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FRANK LA FORGE (1879-1953)
La Forge was a pupil of Leschetizky who earned considerable fame as accompanist to several famous singers. He made a few early Victor 78s of solo repertoire. One of them, the Chopin D-Flat Nocturne, may be heard on PEARL OPAL 9839 ("Pupils of Leschetizky").
FREDERIC LAMOND (1868-1948)
This Liszt pupil was a renowned Beethoven interpreter in his day. His electrical recordings are well covered on CD, the acoustical discs much less so. The BIDDULPH label has released two CDs of Lamond's Beethoven (LHW 42 and 43). An entire CD of his Liszt interpretations can be found on APR 5504. PEARL 9911 offers many of the latter along with some additional material. A couple of Lamond selections can also be found on PEARL 9972 ("Pupils of Liszt"). The Marston label has scheduled for 2012 a first release of Lamond in live performances of Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 2 and Beethoven's Concerto No. 3, together with a selection of his earliest 78s.
WANDA LANDOWSKA (1879-1959)
Although Landowska is mainly thought of as a harpsichordist, she also made some piano recordings. BIDDULPH LHW 13 contains three Mozart Sonatas plus the "Coronation" Concerto K537. Two live Mozart Concerto performances (K415 and 482) from 1945 with Rodzinski conducting can be found on Music & Arts 812.
ADELINA DE LARA (1872-1961)
As a young girl, this British pianist studied in Frankfurt with Clara Schumann for several years. She did not begin recording until she was in her late 70s, at which time she made a 78-rpm set for the Clara Schumann Society of England. (An excerpt can be found in IPAM 1206, "A Multitude of Pianists".) In the early 1950s DeLara began recording most of Robert Schumann's major piano works, and these performances have been reissued on PEARL 99049 (6 CDs) along with recordings of Fanny Davies, Ilona Eibenschütz, and the famous Brahms cylinder.
YVONNE LEFÉBURE (1898-1986)
This important pupil of Cortot made almost all of her recordings during the LP era. However, a 1935 Victor set contains her world-premiere recording of the Variations, Interlude and Finale by Dukas, and it has been reissued on a PEARL CD (9495) that also offers examples of other French women pianists.
ETHEL LEGINSKA (1886-1970)
The majority of this Leschetizky pupil's recordings, those released by American Columbia in the late 1920s, have been reissued on Ivory Classics 72002. Unfortunately the poorly-equalized transfers make her performances sound much more dull than on the original 78s. Two of Leginska's Columbia recordings can be found on PEARL 9839 ("Pupils of Leschetizky")
OSCAR LEVANT (1906-1972)
Levant made many recordings during the late 78rpm era. PEARL 0105 brings together a representative selection of his recorded solo repertoire, ranging from Chopin to Jelobinsky. Levant's primary fame, however, was as a Gershwin interpreter. All his studio recordings of Gershwin have been assembled on SONY MK 42514. A complete Sony edition of Levant's Columbia discs has been rumored for several years, but no further details have been announced.
MISCHA LEVITZKI (1898-1941)
Levitzki had lessons from Michalowski as a child and later studied with Dohnányi. Naxos is undertaking a complete Levitzki edition in three volumes. The first volume (8.110688), containing his complete acoustic Columbia recordings (1923-24) plus some later items, has already been released, as has the second (8.110769) with the Liszt Concerto No.1 and other HMV material. The final volume (NAXOS 8.110774) contains Levitzki's remaining discs plus some broadcast material. Other Levitzki CDs include APR 7020 (two discs: complete HMV recordings, 1927-33, with several sides incorrectly pitched) and PEARL 9962 containing mostly HMV material plus his sole record for RCA Victor from 1938.
ERNST LEVY (1895-1991)
This Swiss pianist studied with both Pugno and Petri and made a few 78rpm discs in 1929; the remainder of his recordings date from the LP era. MARSTON is reissuing the complete recordings of Levy. MARSTON 52007 (two CDs) contains his 1929 recording of Liszt's Sposalizio plus other works by Liszt, Beethoven, and Levy recorded in the 1950s. MARSTON 52021 (two CDs) contains two more 1929 recordings (the Mozart D minor Fantasy and Johann Strauss's Frühlingsstimmen), plus Levy's Haydn and Beethoven from the 1950s. A third volume, devoted to live Beethoven, Schumann and Brahms performances, is available on MARSTON 52039. Marston has announced a fourth Levy release for the latter part of 2012.
JOSEF LHEVINNE (1874-1944)
Lhevinne was a student of Safonov and a classmate of Rachmaninoff at the Moscow Conservatory. He was widely admired for his commanding technical prowess. His complete commercial recordings (1928-39) fit on a single CD and can be found on NAXOS 8.110681 in good transfers by Ward Marston. These transfers easily replace the inferior dubbings of Lhevinne previously issued on Novello, Philips ("Great Pianists" series), and Dante. There is also a New York Philharmonic special edition of historic broadcasts that includes Josef and his wife Rosina's 1939 performance of the Mozart F Major Concerto, K242.
GEORG LIEBLING (1865-1946)
On the evidence of his one issued recording, this German player was probably one of the less significant pupils of Liszt. His attempt at the Paganini-Liszt "La Campanella" is a striking example of pianistic ineptitude. This and two short Chopin pieces may be heard on IPAM 1206 ("A Multitude of Pianists").
DINU LIPATTI (1917-1950)
Lipatti's death in 1950 from lymphoma at the age of 33 was a tragic blow to the music world. All of his commercial recordings plus several non-commercial ones have been released on CD. APR has grouped all of his 1947 recordings, including his famous recording of the Chopin B minor Sonata, onto APR 5509. Archiphon has a few releases containing some unpublished material. ARCHIPHON 112/3 was the first release of Lipatti's Liszt Concerto No. 1 and it also includes some unreleased test pressings. Some additional unpublished material is on ARCHIPHON 127. TAHRA 366/7 has some unpublished Lipatti performances from radio broadcasts.
Most of Lipatti's commercial recordings can be found on EMI. The standard 14 Chopin Waltzes are on EMI 66956. Various works by Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, Ravel, and Enesco are on EMI 67567. Bach, Mozart, Schubert, and Scarlatti can be found on EMI 67003. The Grieg and Schumann Concertos have been released on EMI 74802, and the Schumann and Mozart K. 467 Concertos are available on EMI 67775. A convenient 7-CD box (EMI 07318) contains all of the above and further material. There is also one volume devoted to Lipatti in the Philips Great Pianists edition, duplicating material available elsewhere.
ARTHUR LOESSER (1894-1969)
Loesser studied with Sigismund Stojowski and is best known for his excellent book "Men, Women and Pianos". The Marston label has released a 2-CD set of Loesser in recital (MARSTON 52036). Loesser's earliest recordings were as an accompanist. On NAXOS 8.110961, 8.110962, and 8.110963 he can be heard with violinist Maud Powell. On PEARL 0059 and BIDDULPH LAB 013 he collaborates with violinist Toscha Seidel in sonatas of Brahms and Grieg. Finally, although not derived from 78s, Loesser's much-admired complete 1964 studio recording of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier is now available on CD for the first time on DoReMi 78935 (three discs).
KATHLEEN LONG (1896-1968)
Born in Suffolk and admired for her playing of Scarlatti, Haydn, Mozart and Fauré, Long's recordings date from the 1940s and 50s. DUTTON CDBP 9714 offers transfers of her Decca 78s of two Mozart Concertos and the Fauré Ballade.
MARGUERITE LONG (1874-1966)
This French pianist and teacher personally knew Debussy, Fauré, and Ravel. Several Long recordings have been reissued on PEARL 9927 (her premiere set of Ravel's Concerto in G plus the Fauré Ballade and works of Debussy) and on EMI 72245 (part of their "French Pianists" series: concertos by Mozart [K488], Beethoven [No.5], Chopin [No.2], Ravel and Milhaud [No.1] ). BIDDULPH LHW 35 is an all Fauré CD containing the Piano Quartet No.2, the Ballade, and solo pieces. Her Beethoven 3rd Concerto with Weingartner was issued on KOCH 7128 and is now available on NAXOS 8.110878. Everything just mentioned, except the Chopin Concerto, may now be obtained in good transfers on a 4-CD set from Cascavelle (Vel 3067), together with Long's remaining solo 78s of Chopin, Debussy, and Milhaud.
ROBERT LORTAT (1885-1938)
Lortat studied at the Paris Conservatoire with Louis Diémer and only recorded Chopin works (Etudes, Preludes, Waltzes, and Sonata No.2) for French Columbia in the late 1920s. All of Lortat's recordings were once available on three CDs from the now-defunct Dante label (HPC 25, HPC 32, and HPC 37).
MOURA LYMPANY (1916-2005)
Lympany was a student of Tobias Matthay in England. Some of her early recordings (1940s vintage) can be found on DUTTON LABS 5506 (Khachaturian Concerto, Mendelssohn, Poulenc, and Balakirev), and on CLASSICS FOR PLEASURE 68145 (Mendelssohn, Franck, and Litolff). At the end of the 78rpm era Lympany began a long-term relationship with HMV, but these discs still await transfer to CD, except for a few selections on DUTTON CDCLP 4000. The majority of her recordings date from the LP era.
MARCEL MAAS (1897-1950)
Some recordings of Maas (an important Belgian pupil of Arthur DeGreef), mainly in collaboration with the violinist Alfred Dubois, have been released on Biddulph. On BIDDULPH 80172 he plays violin sonatas by Beethoven, Franck, and Debussy. BIDDULPH 90171 contains three Bach Violin Sonatas plus Bach works for solo keyboard. Maas's solo 78s of Franck and Brahms have yet to reappear on CD.
JOAQUIN MALATS (1872-1912)
Malats was a brilliant yet short-lived Spanish pianist who introduced Albéniz's Ibéria to the public. All that exists of his playing are a few privately-made early cylinders that may be found on VAI 1001 ("The Catalan Piano Tradition").
WITOLD MALCUZYNSKI (1914-1977)
Some early recordings by this Polish pianist have been reissued on PEARL 0095. That CD contains the Chopin 2nd Concerto (1946) and Liszt 2nd Concerto (1947), together with solo works of Chopin and Szymanowski. On DANTE HPC 144 (deleted), the same Chopin 2nd Concerto was reissued along with a Rachmaninoff 3rd Concerto from 1949.
TOBIAS MATTHAY (1858-1945)
This famous English pedagogue made two 78rpm records. One of these, containing his own music, is included in IPAM 1206 ("A Multitude of Pianists").
DENIS MATTHEWS (1919-1989)
An esteemed English pianist who concentrated largely on Mozart and Beethoven, Matthews made a number of LP discs for British Columbia and for Vanguard. These were preceded by some 1940s British Columbia 78s, a good selection of which may be found on PEARL 0162.
NICOLAS MEDTNER (1880-1951)
Known primarily as a composer in the late-romantic tradition, Medtner recorded a good deal of his own music during the 1930s and 40s. Many but not all of Medtner's recordings are available on CD. Testament 1027 contains his 2nd and 3rd Concertos. EMI 54839 has a selection of solo pieces and his complete solo recordings are on APR 5546, 5547, and 5548. APR 5546 also includes Medtner playing Beethoven's "Appassionata," recorded in 1947.
YOLANDA MERÖ (1887-1963)
A Hungarian pianist who retired early from the concert scene, Merö left only a single ten-inch Victor 78. (David Dubal's claim that Merö left "many" recordings is incorrect unless one counts piano rolls.) Both sides of Merö's 78 (an abridged Liszt 4th Rhapsody and Max Vogrich's Staccato Caprice) may be heard on IPAM 1206 ("A Multitude of Pianists").
NOEL MEWTON-WOOD (1922-1953)
A selection of recordings by this Australian pianist has been reissued on a three-CD set: ABC CLASSICS 461 900. This collection contains concertos by Beethoven (No.4), Shostakovich (No.1, but nearly a half-step flat in pitch), and Tchaikovsky (No.2); violin and piano works by Beethoven and Busoni; vocal music by Tippett with Peter Pears; plus solo works of Schumann, Chopin, Weber, and Liszt. Also available is PEARL 0031, containing Weber's Piano Sonatas Nos. 1 and 2 plus the Chopin Tarantelle, all recorded in 1941. A 1948 broadcast of Mewton-Wood in the Busoni Concerto, conducted by Beecham, is on SOMM BEECHAM-15.
MARCELLE MEYER (1897-1958)
This distinguished French pianist, a protegée of Cortot, Long, and Viñes, was especially esteemed for her playing of 18th- and 20th-century music. The vast majority of her recordings were reissued by EMI in three box sets as part of their "Introuvables" series. These boxes have now been replaced by a mammoth 17-CD set from French EMI (384699) that offers newly re-mastered versions of the same material, plus a few additional rare Meyer items. Fortunately, the pitch problems that plagued part of the earlier release (especially the Bach recordings) have now been corrected. On PEARL 0137 may be found Meyer's late-1940s set of Scarlatti sonatas. Meanwhile, the TAHRA label has unearthed a variety of Meyer's broadcast performances on two separate releases. TAHRA 564 includes Falla's "Nights in the Gardens of Spain" and the Chopin Barcarolle, while TAHRA 579/80 offers a Beethoven "Emperor" plus music of Petrassi, Casella, and others. The lavish booklet in the latter set contains a detailed Meyer discography.
ALEKSANDER MICHALOWSKI (1851-1938)
Michalowski was one of the earliest-born pianists to record. Volume 1 of APR's G&T series (APR 5531) contains his rare Polish recordings from 1905 and 1912, some previously unreleased. Several later Polish 78s by Michalowski from 1930 are available in IPAM 1206 ("A Multitude of Pianists"). The Selene label prepared a CD of Michalowski performances (SELENE 9803.39) spanning his entire recording career, but with inadequate documentation.
ARTURO BENEDETTI MICHELANGELI (1920-1995)
This great Italian pianist made recordings as early as 1939. Part of a 6-CD set, EMI 67041, is devoted to all his HMV material from 78s along with Michelangeli's later recordings for that firm. A good selection from those discs is on a single EMI CD: 64490. In 1942, Michelangeli recorded the Grieg and Schumann concertos, and solo pieces by Bach, Scarlatti, Tomeoni and Chopin, in Italy for Telefunken. Except for the Schumann, all are available on PEARL 9086 (two CDs, coupled with recordings by Carlo Zecchi). For the Schumann, try TELDEC 76439. NAXOS is reissuing all of Michelangeli's 78s (both HMV and Telefunken) in new transfers by Ward Marston. The first two discs are available: 8.111351 and 8.112052.
BENNO MOISEIWITSCH (1890-1963)
Moiseiwitsch, another of the celebrated Leschetizky pupils, was one of the most recorded pianists of the 78rpm era. Almost every historical reissue label has released recordings by Moiseiwitsch, but APR and Naxos have devoted the most CDs to him. On APR there are two volumes of Chopin (APR 5575 and 5576), two volumes of Beethoven (APR 5530 and 5610), a Rachmaninoff CD (APR 5505), a Tchaikovsky CD (APR 5518), and works for piano and orchestra by Grieg, Saint-Saëns, and Liszt (APR 5529). Naxos is undertaking a complete Moiseiwitsch 78rpm series with thirteen volumes to date, all in new transfers by Ward Marston. Within their edition there is an all-Tchaikovsky CD (8.110655), a Rachmaninoff CD (8.110676) and a Grieg/Saint-Saëns/Liszt disc with the same contents as the similar APR release (8.110683). The remaining volumes are 8.110668, devoted to Brahms, Schumann and Mussorgsky; 8.110669 and 8.110689, both containing numerous short works by various composers; 8.110675 (Russian solo repertoire); 8.110776 (Beethoven concertos 3 and 5);
8.111115 (Beethoven sonatas); 8.111116 (acoustic discs of repertoire other than Chopin); 8.111117 (Chopin recordings from 1916 to 1927), 8.111118 (Chopin Preludes and Ballades), and 8.110770 (Chopin Scherzos and Barcarolle).
Pearl and Testament have both issued important Moiseiwitsch CDs. PEARL 0142 (two CDs) contains his complete acoustic recordings. PEARL 9135 contains various items dating from 1925 to 1941, and PEARL 9192 (two CDs) offers some live performances from 1961. On TESTAMENT 1014 we find his recording of the Delius Concerto. Testament's other Moiseiwitsch releases are 1023 (Schumann Fantasy & Brahms-Handel Variations); 1187 (Schumann & Grieg Concertos); and 1196 (Chopin Preludes, Schumann Kinderscenen, various short works).
Two other releases worth mentioning are ARBITER 120, on which one can find several hitherto unpublished broadcast performances plus an interview, and the Moiseiwitsch volume in the PHILIPS "Great Pianists" edition.
MIECZYSLAW MUNZ (1900-1976)
Munz was an important Polish pianist who briefly worked with Busoni, then went on to teach Emanuel Ax, Ann Schein and many others. He made only one commercial 78 (for Homocord in 1928). It may be found on two CDs: IPAM 1206 ("A Multitude of Pianists") and AMERICUS 20021022. The latter is especially noteworthy for its inclusion of two broadcast transcriptions in which Munz plays the Mozart D Minor Concerto and Rachmaninoff's Paganini Rhapsody.
WILLIAM MURDOCH (1888-1942)
Murdoch, a notable Australian-born, British-trained pianist, is now known only to historically-minded collectors. From his extensive recorded legacy, only his outstanding Beethoven recordings from 1927 can be easily obtained on CD: PEARL 0044, with good transfers by Seth Winner. One of the best of Murdoch's many chamber music collaborations - the Mendelssohn C Minor Trio with Sammons and Tertis - was once available on BIDDULPH LAB 023.
YVES NAT (1890-1956)
Most of this remarkable French player's recordings, such as his Beethoven sonata cycle and his many Schumann discs, date from the 1950s and are available on EMI CDs. Nat's 78rpm releases represent him in his prime and may be found on EMI 69461 (Franck Symphonic Variations and Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No.2, the latter incorrectly pitched a half-step sharp) and in the 4-CD set EMI 67141 (Schumann Concerto, Faschingsschwank, and Kinderscenen, together with Nat's later Schumann recordings). In 2006 the French branch of EMI re-mastered and repackaged all of Nat's studio recordings in a mammoth 15-CD box set (347826), correcting the pitch problem in the Liszt Rhapsody and adding a few rarities.
ELLY NEY (1882-1968)
Only a portion of this German pianist's 78s have been transferred to CD.
Her complete solo pre-war Beethoven recordings were issued on BIDDULPH LHW 033, while BIDDULPH 82045 contains her mid-1930s sets of the Mozart Concerto K450, Beethoven's B-Flat Concerto, and the Strauss Burleske. On A CLASSICAL RECORD ACR 39 are Ney's recordings of Schumann's Kinderscenen, the Brahms Trio in B with Sross and Hoelscher, and a few other items. More recently, some of Ney's 78s have appeared on CDs from Hänssler in mediocre transfers.
GUIOMAR NOVAËS (1895-1979)
This great Brazilian pianist's first recordings were made for Victor between 1919 and 1927. All of these are available on MUSIC & ARTS 702. From the late 1930s until 1948, Novaës made a series of discs for American Columbia. Roughly half of her Columbia releases have been reissued on PEARL 0170, coupled with redundant transfers of some of the Victor releases. Here is an unfortunate example of Pearl clearly missing the chance to offer the complete Novaës Columbia works on one CD; these recordings include repertoire she never recorded elsewhere. Some previously unreleased Chopin that Novaës recorded for Columbia can be found in MUSIC & ARTS 1029 (two CDs), coupled with a sonically problematic offering of her 1949 Town Hall recital.
MARIE NOVELLO (1898-1928)
A Leschetizky pupil who died of cancer at the age of 30, Novello made numerous discs for Edison-Bell. Two of them are included in PEARL OPAL 9839 (Pupils of Leschetizky).
VLADIMIR DE PACHMANN (1848-1933)
This eccentric genius made records for G&T, HMV, Victor, and British Columbia between 1907 and 1927. A complete Pachmann edition, which fills four CDs, is now available on the Marston label (54003). It will contain several previously unreleased sides. Three CDs used to be available on the defunct Dante label, with barely adequate transfers. A Pearl Opal CD (9840) has a cross-section of Pachmann material, but with no documentation of its sources. There are two separate ARBITER CDs (129 and 141) containing a selective overview of Pachmann's discs, with a number of previously unreleased items. Of special significance are the earliest Pachmann recordings (through 1909) included in APR 5531 (Piano G&Ts, volume 1).
IGNACE JAN PADEREWSKI (1860-1941)
A complete package of Paderewski's copious recorded output, which extends from 1911 to 1938 for HMV and Victor, is much to be desired. For the moment, five individual Pearl CDs (9323 and 9397 [all Chopin]; 9499, 9943, and 9109) cover at least one recording of each work in the Paderewski discography. Some further items are obtainable from RCA 60923 and in the IPAM "Multitude of Pianists" anthology (IPAM 1206).
A major 2008 release from APR (6006, two CDs) contains all of Paderewski's earliest and rarest discs from 1911 and 1912, some of which have remained unissued until now. The transfers (by Seth Winner) have been highly praised. Naxos has issued a single CD survey of Paderewski recordings from 1914 to 1930 with transfers by Ward Marston (8.112058); a number of the selections appear on CD for the first time.
The Philips "Great Pianists" series includes a volume devoted to Paderewski. Here may be found yet another of the production blunders that are characteristic of that undertaking. The track claimed to be Paderewski's performance of Liszt's "La Leggierezza" is actually the Moiseiwitsch recording. Philips also maintains that this "Paderewski" recording uses Moiseiwitsch's ending, oblivious of the common knowledge that both players employ a coda written by their teacher, Leschetizky.
EGON PETRI (1881-1962)
One of the most significant Busoni disciples, and teacher of John Ogdon, Earl Wild, Grant Johannesen and others, this great Dutch virtuoso recorded many 78s. A comprehensive survey of his discs up to 1942 is available on three volumes from APR: 7023, 7024, and 7027 (two CDs in each). Most of the earliest sides in 7023, however, are transferred a half-step sharp. Three Pearl CDs (9916, 9966, and 9078) duplicate some of the same material in slightly brighter-sounding transfers, coupled with various private Petri recordings. MUSIC & ARTS 722 is a four-CD collection of live and radio performances from Petri's final years. Duplicating three live Beethoven Sonatas from the latter release is PEARL GEM 0149. Unlike the quieter M&A versions, these hiss-ridden transfers (by Roger Beardsley) are partly done at the wrong pitch (Op.109, for instance, begins properly in E major, but slowly drops into E-Flat, while Op.111 ends in B major instead of C).
Another MUSIC & ARTS CD (1052) includes a live 1941 New York performance by Petri of Busoni's Indian Fantasy conducted by Mitropoulos. A recent ARBITER CD (134) devoted to Busoni and his pupils offers for the first time some 1930s broadcasts of Petri in Liszt's "Totentanz" (nearly complete) and a portion of the Busoni Concerto.
ISIDOR PHILIPP (1863-1958)
Philipp, the eminent French pedagogue, made only a few recordings. The main items - Saint-Saëns sonatas for cello and violin (with Pascal and Bazelaire) - may be obtained on PEARL 9174, together with an aircheck of Philipp playing his own solo piece "Black Swans".
FRANCIS PLANTÉ (1839-1934)
All of this legendary French pianist's recordings were made at his home in 1928, when he was 89. Some but not all of them are included in PEARL OPAL 9857, inexplicably coupled with some but not all of Ricardo Viñes's discs. Here is a prime example of poor planning: had Pearl wished to bother, it would not have been difficult to devote separate CDs to the complete recordings of each of these important players. Fortunately, Ward Marston has recently undertaken new transfers of all of Planté's recordings. His CD (Marston L 002) is available to online or mail-order customers of his regular piano reissues. Finally, ARBITER 150 also contains transfers of Planté's discs (along with other French pianists) plus extensive annotations about Planté and his career.
LEFF POUISHNOFF (1891-1958)
A student of Essipova who eventually settled in England, Pouishnoff made the first recording of Schubert's G Major Sonata (D.894) in 1928. This and a variety of other Pouishnoff recordings have been assembled on PEARL 9029.
FRANCIS POULENC (1899-1963)
Poulenc's 78s consist entirely of his own music. PEARL 9311 provides an overview of these important discs.
SERGEI PROKOFIEFF (1891-1953)
Prokofieff made the first recording of his Concerto No.3 in 1932, along with some of his shorter piano pieces in 1935. All are available on NAXOS 8.110670 or on PEARL 9470.
RAOUL PUGNO (1852-1914)
This eminent French virtuoso recorded 18 sides for the French branch of G&T in 1903. All are available on PEARL OPAL 9836. Thirteen of the Pugno titles have been included in APR 5532 (Piano G&Ts, volume 2). A new reissue on MARSTON 52054 (two CDs) offers the complete Pugno discs with the elimination of most of the distracting flutter that has afflicted earlier incarnations. The set also includes the complete Grieg, Saint-Saëns, Debussy, and Diémer.
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943)
RCA's so-called "Complete Rachmaninoff" edition (61265, ten CDs) is reasonably complete except for its exclusion of existing alternative takes. The alternative electrical version of the Concerto No.2, for example, was once available on BIDDULPH LHW 036. RCA's "Red Seal Century" compilation (63861, two discs) includes a previously unreleased Rachmaninoff track from 1935 of his transcription of Bach's E Major Violin Preludio, pre-dating by seven years the more familiar version.
RCA has now reissued the same collection under a new catalog number (67892) and in a space-saving package, superseding the previous version. Unfortunately they have blundered badly by eliminating all discographical information from the accompanying booklet.
NAXOS has released transfers by Mark Obert-Thorn of Rachmaninoff playing his four concertos and Paganini Rhapsody: 8.110601 and 8.110602. Also, NAXOS 8.110968 contains the three Rachmaninoff/Kreisler sonata recordings along with their alternative version of the Beethoven Op.30 No.3 Sonata. In addition, Rachmaninoff's electrical solo discs are available in new Marston transfers on NAXOS 8.112020 and 8.112058, with an additional CD in preparation for release in 2012.
ROSITA RENARD (1894-1949)
An essentially complete edition of this superb Chilean pianist's recordings, drawn from Brunswick and Victor 78s as well as her 1949 Carnegie Hall recital, can be obtained on VAI 1023 (two discs).
EDUARD RISLER (1873-1929)
Around 1917 this highly regarded French pianist recorded 18 sides on the Pathé-Actuelle label. All are now available on SYMPOSIUM 1297 in barely acceptable, heavily noise-ridden transfers. Furthermore, the Symposium booklet fails to provide even basic discographic detail. Fortunately, a more professional handling of these valuable discs can be found in new Marston transfers on that label's "Lagniappe" series (L 005).
MARIA (MARIE-AIMÉE) ROGER-MICLOS (1860-1950)
Apparently the only pupil of Henri Herz to make records, Roger-Miclos recorded some short works for Fonotipia in 1905 and 1906. One of them, Schumann's "Traumeswirren", may be heard on IPAM 1206 ("A Multitude of Pianists"). All but one of the remaining sides may now be found on TAHRA 653/4 along with material by other French women pianists.
LANDON RONALD (1873-1938)
This British musician was, along with Grünfeld, one of the first two pianists to record on flat discs. Five of his early G&Ts are available on APR 5531. They are not especially significant musically, but Ronald would go on to earn some fame as a house conductor for HMV, accompanying concerto recordings by the likes of Lamond, DeGreef, Moiseiwitsch, Cortot and Backhaus.
MORIZ ROSENTHAL (1862-1946)
All the recordings of this important pupil of Liszt, Mikuli, and Joseffy were given systematic attention by APR in 2011. A 5-CD set (APR 7503) contains new transfers by Ward Marston of Rosenthal's complete recorded legacy. Some of his other discs have previously appeared on various CDs. A two-disc APR set (7002) contains his complete HMV recordings. Two separate CDs on BIDDULPH offer Rosenthal's American recordings for Edison and for Victor (LHW 039), and an assortment of his Chopin performances other than those on HMV, including the Concerto No.1 (LHW 040). Further collections devoted to Rosenthal are PEARL 9963 and 9339. His rarest disc is a Japanese Columbia 78 with an alternative take of Chopin's Waltz in C-Sharp Minor. A dub of the only known copy may be found in IPAM 1206 ("A Multitude of Pianists").
ARTUR (ARTHUR) RUBINSTEIN (1887-1982)
Rubinstein's 78rpm period began with his 1928 HMV discs and continued with RCA Victor during the 1940s. Generally the best transfers are those by Ward Marston in the first 16 volumes of the mammoth "Rubinstein Collection" produced by BMG Classics/RCA Red Seal (63001 through 63016). Also well-engineered are the EMI sets of Rubinstein's Chopin Concertos, Scherzos, Polonaises, Nocturnes and Mazurkas from the 1930s (64491, 64697).
WALTER RUMMEL (1887-1953)
A Godowsky pupil who had a rather colorful life and career, Rummel recorded works of Bach, Chopin, Liszt and others on various 78s. A selection of them was formerly available on DANTE HPC 027. The well-researched biography of Rummel, by Charles Timbrell (Scarecrow Press) includes a bonus CD with a nearly complete survey of Rummel's recorded legacy in transfers by Ward Marston.
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