More amazing playing by Josef Hofmann, but this time the earliest recordings we have of his artistry. Unfortunately recording techniques during this period were very primitive (the performers instrument was amplified with a giant horn rather than a microphone) and the works presented are generally much shorter than would be the case in later years of the recording era, but it is incredible to be able to hear the playing of a great artist in recordings dating as far back as 1895 when the performances were captured on cylinders (these were only recently discovered)! We hear playing of remarkable precision and refinement, with crisply defined articulation, beautiful rubato balanced with a taut rhythmic pulse, layered voicing, and soaring phrasing. Hofmanns recorded legacy is being systematically issued on Marston Records (the first two volumes were put out on the VAI label) - check out their website at marstonrecords/html/catalogue.htm The selection presented here: ________________________________ The Julius Block Cylinders (1895-1896) ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 0:00:00 ➢ Announcement (in German) 0:00:18 ➢ Rubinstein - Contredanse A, No. 3 from Le Bal, Op. 14 0:01:22 ➢ Rubinstein - Contredanse B, No. 3 from Le Bal, Op. 14 0:03:02 ➢ Wagner/Brassin - Magic Fire Music from Die Walküre 0:06:07 ➢ Mendelssohn - Song Without Words, Op. 38 No. 5 __________________________________________ The Gramophone and Typewriter Recordings (1903) ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 0:08:22 ➢ Chopin - Polonaise, Op.40 No.1, A major 0:11:28 ➢ Mendelssohn - Hunting Song, Op.19 No.3 0:13:44 ➢ Mendelssohn - Spring Song, Op.62 No.6 0:16:29 ➢ Schubert/Tausig - Marche Militaire 0:20:54 ➢ Schubert/Liszt - Der Erlkönig _______________________________ The Columbia Recordings (1912-1918) ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 0:25:52 ➢ Chopin - Waltz in A-flat major, Op. 34, No. 1 0:29:42 ➢ Chopin - Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op. 64, No. 2 0:33:12 ➢ Chopin - Waltz in E minor, Op. posth. 0:35:40 ➢ Chopin - Polonaise, Op. 40, No. 1, A major 0:38:48 ➢ Chopin - Impromptu No. 1, Op. 29, A-flat major 0:42:31 ➢ Chopin - Fantasie-Impromptu, C-sharp minor, Op. 66 0:46:43 ➢ Chopin - Berceuse, Op. 57 0:49:56 ➢ Chopin/Liszt - Chant Polonaise, The Maidens Wish 0:53:10 ➢ Liszt - Liebestraum No. 3 0:56:51 ➢ Liszt - Concert Etude No. 1, Waldesrauschen 1:00:14 ➢ Liszt - Venezia e Napoli - Tarantella 1:04:57 ➢ Schubert/Tausig - Marche Militaire 1:09:55 ➢ Schubert/Liszt - Der Erlkönig 1:14:31 ➢ Gluck/Brahms - Gavotte 1:18:28 ➢ Beethoven - Sonata, Op. 27 No. 2, First movement 1:23:31 ➢ Schumann - Fantasiestücke, Op. 12 No. 3 Warum? 1:26:08 ➢ Grieg - Papillon, Op. 43 No.1 1:28:00 ➢ Mendelssohn - Spinning Song, Op. 67 No. 4 1:29:46 ➢ Mendelssohn - Rondo capriccioso, Op. 14 1:33:31 ➢ Mendelssohn - Spring Song, Op. 62 No. 6 1:36:25 ➢ Mendelssohn - Hunting Song, Op. 19 No. 3 1:38:32 ➢ Moszkowski - La Jongleuse 1:40:12 ➢ Moszkowski - Caprice Espagnol, Op. 37 1:44:42 ➢ Paderewski - Minuet in G 1:48:20 ➢ Rubinstein - Valse-caprice 1:53:23 ➢ Rubinstein - Miniatures, Bk. 9 No. 7, El Dachtarawan 1:54:54 ➢ Hofmann, The Sanctuary 1:57:21 ➢ Rachmaninoff - Prelude, Op. 3 No. 2, C sharp minor 2:01:02 ➢ Rachmaninoff - Prelude, Op. 23 No. 5, G minor 2:04:48 ➢ Parker - Valse Gracile 2:06:30 ➢ Dillon - Birds at Dawn, Op. 20, No. 2 2:08:54 ➢ Sternberg - Third Etude, C minor, Op. 120 _______________________________________ The Acoustic Brunswick Recordings 1922-1923 ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ 2:12:41 ➢ Scarlatti/Tausig - Pastorale and Capriccio 2:17:26 ➢ Gluck/Brahms - Gavotte 2:21:06 ➢ Beethoven/Rubinstein - Turkish Marsh 2:23:27 ➢ Rubinstein - Melody in F, Op. 3 No. 1 2:26:40 ➢ Hofmann - Nocturne from Mignonettes 2:29:01 ➢ Rachmaninoff - Prelude, Op. 3 No. 2, C-sharp minor 2:32:26 ➢ Rachmaninoff - Prelude, Op. 23 No. 5, G minor 2:35:58 ➢ Wagner/Brassin - Magic Fire Music from Die Walküre 2:40:20 ➢ Chopin - Scherzo No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20 (abbreviated) 2:45:02 ➢ Chopin - Nocturne in F-sharp minor, Op. 15 No. 2 2:49:01 ➢ Chopin - Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op. 64 No. 2 2:52:16 ➢ Chopin - Polonaise in A major, Op. 40 No.1 2:55:23 ➢Chopin/Liszt - Chant Polonais, My Joys 2:59:15 ➢ Liszt - Concert Study No. 1, Waldesrauschen 3:02:35 ➢ Liszt - Paganini Etude No. 3 La Campanella 3:06:51 ➢ Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 3:15:21 ➢ Liszt - Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (abbreviated version)
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 16:47:06 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015