Horowitz Rediscovered [Original recording remastered]

Robert Schumann (Composer), Sergey Rachmaninov (Composer), Franz Liszt (Composer), Frederic Chopin (Composer), Claude Debussy (Composer), Moritz Moszkowski (Composer), Recorded Sound (Composer), Vladimir Horowitz (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Vladimir Horowitz
• Composer: Robert Schumann, Sergey Rachmaninov, Franz Liszt, Frederic Chopin, Claude Debussy, et al.
• Audio CD (May 6, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B000092Q8V
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #321,150 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars High Voltage Pianism, May 29, 2003

By 

Hank Drake (Cleveland, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Horowitz Rediscovered (Audio CD)

2003 marks the centennial year of the birth of Vladimir Horowitz. In commemoration, RCA has released the complete, unedited recital of November 16, 1975. None of the repertoire on this release is new to the Horowitz discography, but as the pianist never played the same works twice in the same way, the performances contain new insights.

The first half of the recital featured two works by Schumann which were somewhat off the beaten path. The Blumenstück (Flower Piece) is played in a considerably different manner than his live performance from 1966. The tempo is dramatically slower, with more rubato as Horowitz occasionally slows down to smell the roses.

The Sonata in F Minor, (sometimes referred to as the Concerto Without Orchestra) is a problematic piece. Horowitz's go-for-broke performance here is in marked contrast to the version he approved for release on LP in 1976 (and far superior to the botched CD "outtake" version on RCA 6680-2-RG). The pianist takes considerably more liberties in regard to tempo and rubato, and he takes a great number of risks technically (particularly in the second movement, which is very fast) which don't always pay off. That was the thing about Horowitz in concert: rather like a box of chocolates, you never knew what you were going to get. In the final analysis, the LP version (which is available on Phillips' Great Pianists of the Century) remains the benchmark performance of this piece.

Rachmaninoff's G major Prelude is played with loving tenderness and astonishing control of the lower levels of dynamics. The two Rachmaninoff Etudes-Tableaux (one of them was an encore) are given spasmodic, occasionally brutal "go for broke" performances which teeter on the brink of disaster, but remain remarkable for all that.

Liszt's Valse Oublieé and Au bord d'une source had been recorded by Horowitz before, but it's interesting just how much more effective these live performances are. Whether it's due to superior recorded sound, or perhaps because Horowitz was "in the mood" that day, the pianist perfectly captures the prismatic mystique of the forgotten waltz, and the bubbling brook of the water piece.

Horowitz recorded more music by Chopin than any other composer. The A Minor Waltz (Horowitz's favorite) is played in a brooding, inward manner altogether different from his straightlaced 1971 studio version. The B minor Scherzo, a Horowitz staple, is given a feverish, slashing performance similar in tempo and mood to his 1951 recording, building to a stunning climax and concluding with interlocking octaves replacing the usual chromatic scales.

The encores by Debussy, Schumann, Moszkowski and Rachmaninoff are a typical Horowitzian show (the pianist announces the encores, which he usually didn't do), and bring an effective close for the recital.

To be frank, there are numerous unissued Horowitz performances in RCA's vaults (not to mention Sony's and Deutsche Grammophon's) which are even more deserving of release than this one. They include stunning live renditions of Balakirev's Islamey and Liszt's St. Francis Walking on the Water, alongside studio renditions of the Bach-Busoni Toccata in C and numerous shorter works. Nevertheless, this release is an important document as it is the first time a complete, unedited Horowitz recital has been released by a major label. Despite its imperfections, it should be in every serious music lover's CD collection. The sound is a bit close for comfort but acceptable.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Primarily for Horowitz fans, June 9, 2003

By 

"brtherjohn" (Orange County, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Horowitz Rediscovered (Audio CD)

I can add only a little to an earlier review of this concert - which was right on the money. But for those that might be looking for the earlier lp issue of the Schumann sonata, one can now obtain the original lp issue of the sonata on the Philips' Great Pianist series where that performance in question has finally been reissued on CD. (This should not be confused with the RCA Horowitz plays Schumann disc, where an alternate, inferior, take was used.)
It is a matter of fact that both Sony and BMG has volumes of complete Horowitz recitals in their vaults. Having several boots of his concerts from the 70's, RCA did not always issue the better takes. (Or for tha matter, why didn't RCA issue VH's rarely performed Scriabin Nocturne for the left hand, which he played in '79?)
As far as this recital goes, it's a bit of a mixed bag, but it is true that he never played the same piece twice the same way. Horowitz fans will jump on this set - yet at the same time crave more recitals to be issued! Sony and BMG: Are you listening?

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars some spectacular stuff, October 2, 2003

By 

Iris M. Harlan (Pittsburgh, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Horowitz Rediscovered (Audio CD)

the entire first CD is works by Schumann which are played well,

but the reason to get this CD is for the terrifying version of the b-minor scherzo of Chopin, absolutely awesome!
and the a-minor waltz is beautiful.
the rachmaninoff prelude in g-major is stunningly sensitive

this is some exciting playing!