 - 2. Allegro molto e vivace
08:06 - 3. ADagio con espresione
11:37 - 4. Allegro vivace
Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor
17:35 - Lento assai -
29:22 - Andante sostenuto -
36:42 - Fugato -
Chopin: Ballade No. 4; Nocturne Op. 62 No. 1; Scherzo No.1
47:19 - Ballade for piano No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52, CT. 5
59:40 - Nocturne for piano No. 17 in B major, Op. 62/1, CT. 124
01:07:33 - Scherzo for piano No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20, CT. 197
The Liszt Sonata's sweeping narrative, Faustian heroism, spiritual ecstasy, and unprecedented demands upon a pianist's technique and stamina make it seem as if it had been written specifically with Claudio Arrau in mind. The pianist's studio recording for Philips belongs in the collection of anyone who cares about Liszt. Fine as that recording is, however, Arrau's actual concert performances sometimes surpassed it. One such occasion was Arrau's 1971 recital in Ascona, Italy--a concert recorded for broadcast by Swiss-Italian Radio and available for less than $6 on Aura's fine-sounding transfer. There is an even wider range of color and nuance than in the pianist's studio version. The enormous security of the conception is not achieved at the expense of Spontaneity. The sonority of his octaves and fortissimos is glorious. The pianist's understanding of the music's structural development is subtle, and the tenderness and humanity of his response to it deep beyond measure. The disc is filled out nicely with performances of Beethoven's Sonata No. 13 and Chopin's Ballade in F Minor, Nocturne in B Major (Op. 62, No. 1), and Scherzo in B Minor. --Stephen Wigler
