Walter Gieseking (piano)
His Columbia Graphophone Recordings
rec. 1923-1956
The Complete Warner Classics Edition
Warner Classics 9029624559 [48 CDs]
Walter Gieseking (1895–1956) was one of those artists who enjoyed making recordings. He was fascinated with the process and its evolution. We are fortunate in that his career spanned the 78-era to the advent of stereo in the 1950s. A cursory glance at his discography reveals that it’s substantial by any standards. He was prolific; his legacy includes a Debussy cycle, complete Ravel cycle, complete Mozart Sonatas, anthologies of Mendelssohn Songs Without Words and Grieg Lyric Pieces and much more besides. In the 1950s he embarked on a complete Beethoven Piano Sonata cycle, left unfinished when he sadly died suddenly on 26 October 1956.
He was extraordinarily gifted. He possessed a phenomenal memory, exceptional sight-reading skills and was a quick learner of new scores. All the outstanding qualities and characteristics of his playing can be heard in this wonderful set, newly released by Warner. We hear the clarity of detail, the beauty of sound, the lightness of touch, the range of colour, formidable technique, the sense of structure and architecture and, most of all, the impeccable musicianship. This is how he summed up his philosophy of interpretation: “I feel that the whole conception of performance in these days is too heavy, loud and blatant. I prefer less power but, instead, more delicacy and ethereal refinement of tone”.
For a collection that encompasses so much, my review focuses on the highlights, which will give the prospective purchaser a taster of some of the set’s finest.
Eight CDs are devoted to the pianist’s Mozart solo piano cycle, recorded between 1953-1954. I can’t say I’m enamoured of some of the inconsistencies of his Mozart playing. Whilst technique, articulation and pedaling stand up positively to scrutiny, I sense a certain detachment, or rather lack of engagement at times. The Sonata in A minor K310 is one of the cycles successes, yet compare it with the Piano Sonata in C minor, K. 457, where a certain amount of rhythmic inexactitude creeps in at various times. To sum up, for a satisfying Mozart cycle I wouldn’t turn to Gieseking.
In the 1950s, the pianist embarked on a Beethoven piano sonata cycle but had only completed two-thirds of it when he died unexpectedly on 26 October 1956. Four of the sonatas, namely Nos. 21 Waldstein, 23 Appassionata, 30 and 31, were previously issued on a single CD in EMI’s Great Recordings of the Century. The booklet writer of that release was Bryce Morrison, who considered these four as some of the standouts. I totally agree with him. That CD was strongly recommended by my colleague John Quinn (review). Gieseking’s Beethoven playing is generally refined and poised, and marked by clarity and precision. I would single out Op. 31 No. 3. Gieseking sustains the character and narrative throughout the opening movement. The third movement Menuetto has elegance and charm, with the finale energized and effervescent. For a more inclusive cycle, there’s a live one from the late 1940s taped in Saarbruken and issued by Tahra on 7 CDs (TAH 394-400), which includes Nos. 16, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 32 that weren’t recorded for EMI. A warning though! The sound quality is less than ideal.
Walter Gieseking established himself as one of the foremost Debussy interpreters, and his recordings of the composer’s music take pride of place in his discography. His first Debussy inscriptions were recorded in the 1930s and my thoughts on these are set down in a review I did earlier in the year for an APR release titled “Debussy – The First Columbia Recordings”. The remakes were made between 1951 and 1954 at Abbey Road, produced by Walter Legge and Geraint Jones. They’ve had several outings on silver disc. They’re not quite complete as one of the composer’s piano pieces was only published in 1978. They’re in mono and hold the distinction for being the winner in the Historic non-vocal category of the 1996 Gramophone Awards. I would single out the Preludes as being particularly fine, and in them Gieseking manages to confer a myriad of tonal shadings. He’s quite generous with the pedal, and this envelops his playing in a cloud of glowing resonance. Has there ever been such grandeur and mystery as in Gieseking’s La cathédrale engloutie, and playful mischief as in La Danse de Puck?. Both Général Lavine – eccentric and Hommage à S Pickwick Esq ooze personality and character. In Images Book 1, Reflets dans l’eau truly conjures up rippling water whilst Poissons d’or from Book 11 shimmers with effervescence.
The Ravel cycle dates from 1954 and, once again, is exclusively monaural. The pianist’s pellucid sonority, ravishing sound and colour scheme suit this music to perfection. I have to say that I prefer the earlier studio versions of Gaspard and Miroirs for their immediacy and polish. The later Scarbo soundes a bit ragged around the edges. Yet, the tolling bells of Le Gibet vividly conjure up gloom and terror. In Miroirs, Oiseux tristes and La Vallee des cloches have that mysterious and dream-like quality so necessary for their effectiveness. Alborada del gracioso is smouldering and seething. Valses nobles et sentimentales, inspired by Schubert’s piano waltzes, convey an aura of Viennese charm.
The pianist recorded selections of Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words (17 in all) and Grieg’s Lyric Pieces (31 in all) mostly in 1956, shortly before his death. He devoted as much care to these delightful miniatures as he did to the more substantial and noble scores of Beethoven. He knew how to savour a luscious melody; sample Mendelssohn’s Op. 19, No. 1, Op. 62, No. 1 and Op. 85, No. 4 and you’ll see what I mean, whilst No. 34 in C major Spinnerlied Op. 67/4 demonstrates a lightness of touch and transparency that can’t be bettered. The same goes for the Grieg pieces. They gave the pianist the opportunity to exhibit his agility, impeccable musicianship and seductive pianism.
There were several collaborations with Karajan. Beethoven’s Piano Concerto’s 4 and 5 date from 1951, and were recorded in Kingsway Hall, London. The orchestra is the Philharmonia. In 1955 Gieseking rerecorded them with Alceo Galliera, again with the Philharmonia. The latter I have a preference for. There seems to be a greater frisson between pianist and conductor. That said, Karajan and Gieseking recorded glowing accounts of the Grieg and Schumann concertos in 1951 and 1953 respectively.
Studio 1A, Abbey Road was the venue for Gieseking’s collaborations with soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, She sings Mozart and a selection of songs by the pianist himself. I shall concentrate on the Mozart. Schwarzkopf’s diction is so clear, her voice fresh and free of mannerisms. She’s dainty and sprightly in Die kleine Spinnerin K.531, adding more weight and drama to a song like Als Luise die Briefe K520. She phrases the lyrical line exquisitely Das Lied der Trennung, K519, responding eloquently to the song’s melancholic sentiments. Gieseking’s accompaniments are sensitive and magical throughout.
The new remasterings, which are fresh and vital, have been expertly realized by Christophe Hénault of Studio Art & Son (192kHZ/24bit) “from the best available sources for the 78-era recordings and the original tapes for those from the age of LP”. The accompanying liner notes are in English, French and German, and the booklet is interspersed with some attractive black and white photographs. Aficionados of the art of Walter Gieseking will certainly not want to pass on this desirable collection; it will prove a worthy investment.
Stephen Greenbank
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Contents
Bach, Johann Sebastian
Partita no.1 in B flat major, BWV825 (excerpts)
Partita no.6 in E minor, BWV830
Beethoven, Ludwig van
Bagatelle no.25 in A minor, WoO59 ‘Fur Elise’
Bagatelles (7), op.33
» no.1 in E flat major
Piano Concerto no.1 in C major, op.15
Piano Concerto no.4 in G major, op.58
Piano Concerto no.5 in E flat major, op.73 ‘Emperor’
Piano Sonata no.1 in F minor, op.2 no.1
Piano Sonata no.2 in A major, op.2 no.2
Piano Sonata no.3 in C major, op.2 no.3
Piano Sonata no.4 in E flat major, op.7
Piano Sonata no.5 in C minor, op.10 no.1
Piano Sonata no.6 in F major, op.10 no.2
Piano Sonata no.7 in D major, op.10 no.3
Piano Sonata no.8 in C minor, op.13 ‘Pathetique’
Piano Sonata no.9 in E major, op.14 no.1
Piano Sonata no.10 in G major, op.14 no.2
Piano Sonata no.11 in B flat major, op.22
Piano Sonata no.12 in A flat major, op.26 ‘Marche funebre’
Piano Sonata no.13 in E flat major, op.27 no.1 ‘Quasi una fantasia’
Piano Sonata no.14 in C sharp minor, op.27 no.2 ‘Moonlight’
Piano Sonata no.15 in D major, op.28 ‘Pastorale’
Piano Sonata no.17 in D minor, op.31 no.2 ‘Tempest’
Piano Sonata no.18 in E flat major, op.31 no.3 ‘The Hunt’
Piano Sonata no.19 in G minor, op.49 no.1
Piano Sonata no.20 in G major, op.49 no.2
Piano Sonata no.21 in C major, op.53 ‘Waldstein’
Piano Sonata no.23 in F minor, op.57 ‘Appassionata’
Piano Sonata no.30 in E major, op.109
Piano Sonata no.31 in A flat major, op.110
Quintet for piano and wind, op.16
Brahms, Johannes
Fantasias (7), op.116
Intermezzi (3), op.117
Klavierstucke (4), op.119
Klavierstucke (6), op.118
Klavierstucke (8), op.76
Rhapsodies (2), op.79
» no.2 in G minor
Chopin, Frederic
Barcarolle in F sharp major, op.60
Berceuse in D flat major, op.57
Etudes (12), op.25
» no.1 in A flat major
» no.2 in F minor
Mazurkas (51)
» no.13 in A minor, op.17 no.4
Nocturnes (21)
» no.3 in B major, op.9 no.3
» no.5 in F sharp major, op.15 no.2
Polonaise no.6 in A flat major, op.53 ‘Heroic’
Preludes (24), op.28
» no.23 in F major
Waltzes (19)
» no.6 in D flat, op.64 no.1 ‘Minute’
Debussy, Claude
Arabesques (2)
Ballade slave, L70
Berceuse heroique
Children’s Corner
D’un cahier d’esquisses (From a sketchbook), L112
Danse bohemienne, L9
Estampes (3)
Etudes pour piano (6), Book 1
Etudes pour piano (6), Book 2
Fantaisie for piano and orchestra, L73
Hommage a Haydn
Images pour piano, Book 1
Images pour piano, Book 2
L’Isle joyeuse
La Plus que lente, L121
Le Petit Negre, L114
Masques
Mazurka, L67
Nocturne in D flat major, L82
Pour le piano
Fugue in G minor, K401
Preludes (12), Book 1
Preludes (12), Book 2
Reverie, L68
Suite bergamasque
Tarentelle styrienne
Valse romantique, L71
Franck, Cesar
Symphonic Variations for piano and orchestra
Gieseking, Walter
Kinderlieder (21)
Sonatine for flute and piano
Spiel um ein Kinderlied
Grieg, Edvard
Lyric Pieces (selection)
Norwegian Bridal Procession, op.19 no.2
Piano Concerto in A minor, op.16
Handel, George Frideric
Keyboard Suite no.5 in E major, HWV430 ‘The Harmonious Blacksmith’
Liszt, Franz
Hungarian Rhapsodies (19), S244
» no.12 in C sharp minor
Piano Concerto no.1 in E flat major, S124
Mendelssohn, Felix
Songs without Words (Lieder ohne Worte): Book 5, op.62
» no.6 in A major ‘Fruhlingslied’
Songs without Words (selection)
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Abendempfindung an Laura, K523
Allegro and Allegretto in F major, K547a
Allegro in C major, K5a
Als Luise die Briefe ihres ungetreuen Liebhabers verbrannte, K520
An Chloe, K524
Andante fur eine Walze in eine Orgel, K616
Andantino in E flat major, K236/588b
Capriccio in C major, K395
Contredanse en rondo in B flat major, K15gg
Dans un bois solitaire, K308
Das Kinderspiel, K598
Das Lied der Trennung, K519
Das Traumbild, K530
Das Veilchen, K476
Der Zauberer, K472
Die Alte, K517
Die Verschweigung, K518
Die Zufriedenheit, K349
Die kleine Spinnerin, K531
Eine kleine Gigue in G major, K574
Fantasia and Fugue in C major, K394
Fantasia in C minor, K396
Fantasia in C minor, K475
Fantasia in D minor, K397
Funeral March in C minor, K453a
German Dances (6), K509
Im Fruhlingsanfang, K597
Menuets (8), K315a
Oiseaux, si tous les ans, K307
Piano Concerto no.9 in E flat major, K271 ‘Jeunehomme’
Piano Concerto no.20 in D minor, K466
Piano Concerto no.23 in A major, K488
Piano Concerto no.24 in C minor, K491
Piano Concerto no.25 in C major, K503
Piano Sonatas nos 1-18 (complete)
Quintet in E flat major for piano and winds, K452
Ridente la calma, K152
Rondo in A minor, K511
Rondo in D major, K485
Sehnsucht nach dem Fruhling, K596
Suite in C major, K399
Un moto di gioia, K579
Variations (6) in F major on ‘Salve tu, Domine’ by Paisiello, K398
Variations (6) in G major on ‘Mio caro Adone’, K180
Variations (7) in D major on ‘Willem van Nassau’, K25
Variations (8) in A major on ‘Come un agnello’ from ‘Fra i due litiganti’, K460
Variations (8) in G major on a Dutch song ‘Laat ons juichen’ (C E Graaf), K24
Variations (8) on ‘Ein Weib ist das herrlichste Ding’, K613
Variations (8) on the March ‘Dieu d’amour’ from Gretry’s ‘Les Mariages samnites’, K352
Variations (9) in C major on N Dezede’s ‘Lison d’amour’, K264
Variations (9) in D major on a minuet by Jean Pierre Duport, K573
Variations (10) in G major on ‘Unser dummer Pobel meint’, K455
Variations (12) in B flat major on an Allegretto, K500
Variations (12) in C major on ‘Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman’, K265
Variations (12) in C major on a minuet by J C Fischer, K179
Variations (12) in E flat major on ‘Je suis Lindor’ from Pierre Beaumarchais’ Le Barbier de Seville, K354
Variations (12) on ‘La Belle Francoise’, K353
Warnung ‘Manner suchen stets zu naschen’, K433
Poulenc, Francis
Mouvements perpetuels (3)
Ravel, Maurice
A la maniere de Borodine
A la maniere de Chabrier
Gaspard de la nuit
Jeux d’eau
Le Tombeau de Couperin
Menuet antique
Menuet sur le nom de Haydn
Miroirs
Pavane pour une infante defunte (piano)
Prelude
Sonatine
Valses nobles et sentimentales
Roussel, Albert
Joueurs de flute, op.27
» IV M de la Pejaudie
Vocalise no.2
Scarlatti, Domenico
Keyboard Sonata in C major, K356
Keyboard Sonata in D major, K33
Keyboard Sonata in D minor, K9
Keyboard Sonata in E major, K380
Keyboard Sonata in E minor, K394
Schubert, Franz
Impromptus (4), op.90 D899
Impromptus (4), op.142 D935
Klavierstucke (3), D946
Moments musicaux (6), op.94 D780
Schumann, Robert
Albumblatter, op.124
» no.16 Schlummerlied
Arabeske in C major, op.18
Carnaval, op.9
Kinderszenen, op.15
Piano Concerto in A minor, op.54
Waldszenen, op.82
» no.7 Vogel als Prophet
Scriabin, Alexander
Poemes (2), op.32
» no.1 in F sharp major
Preludes (5), op.15
» no.4 in E major
Sinding, Christian
Pieces (6), op.32
» no.3 Rustle of Spring
Strauss, Richard
Lieder (5), op.48
» no.1 Freundliche Vision (arr. Gieseking)
Tansman, Alexandre
Novelettes (8) for piano
» no.6 Blues
Participating artists:
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano)
Philharmonia Wind Quartet
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Philharmonia Orchestra
Staatskapelle Berlin
Wiener Philharmoniker
Participating conductors:
Karl Bohm
Alceo Galliera
Herbert von Karajan
Rafael Kubelik
Hans Rosbaud
Bruno Walter
Henry Wood
