CORTOT Concertos, Volume 2: Schumann & Bach (1927-37) - PASC447

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CORTOT Concertos, Volume 2: Schumann & Bach (1927-37) - PASC447

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Overview

SCHUMANN Piano Concerto
BACH Brandenburg Concertos
BACH (ARR. CORTOT) Organ Concerto No. 5

Studio recordings, 1927-1937
Total duration: 2hr 15:24

Alfred Cortot, piano, conductor
London Symphony Orchestra
Landon Ronald, conductor
Gabriel Bouillon, violin
Roger Cortet, flute
Jacques Thibaud, violin
Orchestre de l'Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris

This set contains the following albums:

  • Producer's Note
  • Full Track Listing
  • Cover Art

"The second movement, for the trio alone, is an everlasting retreat of beauty" - The Gramophone

These recordings demonstrate three sides of Cortot's musicianship: his second (of three!) outing as soloist in the Schumann Concerto, a fine 1927 recording; his conducting of the six Brandenburg Concertos, which include an outing as piano soloist in the fifth (it is unclear whether he plays harpsichord in the other concertos), recordings of considerably variable sound quality; and his own arrangement for piano of Bach's Organ Concerto No. 5, itself a re-working of a concerto by Vivaldi for two violins and cello, well-recorded in 1937.

Each recording presented a variety of technical challenges, and some noisy sides in the Brandenburgs proved exceptionally troublesome. Capstan pitch stabilisation has been deployed throughout, to considerable effect in solidifying the sound, whilst XR remastering has done much to improve the tonal balance of each recording.  

Andrew Rose

CORTOT Concertos, Volume 2: Schumann & Bach (1927-37)

SCHUMANN Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54
1. I. Allegro affettuoso (14:57)
2. II. Intermezzo (4:53)
3. III. Allegro vivace (10:19)
Recorded: Queen's Hall, London, 22 June 1927
Issued as HMV DB.1059-62, Matrix Nos. CR 1398-1405
Alfred Cortot, piano
London Symphony Orchestra, conductor: Landon Ronald

BACH Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046-1051
Recorded: Salle de l'Ecole Normale, Paris

BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 1
4. I. [Allegro] (4:31)
5. II. Adagio (4:32)
6. III. Allegro (4:17)
7. IV. Menuetto (4:53)
Recorded 1 June, 1933, HMV DB.2033-34, 2.PG.806-809

BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 2
8. I. [Allegro] (5:37)
9. II. Andante (4:08)
10. III. Allegro assai (3:14)
Recorded 30 May, 1933, HMV DB.2035-36, 2.PG.801-803

BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
11. I. [Allegro moderato] (8:09)
12. II. Adagio (0:18)
13. III. Allegro (3:24)
Recorded 2 December, 1931, HMV DB.1259-60, 0W.1024-27

BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 4
14. I. Allegro (6:42)
15. II. Andante (4:06)
16. III. Presto (4:57)
Recorded 29 May, 1933, HMV DB.2037-38, 2PG.797-800

BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 5
17. I. Allegro (9:31)
18. II. Affettuoso (4:35)
19. III. Allegro (5:00)
Recorded 16-17 May, 1932, HMV DB.1783-84, 2L.411-414

BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 6
20. I. [Allegro moderato] (6:54)
21. II. Adagio ma non tanto (4:56)
22. III. Allegro (5:33)
Recorded 4 December, 1931, HMV DB.1626-27, 2W.1033-36

Alfred Cortot, conductor, piano (concerto No. 5)
Gabriel Bouillon, violin (concerto No. 4)
Roger Cortet, flute (concertos Nos. 4, 5)
Jacques Thibaud, violin (concerto No. 5)
Orchestre de l'Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris

BACH arr. Cortot Organ Concerto No. 5 in D minor, BWV 596
23. I. Prelude (2:52)
24. II. Sicilienne (2:59)
25. III. Toccata (4:07)
Recorded: Abbey Road Studio 3, 18 May 1937
Issued as HMV DB.3261-2, Matrix Nos. 2EA. 4930-32
Alfred Cortot, piano