Description: HOROWITZ VLADIMIR Various CDs Discovered Treasures Last Recording YOU PICK Horowitz: The Last Recording by Vladimir Horowitz CD 1990 Sony Music Distribution USA CD is in like new condition, please see photos On CD: Joseph HAYDN, Sonata in E-flat Major for Piano, Hob. XVI:49 1. I. Allegro (Instrumental) 6:44 2. II. Adagio e cantabile (Instrumental) 8:08 3. III. Finale. Tempo di Minuet (Instrumental) 3:35 Frederic CHOPIN 4. Mazurka No. 3 in C minor, Op. 56 (Instrumental) 5:12 5. Nocturne No.2 in E-flat Major, Op. 55 (Instrumental) 4:46 6. Fantaisie-Impromptu, Op. 66 4:38 7. Étude in A-flat Major, Op. 25, No. 1 "Aeolian Harp" 2:26 8. Étude in E minor, Op. 25, No. 5 3:23 9. Nocturne in B Major, Op. 62, No. 1 6:51 Franz LISZT 10. Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, Präludium; based on a theme from Bach's Cantata No. 12 (Instrumental) 5:23 Richard WAGNER / Franz LISZT 11. Isolde's Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde 6:39 Vladimir Horowitz had just celebrated his 86th birthday when sessions for this recording began in October of 1989. He had recently been lured to Sony Classical by their new director, Gunther Breest, who had signed Horowitz on at Deutsche Grammphon in 1985. One advantage that Sony carried, besides a bigger paycheck, was the latest technology. This recording utilized Sony's then new 20-bit technology, which resulted in a more defined sound picture for this most subtle of pianists. The contents of this CD were all new to the Horowitz discography. By the late 1980s, Horowitz had refined and stripped down his art to the essentials. There are none of the histrionics of his early recordings, nor any of the attempts to prove to the listener that he could still play the fastest and the loudest which marred some of his recordings from the 1970s. Horowitz was stimulated by Haydn's diverse pianistic textures and whimsical changes of mood. The first movement, a bouncy Allegro, is a perfect demonstration the "controlled freedom" of Horowitz's late period. While following the same basic pulse, Horowitz introduces tiny alterations of tempo which keeps the music flowing coherently, without sounding metronomic. The rapidly ascending scale passages here are played with a dazzling evenness of touch. The slow movement, a true cantabile, is phrased as though it were being sung rather than played. The minor key outburst is, for a rarity, truly shocking. The Finale is played with a gentle virtuosity which never goes beyond the bounds of appropriate Haydn style. Horowitz recorded more of Chopin's music than that of any other composer. He was justly famous for his performances of Chopin's Mazurkas, which seamlessly blended the dance and poetic elements. The performance of the C minor Mazurka here makes one regret he didn't record many more. Horowitz was fanatically passionate about Ignaz Friedman's performances of the Nocturnes, but recorded surprisingly few himself. Many of his earlier recordings of the Nocturnes were played on too large a scale, with a prevalent note of hysteria. The two Nocturnes presented here are another story indeed. There is a rare sense of repose, at times an almost deathly calm, about these performances. There is also Horowitz's rare ability to weight the various elements of melody, harmony, and accompaniment, down to the smallest micron. Horowitz' floating of the top, middle, and lower lines, interweaving them effortlessly, is in many ways more stunning than any kind of thundering virtuosity. But if it's the more obvious kind of virtuosity you want, it is amply demonstrated in the Fantasie-Impromptu. Played at an extremely fast tempo, Horowitz demonstrates here that fidelity and freedom with regard to the score can coexist. He is one of the few pianists who bothers to repeat the first phrase as a quieter echo of the forte statement--as indicated in the score. He also preserves the structure of the piece by maintaining the initial tempo in the central section rather than slowing down to chase rainbows--and he adds some tiny embellishments along the way. Horowitz is technically and musically on top of the A-flat Etude, but the E Minor Etude suffers from an overstressed ending. Horowitz was very selective about which Liszt he chose to preserve on recordings. For this recording, he chose the rarely played Prelude from Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, a desolate reworking of a theme from J. S. Bach's Cantata No. 12. Horowitz masterfully alters the mood for each variation, while maintaining the inner continuity of the piece. Naturally, the Wagner/Liszt Liebestod (literally, "Love/Death") would have extramusical implications due to the circumstances of the recording. It is true, Horowitz plays the aria as if he knew this would be his swansong, giving the performance all the eroticism, lyricism, and thundering virtuosity he could muster, for the last time. He died on Sunday, November 5th, four days after the Liebestod was taped. This recording is a must for all Horowitz admirers, indeed, for all those who value great piano playing. The informative and moving liner notes are by Horowitz's friend and junior colleague Murray Perahia, who was with the Maestro the day before he died. * HOROWITZ : Discovered Treasures by Vladimir Horowitz CD 1992 SONY SONATA ETUDE CD is in like new condition, please see photos On CD: 1. Sonata for keyboard in G major, K. 547 (L. S28) 2. Sonata for keyboard in B minor, K. 197 (L. 147) 3. Sonata for keyboard in F sharp minor, K. 25 (L. 481) 4. Sonata for keyboard in D minor, K. 52 (L. 267) 5. Sonata for keyboard in G major, K. 201 (L. 129) 6. Sonata for keyboard in C minor, K. 303 (L. 9) 7. Ich ruf' zu dir, transcription for piano (after J.S. Bach, BWV 639; Ten Chorale Preludes No. 5), KiV 8. Piano Sonata in E flat major, Op. 12/2: Rondo 9. Gradus ad Parnassum, studies for piano, Op. 44: No. 14. Adagio sostenuto in F Major 10. Piano Sonata in B flat major, Op. 25/3: Rondo 11. Piano Sonata in A major, Op. 50/1: Adagio in A minor 12. Trois nouvelles études, for piano, KK IIb/3, CT. 38-40 (B. 130): No. 1. Etude in A-flat Major 13. Etude for piano No. 6 in E flat minor, Op. 10/6, CT. 19 14. Prelude for piano No. 15 in D flat major, Op. 28/15, CT. 180 15. Fairy Tales (Märchen) (6) for piano, Op. 51: No. 3 in A major 16. Feuillet d'album for piano, Op. 58 17. Etude for piano in G major, Op. 65/3 18. Consolation, for piano No. 2 in E major "Un poco più mosso", S. 172/2 (LW A111a/2/2) * A Reminiscence by Vladimir Horowitz CD 2001 Sony Music Distribution USA CD is in like new condition, please see photos On CD: Schubert: 1. Impromptu in G-flat Major, Op. 90, No. 3 5:46 Chopin: 2. Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op. 64, No. 2 3:12 3. Prélude in B minor, Op. 28, No. 6 2:10 4. Prélude in D-flat Major, Op. 28, No. 15 "Raindrop" 5:10 Scarlatti: 5. Sonata in D Major, K 491 (L 164) 3:56 J, S, Bach / F. Busoni: 6. Chorale Prelude: Ich ruf' zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ (from Orgelbüchlein, BWV 639) 2:52 Chopin: 7. Mazurka in E minor, Op. 41, No. 2 2:11 Rachmaninoff: 8. Prelude in G-sharp minor, Op. 32 2:58 Beethoven: 9. I. Adagio sostenuto from Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor for Piano, Op. 27, No. 2 "Moonlight" 5:55 Rachmaninoff: 10. Moment musical in B minor, Op. 16, No. 3 6:45 Liszt: 11. Consolation in E Major, S. 172 (R. 12), No. 2 (Instrumental) 3:29 Scriabin: 12. Feuillet d'album in E-flat Major, Op. 45, No. 1 1:13 13. Étude in A-flat Major, Op. 8, No. 8 3:41 14. Feuillet d'album, Op. 58 - Con delicatezza 1:28 Debussy: 15. La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune (Prélude No. 7 from Book II) 4:25 16. Bruyères. Calme (Prélude from Book II) 2:42 Schumann: 17. Von fremden Ländern und Menschen from Kinderszenen, Op. 15 1:33 18. Träumerei (No. 7 from Kinderszenen, Op. 15) 2:48 This compilation, taken from live and studio recordings of the 1960s and '70s, is described as a selection of pieces especially beloved by both Horowitz and his audiences. They are largely popular fare, none longer than six and a half minutes, some less than two. All are originally for piano, except Busoni's arrangement of a Bach Chorale Prelude; all are complete works except the first movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. Arranged arbitrarily without regard to chronology, stylistic unity, or contrast of tempo, the program resembles encore pieces performed according to the artist's whim, perhaps to create the illusion of spontaneous choice. However, the record's variety showcases one of the greatest pianists of his or any other time from every angle of his multifaceted artistry, and the selections include many composers with whom Horowitz was closely associated. A Scarlatti Sonata displays his pristine, crisp touch and rock-steady rhythm. Two Debussy Preludes are a swash of colors. A Liszt Study has feathery delicacy. The Moonlight sings with such moving simplicity that one wishes he had played the whole sonata. His Schubert, Chopin, and Schumann are lovely and poetic, but sometimes a bit overdone. Schumann's "Träumerei" is so dreamy that it almost goes to sleep. Perhaps closest to his heart and best suited to his pianistic and musical style are two Rachmaninoff and three Scriabin pieces. All are slow and very romantic, impressionist, improvisatory, rhetorical, and passionate. --Edith Eisler
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Location: Oregon House, California
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Restocking Fee: No
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All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Features: Compilation
Format: CD
Modified Item: No
Occasion: Any
Era: 1990s
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
CD Grading: Near Mint (NM or M-)
Edition: Greatest Hits
Record Label: Sony Classical
Case Type: Jewel Case: Standard
Language: English
Release Title: The Last Recording Discovered Treasures A Reminiscence
Artist: Horowitz
Release Year: 1990
Style: Etude, Sonata
Color: Multicolor
Genre: Classical
Instrument: Piano
Case Condition: Near Mint (NM or M-)
Inlay Condition: Near Mint (NM or M-)
Type: Album
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Color: Horowitz: The Last Recording
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Color: HOROWITZ : Discovered Treasures
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