Concerto in A Minor/ Concerto No 1 in E Flat

Schumann/Liszt: Klemperor/Fischer/Philharmonia

SKU: HIQLP048

Barcode: 5060218890485

22.00 £22.00
  • Genre: Classical
  • Label: Hi Q
  • Released Date: 15th August 2015
  • Buying Format:
    180g 1LP

Out of stock

Add to your Wishlist

The great Hungarian pianist, Annie Fischer (1914-1995), a self-critical perfectionist, was uncomfortable in the recording studio. Without an audience, she felt the resulting performance would be ‘artificially constricting’ since no interpretation was ever ‘finished’ or definitive as commercial recordings aim to be. Nevertheless, she did make several studio recordings for EMI and other labels and they remain much sought after by collectors and admirers of her artistry.

Otto Klemperer was a great admirer and no doubt persuaded her into the studio for these recordings of the Schumann and Liszt piano concertos, though, as you will note from the recording dates and the production crew involved, these must have been fairly intensive sessions, with a gap of two years between the concertos being taped. The results, however, display all Fischer’s trademarks of “a great artist imbued with a spirit of greatness and genuine profundity”, as Sviatoslav Richter said of her.

Recorded on 22-24 May 1960 (Schumann), 9-10 & 31 May and 16 August 1962 (Liszt), No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London. Recording Producers: Walter Jellinek (1960), Suvi Raj Grubb (1962) and Walter Legge. Balance Engineers: Douglas Larter, Harold Davidson (1960) & Christopher Parker (1962).

Cut at Abbey Road Studios from the original stereo analogue master tapes with the Neumann VMS82 lathe fed an analogue pre-cut signal from a specially adapted Studer A80 tape deck with additional ‘advance’ playback head, making the cut a totally analogue process.

In the original review in The Gramophone of November 1963, the late Edward Greenfield enthused: “Time and again this performance of the Liszt has made me cry out at the sheer magic of the music, instead of my usual “what an old warhorse it is!” For the first time ever I begin to understand the sort of impact it must have made when it first appeared last century, so fresh-sounding and even modern do Fischer and Klemperer make it sound.” Of the Schumann “the performance is interesting… and… the recording is technically admirable.”

Artist
Genre
Label
Buying Options
Format ,
Condition
Country

Track Listings

Side One
CONCERTO IN A MINOR, Op.54 (SCHUMANN)

First Movement: Allegro affettuoso – Andante expressive – Tempo I – Cadenza – Allegro molto. Second Movement: Intermezzo (Andantino grazioso). Third Movement: Allegro vivace

ANNIE FISCHER, piano
THE PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA
Conducted by OTTO KLEMPERER

Side 2
CONCERTO No.1 IN E FLAT MAJOR (LISZT)*

First Movement: Allegro maestoso. Second Movement: Quasi adagio. Third Movement: Allegretto vivace – Allegro animato. Fourth Movement: Allegro marziale animato

Share this

More from Classical

View Product

Klaus Mäkelä

Stravinsky – Pétrouchka / Debussy – Jeux & Prélude à l’Après-midi d’un faune

Classical | Decca Music Group Ltd. [GB] | Decca Classics | Decca | 2LP
Released 8th March 2024
£35.00
  • Genre: Classical
  • Label: Decca Music Group Ltd. [GB] | Decca Classics | Decca
  • SKU: 4870147
  • Formats: 2LP
  • Released Date: 8th March 2024