Recording

Recording

Sonata for piano and violin No.1 Op.12 No.1

Sonata for piano and violin No.7 Op.30 No.2

Konzert für Klavier un Orchester in f-moll Op.21

Spanische Rhapsodie für Klavier un Orchester

Klavierkonzert Nr.2 A-dur

Piano Concerto No.2 Op. 21

Claudio Arrau.
Piano roll perforations.

Whilst a child prodigy, Claudio Arrau perforated four known piano rolls, which remain in their original format, not having been reissued on any other medium.  They were perforataded in Weimar, Germany, for Römhildt Virtuola in 1911, and commercially manufactured in August 1912.

» Virtuola Roll 5167 -
xxxMoscheles, Ignaz: 
xxxGesselschaftskonzert, 1. Satz, Allegro maestoso.

» Virtuola Roll 5168 -
xxxMoszkowski, Moritz: 
xxxTarantelle, from Op.77.

» Virtuola Roll 5169 -
xxxHaydn, Josef: 
xxxAllegro in F major.

» Virtuola Roll 5170 -
xxxBach, J.S.: 
xxx Klein Präludium No.3 in C minor.

Original copies of the rolls, as well as player-pianos
to play them, are currently preserved at the
Pianola Museum of Amsterdam.

Digital recordings of these rolls will have the irresistible lure of a historical curiosity, in addition to their musicological and pedagogical values.

Please see images of the rolls in
'ArrauHouse', Photo Gallery 10: Piano Rolls.

Claudio Arrau, piano
Lost recordings

The following live recordings made in 1947 and 1957 by the then Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) have been lost.  The works shown below used to be included in Claudio Arrau's recitals before 1960, but he never recorded them in studio. 

The most likely explanation for the loss of these recordings is that, for budgetary reasons, the ABC later deleted the original takes in order to re-use the magnetic tapes.  Thus, hopes of preserving Claudio Arrau's interpretations of these works will depend on finding takes made of them in other venues.

1947 

2 May        
Brisbane City Hall
— Debussy's études: For the five fingers & For the octaves.
— Albéniz
— Granados

20 & 22 May             
Perth Capitol Theatre
— Chopin's Berceuse
— Ravel
— Debussy's études: For the five fingers & For the octaves.
— Granados's El pelele

7 June    
Sydney Town Hall
— Satie's Sarabande
— Fauré's Impromptu No.1
— Chabrier's Scherzo Valse

12 June                     
Launceston National Theatre
— Fauré's Nocturne

14 June                     
Hobart Town Hall
— Granados
— Debussy études: For the five fingers & For the octaves.
— Albéniz's Navarra
— Chopin's Berceuse
                                                 
16 June                     
Melbourne Town Hall
— Fauré's Nocturne No.6

19 June                     
Adelaide Town Hall
— Chopin's Berceuse
— Debussy's études: For the five fingers & For the octaves.
— Albéniz
— Granados

21 June                     
Adelaide Town Hall
— Chabrier's Idylle
— Poulenc's Suite Napoli
           
9 July                         
Sydney Town Hall
— Bartok's Allegro barbaro

19 July                      
Sydney Town Hall (farewell recital)
— Chabrier's Idylle
— Poulenc's Suite Napoli

1957 

25 & 27 June            
Sydney Town Hall
— Poulenc's Suite Napoli
                                   
9 July                         
Melbourne Town Hall, Kurt Woess
— Two concerto performances making television history.

23 July                      
Melbourne Town Hall
— Poulenc's Suite Napoli

In summary, the lost ABC recordings, which could otherwise be adding net new solo items to Arrau's discography, are at least the following:

- Albéniz:  Navarra
- Bartók:  Allegro barbaro
- Chabrier:  Idylle  &  Scherzo Valse
- Chopin:  Berceuse
- Debussy:  Études For the five fingers  &  For the octaves
- Fauré:  Impromptu No.1  &  Nocturne No.6
- Granados:  El pelele
- Poulenc:  Suite Napoli
- Satie:  Sarabande

Details concerning various performances of the above compositions by Maestro Arrau, as well as others not recorded in studio by him, can be seen in parts of subsection 'Known Repertoire', inside the 'Miscellanea' chapter of 'ArrauHouse'. 
[Please see Menu at the very top of this page].

Claudio Arrau: piano
Suggested chamber music programme for a CD release

The following performances took place at the 1961 and 1970 Pau Casals Festivals in the Puerto Rico University Theatre, San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

A number of performances by various renown musicians taking part in the Casals Festivals have been released.  The following three, with Maestro Arrau's participation, have not been made available commercially and would constitute a remarkable programme for a full CD.

1.
> Brahms Trio No.2 for piano, violin & cello Op.87
[Some 30 minutes]
Claudio Arrau, Isaac Stern & Pau Casals
Live: Tuesday 27 June 1961
1961 Pau Casals' Festival, Puerto Rico University Theatre.
San Juan, Puerto Rico.

This unique performance formed part of the 1961 Casal's Festival sponsored by the University of San Juan.  This trio was never recorded in studio by Maestro Arrau.  Hence, its availability will constitute a valuable net addition to his discography.

An audio copy of it is held at the Library of Congress, Washington, Catalogue No. 91480576.  The New York Public Library holds a black and white, half-inch, VHS copy remastered in 1990.

The University of San Juan's Music Library will have further information on these and other appearances by Maestro Arrau at the Casals Festivals over the years.

                        

2 & 3.
> Beethoven's Sonata for Piano and Violin No.1 Op.12 No.1 [Some 22 minutes]
> Beethoven's Sonata for Piano and Violin No.7 Op.30 No.2 [Some 25 minutes]
Claudio Arrau & Henryk Szeryng
Live: 10 June 1970
1970 Pau Casals' Festival. Puerto Rico University Theatre.
San Juan.  Puerto Rico.

These performances formed part of the Eighth Session of the 1970 all-Beethoven Casals Festival.

Although the two sonatas above were beautifully recorded in studio by Arrau and Grumiaux for Philips in the 1970's, making available these particular live performances, which took place as part of the Beethoven's bicentennial celebrations, involving two musicians with very unique attributes and sensitivities such as Arrau and Szeryng, would be an attractive and most welcome contribution to music loving.

[Maestro Arrau also performed his signature Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.5 with the Casals Festival Orchestra conducted by Alexander Schneider in the Sixth Session of this celebratory all-Beethoven Festival on 8th June 1970].

Source: Festival Casals 1970's prospectus, et al.

Claudio Arrau, piano
Suggested Beethoven programme for a 2-CD release

1963 -
'An Evening with Claudio Arrau':

Such was the title of a classical piano recital which took place in the US Department of State's West Auditorium on Monday 30 September 1963, with the stewardship of the First Lady at the time, Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy, and the President's Cabinet.  The event was part of a promotional program entitled 'Image of Chile', with the sponsorship of the Embassy of Chile in Washington, D.C.

The evening consisted of an all-Beethoven program comprising masterful renditions of Sonatas Nos. 13, 14, 32, 26 & 23 by Maestro Arrau, right at the time when he had established himself as a leading international Beethoven interpreter.

Evening Programme:
I
> Sonata No.13 quasi una fantasia in E flat major Op.27 No.1
> Sonata No.14 in C sharp minor Op.27 No.2 Moonlight
II
> Sonata No.32 in C minor Op.111

Intermission

III
> Sonata No.26 in E flat major Op.81a Les adieux
IV
> Sonata No.23 in F minor Op.57 Appassionata

By 1963, Arrau's solid standing worldwide makes it highly likely that some government-, university- or commercially-related Archives may have kept an original recording of the event, or perhaps records of where such a recording could be found.  This is yet to be ascertained. 

The only information 'ArrauHouse' has obtained as to the actual existence of such a recording came from a listing on eBay, in around 2010, of a duplicate on magnetic tapes made from the original source by a well-known professional firm, Rawdon Smith Associates, Inc., of Washington D.C.  That particular copy was sold for a high price (at a time when information on the final price of eBay items was accessible).  Images of this taped audio duplicate as shown on eBay at the time of the auction are displayed below. 

This almost certainly means that there was at the very least one original, and one or more duplicates.  Perhaps the original recording was made by a radio station or some other such music industry outlet associated with the White House over that period.

The insertion of this entry in 'ArrauHouse' is an attempt at contributing to the eventual finding  - and hopefully preventing the definitive loss -  of a unique record attesting to a memorable event, by enticing any potential producer interested in acquiring the rights, remastering the tapes and releasing the recital commercially for its intrinsic and historical values. 

Further details of the event are described in 'ArrauHouse', Chronology, Maturity, 1963, USA, 30th September.

Sources:  
-  Congressional Record, Senate, 1963, Folio 20175. Washington D.C.
-  Printed recital programme.

Claudio Arrau, piano
Suggested Mozart programme for a CD release

1956 & 1964
Mozart Piano Concertos:

1.  Mozart's Piano Concerto No.9 on E flat major K.271:

Claudio Arrau as the soloist in Mozart's Piano Concerto No.9 with the RIAS-Symphonie-Orchester under the button of Wolfgang Sawallisch in the Berlin's College of Music's Concert Hall.

The programme, which commenced with Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.3, took place on 18 March 1956, was repeated on 19th March, and received all-out critics' acclaim in the German press of 21st March.

Never commercially released on any medium.

2.  Mozart's Piano Concerto No.15 in B flat major K.450:

Claudio Arrau's performance as soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Erich Leinsdorf on Friday 3rd July 1964 at 8:00 pm.
Tanglewood, Berkshire Hills, Massachusetts.

[The all-Mozart programme for the evening also included March in D major K.237, Serenade in D major K.203, and Symphony in C major (Linz, No.36) K.425].

Full programme released in Japan with excellent sound on a very limited edition appearing in 2008, long out of print.  
Double CDR: Von-Z S-2-276/7.

Sources:
Electronic copy of signed printed concert programme.
The North Adams Transcript, Massachusetts, 6 July 1964.
CDR Von-Z S-2- 276/7, Japan, 2008.

3.  Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.16 in D major (K451)

Performance by Claudio Arrau with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Erich Leinsdorf on Saturday 4th July 1964.
Tanglewood, Berkshire Hills, Massachusetts.

Never commercially released on any medium.

Source:  
The North Adams Transcript, Massachusetts, 6 July 1964.

The Taglewood Berkshire Festival organizers should be able to provide further information on the whereabouts of the tapes.
_______________

Possible fill-ups:
Arrau solo 1955 recordings never released on any medium.

Mozart Piano Sonatas:
—  in A minor KV310
—  in D major KV311

Both sonatas recorded by and available at the U.N. Audio Library, New York.

Claudio Arrau: piano
Suggested all-Mozart orchestral programme for a CD release.

The following performances are all of very high interest because of the absence of such compositions in Maestro Arrau's discography. 

1.
Piano Concerto No.15 KV.450
Claudio Arrau
Live: 08 July 1964
St Lawrence Jewry next Guildhall.
Festival of the City of London. England.
English Chamber Orchestra. John Pritchard.

Claudio Arrau performance of Mozart's Piano Concerto in B flat major K.450 (No.15) at the St. Lawrence Jewry next Guildhall, as part of the Festival of the City of London, with the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by John Pritchard on Wednesday 8th July 1964 at 8:00 pm.

[The programme also included Purcell's Chaconne in G minor & Canzona and Funeral March for Queen Mary, Birtwisthe's Three Movements with Fanfares, and Haydn's Symphony No.95 in C minor]

Source:
Festival of the City of London Souvenir Programme 1964, page 33.


2.
Piano Concerto No.16 KV.451
Claudio Arrau
Live: 6 June 1964
Bath Assembly Rooms. England.
Bath Festival Orchestra. Yehudi Menuhin.

Performance by Claudio Arrau of Mozart's Piano Concerto in D major K.451 (No.16), on Saturday 6th June 1964 at 3:00 pm, at the Bath Assembly Rooms, with the Bath Festival Orchestra conducted by Yehudi Menuhin, as part of the Bath Festival.

[The programme also included Haydn's Symphony No.44 in E minor (Trauer) and Mozart's Haffner Serenade in D major K.250]

Source:
1964 Festival of Bath's souvenir programme, page 32.


3.  Either of two performanes of:

Piano Concerto No.24 KV.491
Claudio Arrau
Live: 5 January 1959
Capitol Theatre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
The Ottawa Philharmonic Orchestra. Thomas Mayer.

Claudio Arrau's performance of Mozart's Piano Concerto in C minor KV.491 (No.24) and R. Strauss's Burleske for Piano and Orchestra, with Thomas Mayer conducting The Ottawa Philharmonic Orchestra at the Capitol Theatre on Monday 5th January at 8:30 pm.

[The first part of the programme commenced with Schumann's Symphony No.1 in B flat Op.38 Spring, and the second part with Sibelius's Oceanides tone poem].

After the event, the German Ambassador to Canada and spouse offered a reception at their residence in honour of conductor Thomas Mayer, soloist Claudio Arrau, and their spouses.

Sources:
The Ottawa Journal, Ontario, 27 Dec 1958 & 3, 6 and 7 Jan 1959.
The Ottawa Citizen, Ontario, 3 and 6 Jan 1959.

Piano Concerto No.24 KV.491
Claudio Arrau
Live: 12 September 1958
Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Vienna Symphony Orchestra. Josef Krips.

Claudio Arrau's performance of Mozart's Concerto for Pianoforte and Orchestra in C minor KV.491 (No.24), as part of an all-Mozart programme at the Usher Hall on Friday 12th September, with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra under Josef Krips, at the 1958 Edinburgh International Festival, broadcast by BBC Television.

[The programme also included Mozart's Symphony in E flat KV.543 and Symphony in C major KV.551 Jupiter].

Sources:
1958 Edinburgh Festival's souvenir programme - large.
1958 Edinburgh Festival's printed schedule.
Printed concert programme - small
Birmingham Weekly Post, 5 Sept 1958
Liverpool Echo, 12 Sept 1958.

Please note that concerto No.24 KV.491 was also one of the two Mozart's concertos recorded by Arrau in 1984 for Philips, with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra under Sir Colin Davis, but not released, reportedly due to acoustic engineering issues. The other unreleased concerto was No.20, KV 466.

Claudio Arrau, piano
Suggested programme for a full CD release

On account of their venues, the following live performances, spanning from 1964 through to 1968, are expected to have been recorded in excellent quality sound. 

They were never recorded in studio by Maestro Arrau and none of his live performances of these works were ever released commercially. 

They all are of very high interest due to such works being missing from Maestro Arrau's discography.  Were all of them to be released in one issue, such a compilation would constitute nothing less than a real treasure!

They are shown in bold below:

1.
Live: Saturday 18 April 1964
>  Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.4 and
>  Choral Fantasy with piano & orchestra Op.80
Claudio Arrau
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Wolfgang Sawallisch.
Berlin Philharmonie, Germany.

This performance comes from the third part of Arrau's Complete Beethoven Piano Concerto Cycle in three evenings marking the opening of the new Berlin Philharmonie in 1964.

[The programme commenced with Beethoven's Overture Leonore 3]

Although Maestro Arrau performed Beethoven's Choral Fantasy in public countless times throughout his life, as part of his frequent Beethoven's Complete Piano Concerto Cycles, there never was a studio recording of this particular work by him and none of his numerous public performances of it were ever released.  Consequently, this work is sadly missing from the Maestro's discography. 
It should run for some 22 minutes.

The two previous evenings completing this Beethoven piano concerto cycle were held on Thursday 12th March (repeated on Friday 13th) and Sunday 15th March (repeated on Monday 16th).  Thus, an alternative to the current proposed programme would be to have the entire concerto cycle released on 3 CDs, in addition to the currently suggested programme, in which case the Choral Fantasy would still serve as the missing lure!


2.
Mozart Piano Concerto
Claudio Arrau
Live: 13 March 1965
RIAS-Symphonie-Orchester. Carlo Zecchi.
Europa Palace, Berlin. Germany.

An all-concert performance by Claudio Arrau at the Europa Palace, Berlin, on Saturday 13th March at 6:00 pm, interpreting orchestral works by Mozart, Schumann and Chopin, with the RIAS-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, conducted by Carlo Zecchi.

Certainly, the Mozart work in this programme was a piano concerto.  The search for its recording is worth any special effort it might require.  With one exception, Arrau's discography does not contain recordings of Mozart's concertos, so any such eventual releases should become most sought-after gems. 
Some 20 minutes.

Source: Guide to the Concert Halls of Berlin.


3 & 4a.
> Busoni's Indian Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, and
> Liszt's Totentanz for Piano and Orchestra
Claudio Arrau
Live: 22, 23 & 24 March 1966
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Wolfgang Sawallisch.
Berlin Philharmonie, Germany.

Concert performances by Maestro Arrau at the Philharmonie of Berlin, on Tuesday 22nd, Wednesday 23rd and Thursday 24th March, all at 8:00 pm, with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch.

[The programme also included Händel's Concerto Grosso No.12 and Schubert's Symphony No.6]

Arrau played Busoni's Indian Fantasy live only on a few ocassions, but he performed Liszt's Totentanz many times throughout the better part of his artistic career.  Both the above compositions are unfortunately absent from Arrau's discography, hence, their strong attractiveness as prospective new net additions.
Some 25 and 16 minutes, respectively.

Source: Guide to the Concert Halls of Berlin.

4b.
Preferred alternative option for:
Liszt's Totentanz for Piano and Orchestra
Claudio Arrau
Live: 18 & 19 April, 1968
Berlin Philharmonie. Germany.
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Theodor Bloomfield.

Claudio Arrau's subscription performances on Thursday 18 April, repeated on Friday 19th April, of Chopin's Piano Concerto No.2 and Liszt's Totentanz for Piano and Orchestra, with the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Theodor Bloomfield at the Philharmonie. 
Some 16 minutes.

[The programme also included Berlioz's Overture Benvenuto Cellini and Stravinsky's Firebird Suite]

Critics' acclaim:

-   Arrau's sixty-five birthday concerts in 1968, hosted by the Berlin Philharmonic, lavishly acclaimed by the critics on 19th April [Der Abend] and 20th April [Morgenpost, Der Telegraf, Berliner Zeitung, Der Tagesspiegel, Die Welt]

-   Salzburg's Der Tagesspiegel of 20th April includes and enthusiastic appraisal by Walther Kaempfer entitled Dämonische Faszination - Arrau mit den Philharmonikern (Demonic fascination - Arrau with the Philharmonic).

-   Berlin's Der Welt of 20th April contains an article by M.R. entitled Alle Himmel der Virtuosität (Heavens of virtuosity)

-   Berlin's Der Telegraf of 20th April includes an appraisal by K.W. entitled Triumph Arraus.

Claudio Arrau: piano
Suggested, unusual programme for a 2- CD release

1968 -
Performances as part of 'The Twenty-First Aldeburgh Festival 1968' in the Snape Maltings Concert Hall, Suffolk, England, with two programmes as follows:

Friday 14th June 1968
Brahms's Liebeslieder Walzer Op.52
with Heather Harper (soprano), Janet Baker (contralto), Peter Pears (tenor) and Thomas Hemsley (baritone), accompanied by Benjamin Britten and Claudio Arrau, piano duo.
>>> [Released on CD: BBC BBCB 8001-2, UK, 1999]

1)  Sunday 16th June 1968
Brahms's Quintet in F minor for Piano and Strings Op.34
with The Amadeus Quartet and Claudio Arrau.
>>> [Never released]

2)  Saturday 22nd June 1968
Solo recital by Claudio Arrau, performing the following works:
> Schubert: Two Impromptus/Konzertstücke from D.946
> Schubert: Fantasia in C major The Wanderer D.760
Interval
> Satie: Sports et Divertissements
> Debussy: Estampes (suite)
> Poulenc: Suite Napoli
>>> [Never released]

Programmes marked 1) and 2) above were the reason why Arrau took part in the Festival and, unexpectedly, he obliged and accepted a last minute invitation to replace the pianist who was scheduled to accompany Benjamin Britten for the 14th June programme.  The recording of this particular performance was released on CD by the BBC in excellent, pristine sound, as part of a Benjamin Britten edition.  The other two programmes have not been released, and are most likely kept archived by either the BBC or Festival organizers.

Some of the works included in the programme were less commonly associated with Arrau.  This rare status with regard to Arrau's discography is exactly what will make them highly attractive.  The material is plentiful enough to fill in two CDs.

1)  The Brahms Quintet for Piano and String Op.34 will certainly attract chamber music lovers, Brahms' admirers and Arrau's followers.  Arrau never participated in a studio recording of this work.  It will be a valuable net addition to his discography. 
It should run for about 43 minutes.

2)  The second programme contains six solo works: three of very high interest, because these compositions are missing from Arrau's discography.  The other three were otherwise recorded in studio by Arrau at different times. 
 
The high interest performances are:

-  Schubert's Fantasia in C major D.760 The Wanderer:  This work had been in fact recorded in studio by Arrau for Columbia (EMI) in 1957, but the particular recording from the 1968 Aldeburgh Festival, presumably in the same high quality sound of the Benjamin Britten recordings, will be a jewel to cherish. 
It should run for about 23 minutes.

-  Satie's Sports et Divertissements was played by Arrau several times in public in the 1950's, but never recorded in studio.  If released, it would be an absolute net addition to his discography, and a novelty, because it would provide us with a rare chance to appreciate Arrau's personal characterization of this work.  He was known for searching and conveying the inner character of the music he interpreted. 
It should go for nearly 15 minutes. 

-  Poulenc's Suite Napoli used to be played live by Arrau in the 1950's and 60's.  A once circulating 1954 radio performance of this work by him in Montevideo, Uruguay, is impressive, despite its sound recording being technically rather poor.  This 1968 performance should be something else entirely.  Arrau never recorded this work commercially and none of its live performances was ever released.  Again, it would be a net and very attractive addition to Arrau's discography. 
Its duration should be about 9 minutes and 30 seconds.

The remaining works of this recital programme include two Schubert's Impromptus from D.946 (a total of either 31 or 21 minutes, depending on which two pieces were performed), and Debussy's Estampes (three pieces, running for some 15 minutes altogether). 

Various of the above details were taken from the 21st Aldeburgh Festival 1968's prospectus.  The organizers of the festival and the BBC Archives should be able to provide further relevant information.