Shura Cherkassky - Great Pianists - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Russian-born American composer Ornstein (1893-2002) lived long enough - an astonishing 109 years - to see his music fall into and re-emerge from obscurity. His earliest surviving work dates from around 1905; his last was composed in 1990. Not surprisingly, his music embraces a range of styles, from atmospheric impressionism to fiery virtuosity to the Rachmaninov-like Romanticism. Album Tracks 1. Impromptu No. 1 Moderato 2. Impromptu No. 2, Epitaph Moderato Espressivo 3. Impromptu No. 3, An Interlude Andante 4. Impromptu No. 4, a Bit of Nostalgia Moderato 5. Moderato Con Moto 6. Semplice 7. Lento 8. Vivo 9. The Gypsy Lament Moderato Con Moto 10. The Old Dungeon Andante Misterioso 11. A Fairy Dance Tempo Rubato 12. The Cathedral Bells and the Choir Moderato Non Troppo 13. The Merry-Go-Round Vivo E Ritmico 14. Evening Song Maestoso 15. Maidens at the Fountain Andante Comodo Rubato 16. Mazurka Con Vivo 17. Moonlight in the Mountains Andante Amabile 18. Grief Moderato Con Tristezza 19. The Waltz Tempo Di Valse 20. The Nocturne Lento 21. At Dawn Impazientemente 22. The Dance Allegretto Con Spirito 23. The Love Song Andante Con Sentimento 24. The March Tempo Alla Marcia 25. Méditation Languido 26. At the Festival Allegro Molto

Known in his lifetime as 'the north German Schubert', Carl Loewe (1796-1869) is remembered today chiefly as a composer of songs and ballads. Yet there is a considerable body of piano music that is strikingly innovative in content, expression and harmony, containing the germs of ideas later taken up by composers such as Wagner and Liszt. Loewe was unquestionably a brilliantly original talent, a major figure in ushering in the Romantic era - with the remarkable Four Fantasies of 1854 heard here 'documenting' in music the contemporary emigration of German families to the United States. This third volume of Linda Nicholson's survey of his piano music on historical instruments concludes it's first-ever complete recording on any kind of piano. Album Tracks 1. I. Der Abschied Des Auswanderers Vom Vaterland Adagio - Allegro Assai, Con Fuoco [08 58] 2. II. Meerfahrt Des Auswanderers Come Recitativo - Allegro Molto [12 09] 3. III. Die Prairie Molto Moderato, Grazioso Quasi Adagio [11 03] 4. IV. Die Neue Heimat Des Auswanderers Larghetto Affettuoso [04 54] 5. Der Barmherzige Bruder, Op. 28 [05 28] 6. I. Grave Con Moto - Allegro [07 20] 7. II. Andante [03 32] 8. III. Presto [03 48] 9. IV. Finale Presto Con Fuoco - Allegro [07 24] 10. 5 Gesänge Der Sehnsucht, Op. 9, No. 5 (Arr. L. Nicholson for Piano) [01 54] 11. Die Schlanke Wasserlilie (Arr. L. Nicholson for Piano) [01 35] 12. Stille Liebe (Arr. L. Nicholson for Piano) [01 41]

In his later years, Shura Cherkassky (1909-1995) was regarded as one of the last 'Romantics' - a throwback to the so-called 'golden age' of pianism in the first decades of the 20th century. As a pupil of Josef Hofmann, he had an impeccable pedigree, but we tend to forget his long career meant he was already playing and recording in that 'golden age'. Here then are these early recordings, complete for the first time, starting in the acoustic era with the young prodigy's 1923 Victor discs. Much of the repertoire is unique in his discography, including his only recording of chamber music - the Rachmaninov cello sonata. The Tchaikovsky 2nd Concerto, Cherkassky's earliest concerto recording, has never previously been reissued and reveals the 36-year-old artist at his virtuoso peak.