Brailowsky The Berlin Recordings, Vol. 1
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Carl Maria von Weber, Alexander Scriabin, Franz Liszt, Franz Schubert, Manuel de Falla, Claude Debussy, Robert Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn, Domenico Scarlatti
Label: Danacord
Magazine Review Date: 11/1995
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 117
Mastering:
Mono
ADD
Catalogue Number: DACOCD338/9
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 |
Franz Liszt, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Franz Liszt, Composer Julius Prüwer, Conductor |
| (19) Hungarian Rhapsodies, Movement: No. 2 in C sharp minor |
Franz Liszt, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Franz Liszt, Composer |
| (19) Hungarian Rhapsodies, Movement: No. 6 in D flat |
Franz Liszt, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Franz Liszt, Composer |
| (19) Hungarian Rhapsodies, Movement: No. 12 in C sharp minor |
Franz Liszt, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Franz Liszt, Composer |
| Valse impromptu |
Franz Liszt, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Franz Liszt, Composer |
| (2) Concert Studies, Movement: No. 2, Gnomenreigen |
Franz Liszt, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Franz Liszt, Composer |
| (3) Liebesträume, Movement: No. 3 in A flat, O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst |
Franz Liszt, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Franz Liszt, Composer |
| Ouvertüre zu R. Wagners `Tannhäuser' |
Franz Liszt, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Franz Liszt, Composer |
| (Der) Fliegende Holländer (Wagner) Spinning Chorus |
Franz Liszt, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Franz Liszt, Composer |
| (18) Lieder (Schubert), Movement: Ständchen von Shakespeare (Horch, horch, die Lerch!) |
Franz Liszt, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Franz Liszt, Composer |
| (6) Moments musicaux, Movement: No. 3 in F minor |
Franz Schubert, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Franz Schubert, Composer |
| (3) Marches Militaires, Movement: D |
Franz Schubert, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Franz Schubert, Composer |
| Sonatas for Keyboard Nos. 1-555 |
Domenico Scarlatti, Composer
Domenico Scarlatti, Composer |
| (48) Songs without Words, Movement: No. 4, Presto in C, 'Spinnerlied: The Bee's Wedding' |
Felix Mendelssohn, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Felix Mendelssohn, Composer |
| (3) Fantaisies (or caprices), Movement: Scherzo in E minor |
Felix Mendelssohn, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Felix Mendelssohn, Composer |
| (8) Fantasiestücke, Movement: No. 7, Traumes Wirren |
Robert Schumann, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Robert Schumann, Composer |
| Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Movement: Intermezzo |
Robert Schumann, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Robert Schumann, Composer |
| Sonata for Piano No. 1, Movement: Rondo (presto), 'Perpetuum mobile' |
Carl Maria von Weber, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Carl Maria von Weber, Composer |
| Children's Corner, Movement: Serenade for a doll |
Claude Debussy, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Claude Debussy, Composer |
| Pour le piano, Movement: Toccata |
Claude Debussy, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Claude Debussy, Composer |
| (24) Preludes, Movement: C sharp minor |
Alexander Scriabin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Alexander Scriabin, Composer |
| (12) Etudes, Movement: No. 12 in D sharp minor |
Alexander Scriabin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Alexander Scriabin, Composer |
| (El) Amor brujo, Movement: Ritual Fire Dance |
Manuel de Falla, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Manuel de Falla, Composer |
Composer or Director: Fryderyk Chopin
Label: Danacord
Magazine Review Date: 11/1995
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 135
Mastering:
Mono
ADD
Catalogue Number: DACOCD336/7
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Fryderyk Chopin, Composer Julius Prüwer, Conductor |
| Sonata for Piano No. 2, 'Funeral March' |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| Barcarolle |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| (4) Ballades, Movement: No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23 |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| Mazurkas (Complete), Movement: No. 5 in B flat, Op. 7/1 (1831) |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| Nocturnes, Movement: No. 2 in E flat, Op. 9/2 |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| (26) Preludes, Movement: No. 3 in G |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| (26) Preludes, Movement: No. 6 in B minor |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| (26) Preludes, Movement: No. 15 in D flat (Raindrop) |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| Waltzes, Movement: No. 2 in A flat, Op. 34/1 |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| Waltzes, Movement: No. 7 in C sharp minor, Op. 64/2 |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| Waltzes, Movement: No. 9 in A flat, Op. 69/1 |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| Waltzes, Movement: No. 14 in E minor, Op. posth. |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| (3) Impromptus, Movement: No. 1 in A flat, Op. 29 |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| Fantaisie-impromptu |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| (27) Etudes, Movement: E, Op. 10/3 |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| (27) Etudes, Movement: A minor, 'Winter Wind', Op. 25/11 |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| (27) Etudes, Movement: C sharp minor, Op. 10/4 |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| (27) Etudes, Movement: F, Op. 25/3 |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| (27) Etudes, Movement: G flat, 'Black Keys', Op. 10/5 |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| (27) Etudes, Movement: F minor, Op. 25/2 |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| (27) Etudes, Movement: A flat, 'Harp Study', Op. 25/1 |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| (27) Etudes, Movement: G flat, 'Butterfly's Wings', Op. 25/9 |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| (27) Etudes, Movement: C minor, Op. 25/12 |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
| (16) Polonaises, Movement: No. 6 in A flat, Op. 53, 'Heroic' |
Fryderyk Chopin, Composer
Alexander Brailowsky, Piano Fryderyk Chopin, Composer |
Author: Lionel Salter
At the age of 15 Alexander Brailowsky, having already been awarded a gold medal at the Conservatory in his native Kiev, went to Vienna to study with the legendary Leschetizky, under whom he acquired the mastery of tonal finesse and the sureness of technique for which he was subsequently renowned; three years later the First World War drove him to Switzerland, where he worked with Busoni; after the war, he perfected his playing with Francis Plante in Paris, where his debut, at the age of 23, created a sensation. From 1924 onwards he drove audiences all over the world wild by his performances of Chopin's complete works in six recitals. Though he had an enormous repertoire, he himself declared that his favourite composers were Bach, Beethoven and Mozart. Nothing by any of them, however, figures in the Polydor recordings he made in his mid-thirties: these concentrated largely on Chopin and Liszt, with whose music he was most closely associated.
And what an artist he proves to be! Like BM when reviewing his later HMV recordings (APR, 8/94), I was bowled over by his charm, delicacy and vitality, quite apart from his technical brilliance. Fortunately the Polydor engineers produced recordings of remarkable fidelity which allow his finely graded nuances to be fully appreciated, and in the modern transfer process used here, noise from the old 78rpm surfaces is minimal: there is, however, considerable variation in recording levels and in pitch (the piano used in 1928 was tuned very flat, so that a juxtaposition here of two Chopin Etudes in F minor and major from 1928 and 1934 respectively is jarring) – and there is a horrid discrepancy of pitch between what were the two sides of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12.
By and large, the Chopin two-disc set is the better of the two. What is striking in the concerto is Brailowsky's shaping of phrases, his sensitivity and his delicately sparkling passagework. In the sonata he employs quite a lot of affettuoso rubato but shows he can also be simple: its Scherzo is scintillating and the finale (taken prestissimo) breathtaking. There is much finesse and convincing moulding of phrases in the Barcarolle and poetically tender caressing tone in the E flat Nocturne; the G minor Ballade is dazzling; and five Op. 25 Etudes are especially treasurable. Just occasionally he is too free for modern tastes in his rhythm, as in the middle section of theFantaisie-impromptu and the Op. 69 A flat Waltz; but only in a B flat Mazurka did I feel his rhythmic distortions to be unacceptable.
The Liszt concerto starts rather less well, with the opening cadenza over-pedalled and the first movement excessively wayward in rhythm (as is Liebestraum later on); but the Allegretto vivace section is deliciously playful, and by the end of the work one is completely won over. The solo triangle is all but inaudible, but by way of compensation there is an absurdly over-enthusiastic cymbals player in the Allegro marziale. Brailowsky declines to treat three Hungarian Rhapsodies merely as barnstorming razzle-dazzle (though he can't resist adding a cadenza of his own to No. 2) but discovers in them veins of poetry that are too often ignored (No. 6 in D flat is outstanding). He is impressive in Liszt's arrangement of the Tannhauser Overture and coquettish in his Valse impromptu, wonderfully vivacious in Mendelssohn's E minor Scherzo and the Scarlatti/Tausig Capriccio, and displays his virtuosity in Weber's Moto perpetuo and the Debussy Toccata. Elsewhere one has to forgive some mannered readings of familiar pieces; but what stays in my mind is an exceptionally beautiful, tenderly hushed performance of Debussy's Serenade for the doll. Yes, undoubtedly one of the great pianists.'
And what an artist he proves to be! Like BM when reviewing his later HMV recordings (APR, 8/94), I was bowled over by his charm, delicacy and vitality, quite apart from his technical brilliance. Fortunately the Polydor engineers produced recordings of remarkable fidelity which allow his finely graded nuances to be fully appreciated, and in the modern transfer process used here, noise from the old 78rpm surfaces is minimal: there is, however, considerable variation in recording levels and in pitch (the piano used in 1928 was tuned very flat, so that a juxtaposition here of two Chopin Etudes in F minor and major from 1928 and 1934 respectively is jarring) – and there is a horrid discrepancy of pitch between what were the two sides of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12.
By and large, the Chopin two-disc set is the better of the two. What is striking in the concerto is Brailowsky's shaping of phrases, his sensitivity and his delicately sparkling passagework. In the sonata he employs quite a lot of affettuoso rubato but shows he can also be simple: its Scherzo is scintillating and the finale (taken prestissimo) breathtaking. There is much finesse and convincing moulding of phrases in the Barcarolle and poetically tender caressing tone in the E flat Nocturne; the G minor Ballade is dazzling; and five Op. 25 Etudes are especially treasurable. Just occasionally he is too free for modern tastes in his rhythm, as in the middle section of the
The Liszt concerto starts rather less well, with the opening cadenza over-pedalled and the first movement excessively wayward in rhythm (as is Liebestraum later on); but the Allegretto vivace section is deliciously playful, and by the end of the work one is completely won over. The solo triangle is all but inaudible, but by way of compensation there is an absurdly over-enthusiastic cymbals player in the Allegro marziale. Brailowsky declines to treat three Hungarian Rhapsodies merely as barnstorming razzle-dazzle (though he can't resist adding a cadenza of his own to No. 2) but discovers in them veins of poetry that are too often ignored (No. 6 in D flat is outstanding). He is impressive in Liszt's arrangement of the Tannhauser Overture and coquettish in his Valse impromptu, wonderfully vivacious in Mendelssohn's E minor Scherzo and the Scarlatti/Tausig Capriccio, and displays his virtuosity in Weber's Moto perpetuo and the Debussy Toccata. Elsewhere one has to forgive some mannered readings of familiar pieces; but what stays in my mind is an exceptionally beautiful, tenderly hushed performance of Debussy's Serenade for the doll. Yes, undoubtedly one of the great pianists.'
Brailowsky The Berlin Recordings, Vol. 2
Brailowsky The Berlin Recordings, Vol. 1
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