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 aRead 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. Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
Concerto for Piano no 1 in C major, Op. 15by 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. 19by Ludwig van Beethoven Performer:
Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Conductor:
Alceo Galliera
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Philharmonia Orchestra
Period: Classical Written: 1793/1798; Vienna, Austria
Concerto for Piano no 3 in C minor, Op. 37by 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. 58by Ludwig van Beethoven Performer:
Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Conductor:
Alceo Galliera
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Philharmonia Orchestra
Period: Classical Written: 1806; Vienna, Austria
Concerto for Piano no 1 in D minor, Op. 15by 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. 79by 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. 83by 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. 23by 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. 16by 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 946by Franz Schubert Performer:
Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Romantic Written: 1828; Vienna, Austria Date of Recording: 11/1990 Venue: La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
Etudes (12) for Piano, Op. 10by Frédéric Chopin Performer:
Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Romantic Written: 1829-1833; Poland Date of Recording: 1956
29.
Etudes (12) for Piano, Op. 25by Frédéric Chopin Performer:
Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Period: Romantic Written: 1832-1836; Paris, France Date of Recording: 1956
30.
Nouvelles Etudes (3) for Piano, B 130by 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. 46by 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. 54by Robert Schumann Performer:
Claudio Arrau (Piano)
Conductor:
Alceo Galliera
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Philharmonia Orchestra
Period: Romantic Written: 1841-1845; Germany
Greatness is in simplicityMarch 7, 2019By 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