One gets a fair semblance of Arrau’s artistry through a remarkable cache of recordings made for German Radio in 1937 and 1938. They are released here for the first time, with the exception of the Liszt E Flat concerto, which appeared on a long unavailable Russian Melodya LP and two rare commercially issued Parlophone 78s, added as encores. While Arrau made several important recordings prior to his emigration from Germany, his pre-war discography is small in comparison to his prolific output from the mid-forties on, when the pianist’s international reputation solidified. The present compilation, therefore, adds significantly to what we know of Arrau’s prime years.

CD-1060(2) CLAUDIO ARRAU In Germany. Pre War recordings from the collection of Deutsches Rundfunkarchiv. CHOPIN: Ballade Op. 23 (8:24); BEETHOVEN: Sonata No. 7, Op. 10 No. 3 in D (21:01); MOZART: Sonata in D K576 (Stuttgart, 31/5/39) (14:05); BEETHOVEN: Sonata No. 3 Op. 2 in C (23:49); HAYDN: Andante con Variazioni in f Op. 83 (Stuttgart, 13/11/38) (8:53); LISZT: Sonetto 104 del Petrarca from Années de Pèlerinage (Seconde année) (Stuttgart, 19/7/37) (6:25), Concerto No. 1 in Eb major for piano and orchestra (Frankfurt R.O. Hans Rosbaud, 15/5/35) (18:17), Harmonies du soir from Etudes d’exécution transcendante (Stuttgart, 19/7/37) (7:53); CHOPIN: Scherzo (No. 3) Opus 39, in c# (1939) (7:19)*; LISZT: Les jeux d’eaux à la villa d’Este from Années de Pèlerinage (1929) (6:55)*. 2 CDs.  A coproduction with Deutsches Rundfunkarchiv (German Radio Archive). Technical restoration by Maggi Payne.     *Commercial recordings, previously issued.

This is the third installment in a series of coproductions with Deutsches Rundfunkarchiv distributed worldwide by Music and Arts. The series features historic recordings from 1932 to 1950, and is being released for the first time in authorized performances taken from the best sources, carefully re-engineered, and presented with commentary from internationally recognized writers.

Future volumes include hitherto unissued orchestral performances under Furtwängler, Krauss, Abendroth, Kabasta, Jochum, Schuricht, Knappertsbusch, and Celibidache, piano recitals by Gieseking, Arrau, and Kempff, and vocal performances featuring such outstanding artists of the past as Tiana Lemnitz, Michael Bohnen, Marcel Wittrisch, and Hans Hotter. Maggi Payne, internationally acclaimed sound engineer is in charge of the technical restoration of the series.