Horowitz Plays Beethoven, Scarlatti, Chopin

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Here's a Horowitzian grab bag, programmed without rhyme or reason, that reveals the great pianist's many moods. His volatile, unsettled Beethoven Op 10 No. 3 Sonata (Horowitz's first stereo recording) is juxtaposed with six lapidarian Scarlatti sonatas, remastered from noisy 1946 vinyl pressings this writer supplied to BMG. A smattering of Chopin waltzes, mazurkas, and nocturnes fuse intriguing neuroticism and masterful detailing as only Horowitz could. Tim Page's excellent notes put these recordings in perspective. --Jed Distler

Tracks:

Sonata, K. 531 (L.430) In E
Sonata, K. 87 (L.33) In B Minnor
Sonata, K.380 (L.23) In E
Sonata, K.455 (L.209) In G
Sonata, K. 322(L.483) In A
Sonata, K. 46 (L.25) In E
Capriccio (Sonata, K.20 - L375) In E
Sonata No. 7, Op. 10, No. 3 In D: Presto
Sonata No. 7, Op. 10, No. 3 In D: Largo e mesto
Sonata No. 7, Op. 10, No. 3 In D: Menuetto: Allegro
Sonata No. 7, Op. 10, No. 3 In D: Rondo: Allegro
Mazurka, Op. 30, No. 3 In D Flat
Nocturne, Op. 27, No. 1In C-Sharp Minor
Nocturne, Op. 72, No. 1In E Minor
Waltz, Op. 34 No. 2 In A Minor
Waltz, Op. 64, No. 2 In C-Sharp Minor
Ballade No. 3, Op. 47 In A Flat
Capriccio (Concert Etude, Op. 28, No. 6) In F Minor

Amazon.com

Here's a Horowitzian grab bag, programmed without rhyme or reason, that reveals the great pianist's many moods. His volatile, unsettled Beethoven Op 10 No. 3 Sonata (Horowitz's first stereo recording) is juxtaposed with six lapidarian Scarlatti sonatas, remastered from noisy 1946 vinyl pressings this writer supplied to BMG. A smattering of Chopin waltzes, mazurkas, and nocturnes fuse intriguing neuroticism and masterful detailing as only Horowitz could. Tim Page's excellent notes put these recordings in perspective. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Variety is the Spice of Life.......2005-11-23

This conglomeration of Horowitz recordings from 1928-1959 reveals recorded sound as varied as the repertoire and performances.

Horowitz recorded Scarlatti throughout his career. In general, his post 1960 recordings (after he'd undertaken a thorough study of existing manuscripts and consulted with Scarlatti authority Ralph Kirkpatrick) are to be preferred. But these old recordings, faulty edition notwithstanding, have a lot going for them: pinpoint precision, wit, and when called for, gravitas in the prayerful K. 87, a Horowitz favorite. The transfers are a bit noisy here.

Horowitz had performed the Beethoven Sonata in D, Op. 10, No. 3 publicly in the 1940s, so he was well acquainted with it when this recording was made in 1959. The first movement is taken at a fast tempo, with some drawn out ritards at climaxes. The rhythmic vitality of Horowitz' performance, and his capturing of Beethoven's humor, are a delight. The slow movement, Largo e Mesto, is taken at a tempo referred to as heroically slow when the recording was released, but the movement sounds normally paced to early 21st century ears--an excellent example of how tempos have generally slowed in recent decades. The last two movements are played in a straightforward manner, but notable for their sparse pedaling. This was Horowitz's first stereo recording, the sound is a bit close up and spiky, and subway trains can be heard rumbling beneath the recording locale, Carnegie Hall.

Horowitz was generally uncomfortable in Chopin's Nocturnes. The two presented here are heavily made up, not so much night music as nightmare music. The dance pieces (one Mazurka and two Waltzes) fare better. From the peasant like Mazurka to the more brooding and elegant Waltzes, Horowitz superbly captures the moods of these miniatures. But it must be noted that Andante has issued the same Waltz performances in far superior sound.

The 1947 recording of the Third Ballade is some of the best, non-neurotic, Chopin playing Horowitz ever committed to disc. The passagework is dazzlingly even, the rolling right hand figurations (where all too many pianists stumble) star clear. I wouldn't want to be without Moiseiwitsch's various suave recordings, but Horowitz's more pointed elegance is a valid alternative.

The Dohnanyi Capriccio is given the kind of crazily virtuosic performance (very different from Rachmaninoff's more sober virtuosity) that used to drive Horowitz's audiences wild with joy (and his critics to consternation). Despite dated sonics (again, Andante's remastering is better), it makes an effective closer.

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