Beethoven: Piano Concertos

Pre-War and Wartime 78-rpm recordings 1925–1942

Wilhelm Kempff (piano)

Berlin State Opera Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, German Opera House Orchestra, Berlin, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Paul Van Kempen, Peter Raabe

Release Date: 26th Feb 2016
Catalogue No: APR6019
Label: APR
Length: 2 hours 33 minutes

Usually despatched in 3 - 4 working days

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15

Work length34:41

$8.00

$9.60

Wilhelm Kempff (piano)
Staatskapelle Berlin
Recorded: September 1925

I. Allegro con brio

Track length13:33

$3.00

$3.60

II. Largo

Track length12:59

$3.00

$3.60

III. Rondo: Allegro

Track length8:09

$2.00

$2.40

Excerpt, Beethoven: Bagatelles (7), Op. 33

Work length2:28

$1.00

$1.20

Wilhelm Kempff (piano)

7 Bagatelles, Op. 33: No. 5 in C Major

Track length2:28

$1.00

$1.20

Beethoven: Ecossaises (6) in E flat major, WoO 83

Work length2:02

$1.00

$1.20

Wilhelm Kempff (piano)

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37

Work length36:18

$9.00

$10.80

Wilhelm Kempff (piano)
Dresdner Philharmoniker
Paul van Kempen
Recorded: 11 June 1942

I. Allegro con brio

Track length16:10

$4.00

$4.80

II. Largo

Track length10:44

$3.00

$3.60

III. Rondo: Allegro - Presto

Track length9:24

$2.00

$2.40

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58

Work length33:24

$8.00

$9.60

Wilhelm Kempff (piano)
Staatskapelle Berlin
Paul van Kempen
Recorded: 19 March 1940

I. Allegro moderato

Track length17:28

$4.00

$4.80

II. Andante con moto

Track length5:34

$1.00

$1.20

III. Rondo: Vivace - Presto

Track length10:22

$3.00

$3.60

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 73 'Emperor'

Work length38:08

Album only

Wilhelm Kempff (piano)
Berliner Philharmoniker
Peter Raabe
Recorded: 06 January 1936

I. Allegro moderato

Track length20:18

Album only

II. Adagio un poco mosso

Track length7:40

$2.00

$2.40

III. Rondo: Allegro - Più allegro

Track length10:10

$3.00

$3.60

Beethoven: Rondo a capriccio in G major, Op. 129 ‘Rage over a lost penny'

Work length6:01

$1.00

$1.20

Wilhelm Kempff (piano)

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Wilhelm Kempff had such a long life, and recorded so prolifically in the LP era, that we tend to forget that he began his recording career in 1920 in the acoustic period, and recorded much of Beethoven’s piano output, including four of the five concertos, on 78s.

This set is a companion to the recently issued set of late sonatas (APR6018) and includes what was the first ever recording of Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto – a late acoustic recording from 1925 which shows the young Kempff was much more sprightly in this work than he later became. In spite of the primitive recording, the energy of the outer movements and the poetry of the slow movement are not compromised. Concertos 3 to 5, in better sound and featuring the greatest German orchestras of the period, reflect ‘state of the art’ Beethoven interpretation at this time and are a worthy alternative, if less well known, to the Schnabel cycle.

The set is filled out with the first ever CD issue of Kempff’s first recording, of a Beethoven Bagatelle and Eccossaises, and a wonderfully extrovert performance of the ‘Rage over a lost penny’ Rondo.

Beethoven: Piano Concertos

2 CDs

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