CD 1: Chopin: Préludes, Op.28; Prélude in C sharp minor, Op.45; Berceuse in D flat, Op.57; Impromptu No.1 in A flat, Op.29; Impromptu No.2 in F sharp, Op.36; Impromptu No.3 in G flat, Op.51; Fantaisie-impromptu in C sharp minor, Op.66; Barcarolle in F sharp, Op.60
CD 2: Beethoven: Trio in B flat, Op.97 'Archduke'
Schubert: Trio No.1 in B flat, D.898; with Jacques Thibaud & Pablo Casals
9 Beethoven: Seven Variations in E flat on 'Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen' from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte
CD 3: Debussy: Children's Corner; Préludes, Livre I; Ravel: Sonatine; Ravel: Jeux d'eau
CD 4: Franck: Sonata in A; with Jacques Thibaud
Debussy: Violin Sonata; with Jacques Thibaud
Fauré: Violin Sonata No.1 in A, Op.13; with Jacques Thibaud
CD 5: Haydn: Trio in G, Op.73 No.2; with Jacques Thibaud & Pablo Casals
Beethoven: Violin Sonata No.9 in A, Op.47 'Kreutzer'; with Jacques Thibaud & Pablo Casals
Brahms: Double Concerto in A minor, Op.102; with Jacques Thibaud & Pablo Casals
CD 6: Mendelssohn: Trio No.1 in D minor, Op.49; with Jacques Thibaud & Pablo Casals
Schumann: Trio in D minor, Op.63; with Jacques Thibaud & Pablo Casals
9 Beethoven: Ten Variations in G, Op.121a on the song 'Ich bin der Schneider Kakadu'
from Die Schwestern von Prag by Müller
with Jacques Thibaud & Pablo Casals
CD 7: Liszt: 1 Sonata in B minor; 2 Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 in C sharp minor; 3 Hungarian Rhapsody No.11 in A minor; 4 Paraphrase on 'Rigoletto' by Verdi; 5 Two Legends – No.2 'St. Francis de Paule walking on the water'; 6 Concert Study No.2 'La Leggierezza'
Gramophone Magazine June 2010: 250 Greatest Recordings of All Time
Scintillating expresiveness in a recording that is part of gramophone history.
Alfred Cortot was born at Nyon, Switzerland in 1877 and died at Lausanne in 1962. He was a Franco-Swiss pianist and conductor and one of the most popular 20th century musicians, especially renowned for his poetic insight into Romantic piano works, particularly those of Chopin and Schumann.
In 1905 Cortot formed a trio with Jacques Thibaud and Pablo Casals which established itself as the leading piano trio of the day. From 1907 to 1923 Cortot taught at the Paris Conservatoire, where his pupils included many of the greatest pianist of the century: Clara Haskil, Dinu Lipatti, Vlado Perlemuter. In 1919 he founded the École Normale de Musique de Paris where his courses in musical interpretation were legendary. Extremely widely travelled as a pianist, he also appeared as guest conductor with many orchestras.
Possibly because of his lifelong championship of Teutonic musical culture he was a supporter of the German occupation in France during the Second World War and played in Nazi-sponsored concerts and worked for the Vichy regime. His Vichy connections, in particular, led to him being declared persona non grata after the Liberation and he was banned from performing publicly in France, although he continued to be well received as a recitalist in other countries, notably Italy and Britain.
This set of 7 CDs brings together a substantial number of Cortot's EMI recordings and features all the composers for whose music he showed a particular love and affinity. The set also contains many of the famous recordings that Cortot made with Casals and Thibaud in the 1920s.
A set to be treasued by all lovers of great piano playing.
