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Icon - Claudio Arrau: Virtuoso Philosopher of the Piano


Release Date: 03/22/2011 
Label:  Warner Classics   Catalog #: 18432   Spars Code: DDD 
Composer:  Felix Mendelssohn,  Ludwig van Beethoven,  Johannes Brahms,  Carl Maria von Weber,   ... 
Performer:  Claudio Arrau
Conductor:  Alceo Galliera,  Carlo Maria Giulini
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philharmonia Orchestra
Number of Discs: 12 
Recorded in: Mixed 
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Claudio Arrau was born on 6th February 1903. Such was his prodigious talent that he gave his first public recital in Santiago at the age of five.

When he was nine he was sent, with support of the Chilean Government, to study in Berlin where he was a pupil of Martin Krause at Stern’s Conservatory for six years, he never went to another teacher.

He received many awards during his student days such that his name was already in circulation when he gave extensive tours in Germany and Scandinavia following his first recital in Berlin in 1914. He embarked on a tour of Europe after WW1. Conductors of the highest calibre - Nikisch, Mengelberg and Furtwängler amongst them - accompanied him.

After a Read more successful return visit to his homeland in 1921 he visited London the following year where he appeared in a concert with Dame Nellie Melba and Bronislaw Huberman, the violinist who, at the age of 14, had won Brahms admiration for his performance of his concerto. In 1923 he toured the USA.

He joined the staff of Stern’s Conservatory in 1924 and taught there until 1940. In Berlin he played the complete works of Bach over 12 concerts but decided that the piano was not the instrument for these works and never played them in public again. Leaving Berlin in 1940 he returned to Chile, where in its capital, Santiago, he founded a piano school. It was whilst on a highly successful tour of the USA during the following year that he decided to settle his family in New York.

Arrau’s reputation is built on his special affinity for the music of Brahms, Schumann, Liszt, Chopin and, above all, Beethoven whose complete sonatas he played in many major cities. His performances had all the virtuoso technique required but it was accomplished without the least ostentation; for him the music was what should remain in the audience’s ear and should not be disturbed by the flamboyance of the pianist in the audience’s eye.

Twenty years have passed since he departed but these recordings will bring back happy memories for all those lucky enough ever to have attended his concerts.
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Works on This Recording

1.
Concerto for Piano no 1 in C major, Op. 15 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Conductor:  Alceo Galliera
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philharmonia Orchestra
Period: Classical 
Written: 1795; Vienna, Austria 
2.
Concerto for Piano no 2 in B flat major, Op. 19 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Conductor:  Alceo Galliera
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philharmonia Orchestra
Period: Classical 
Written: 1793/1798; Vienna, Austria 
3.
Variations (32) for Piano in C minor on an Original Theme, WoO 80 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Classical 
Written: 1806; Vienna, Austria 
4.
Concerto for Piano no 3 in C minor, Op. 37 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Conductor:  Alceo Galliera
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philharmonia Orchestra
Period: Classical 
Written: 1800; Vienna, Austria 
5.
Concerto for Piano no 5 in E flat major, Op. 73 "Emperor" by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Conductor:  Alceo Galliera
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philharmonia Orchestra
Period: Classical 
Written: 1809; Vienna, Austria 
6.
Concerto for Piano no 4 in G major, Op. 58 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Conductor:  Alceo Galliera
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philharmonia Orchestra
Period: Classical 
Written: 1806; Vienna, Austria 
7.
Sonata for Piano no 21 in C major, Op. 53 "Waldstein" by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Classical 
Written: 1803-1804; Vienna, Austria 
8.
Sonata for Piano no 26 in E flat major, Op. 81a "Les Adieux" by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Classical 
Written: 1809-1810; Vienna, Austria 
9.
Sonata for Piano no 23 in F minor, Op. 57 "Appassionata" by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Classical 
Written: 1804-1805; Vienna, Austria 
10.
Sonata for Piano no 22 in F major, Op. 54 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Classical 
Written: 1804; Vienna, Austria 
11.
Sonata for Piano no 7 in D major, Op. 10 no 3 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Classical 
Written: 1797-1798; Vienna, Austria 
12.
Sonata for Piano no 24 in F sharp major, Op. 78 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Classical 
Written: 1809; Vienna, Austria 
13.
Sonata for Piano no 28 in A major, Op. 101 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Classical 
Written: 1816; Vienna, Austria 
14.
Sonata for Piano no 31 in A flat major, Op. 110 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Classical 
Written: 1821-1822; Vienna, Austria 
15.
Sonata for Piano no 32 in C minor, Op. 111 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Classical 
Written: 1821-1822; Vienna, Austria 
16.
Concerto for Piano no 1 in D minor, Op. 15 by Johannes Brahms
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Conductor:  Carlo Maria Giulini
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philharmonia Orchestra
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1854-1858; Germany 
17.
Konzertstück for Piano and Orchestra in F minor, Op. 79 by Carl Maria von Weber
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Conductor:  Alceo Galliera
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philharmonia Orchestra
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1821; Dresden, Germany 
18.
Concerto for Piano no 2 in B flat major, Op. 83 by Johannes Brahms
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Conductor:  Carlo Maria Giulini
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philharmonia Orchestra
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1878-1881; Austria 
19.
Concerto for Piano no 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23 by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Conductor:  Alceo Galliera
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philharmonia Orchestra
Period: Romantic 
Written: Russia 
20.
Concerto for Piano in A minor, Op. 16 by Edvard Grieg
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Conductor:  Alceo Galliera
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philharmonia Orchestra
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1868/1907; Norway 
21.
Pieces (3) for Piano, D 946 by Franz Schubert
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1828; Vienna, Austria 
 Date of Recording: 11/1990 
Venue:  La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland 
22.
Fantasy for Piano in C major, D 760/Op. 15 "Wanderer" by Franz Schubert
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1822; Vienna, Austria 
23.
Allegretto for Piano in C minor, D 915 by Franz Schubert
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1827; Vienna, Austria 
24.
Minuet for Piano in C sharp minor, D 600 by Franz Schubert
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: ?1814; Vienna, Austria 
25.
Moments musicaux (6) for Piano, D 780/Op. 94 by Franz Schubert
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1823-1828; Vienna, Austria 
26.
Sonata for Piano no 3 in B minor, B 155/Op. 58 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1844; Paris, France 
27.
Fantasie for Piano in F minor/A flat major, B 137/Op. 49 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1841; Paris, France 
28.
Etudes (12) for Piano, Op. 10 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1829-1833; Poland 
 Date of Recording: 1956 
29.
Etudes (12) for Piano, Op. 25 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1832-1836; Paris, France 
 Date of Recording: 1956 
30.
Nouvelles Etudes (3) for Piano, B 130 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1839; Paris, France 
 Date of Recording: 1956 
31.
Allegro de concert in A major, B 72/Op. 46 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Conductor:  Alceo Galliera
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philharmonia Orchestra
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1832-1841; Paris, France 
32.
Concerto for Piano in A minor, Op. 54 by Robert Schumann
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Conductor:  Alceo Galliera
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philharmonia Orchestra
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1841-1845; Germany 
33.
Carnaval, Op. 9 by Robert Schumann
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1833-1835; Germany 
34.
Tarantella for Piano in A flat major, B 139/Op. 43 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1841; Paris, France 
35.
Tarentelle styrienne "Danse" by Claude Debussy
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: 20th Century 
Written: circa 1890; France 
36.
Estampes (3) for Piano: no 3, Jardins sous la pluie by Claude Debussy
Performer:  Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: 20th Century 
Written: 1903; France 

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review:  ( 1 Customer Review )
 Greatness is in simplicity March 7, 2019 By Boris Zelikin (Montreal, QC) See All My Reviews "I was fortunate to hear Claudio Arrau twice, all in Beethoven concerto and sonatas, and relived experience and versatility of this Musician of the "old school" is astonishing. Many thanks!" Report Abuse
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