The Hungarian Master Pianist and His Best Recordings

The piano virtuoso Géza Anda was famous forhis brilliant technique, a crystal-clear touch and playing that was as sensitive as it was precise. He was Hungarian-born and so belonged to a long established tradition steeped in rich musical history.Composers such as Liszt, Bartok and Kodály come to mind, and the conductors Solti, Fricsay or Dorati, as well as a number of first-class pianists, for instance Andor Foldes, who like Anda was excellently taught by Ernst von Dohnányi and also awarded first prize in the prestigious Franz Liszt competition.The content of this compilation reflects Anda‘spreference for the classical/romaantic repertoire andhis admiration for his countryman Bela Bartók, whose piano concertos 2 and 3 together with the first partof the cycle “For Children” and the sonatinas can beheard here.In addition to the works already mentioned, piano concertos and solo works by Mozart, Beethoven,Schumann, Brahms, Chopin and Liszt, among others,are included in recordings made between 1953 and1959.In Mozart’s concerto for two pianos and orchestrain E flat, and Bach’s concerto for two pianos and orchestra in C, Anda is joined by the great Rumanian pianist Clara Haskil. Also on board are giants of the conductor’s rostrum such as Herbert von Karajan,Ferenc Fricsay and Igor Markevitch with orchestras such as the Philharmonia, the Radio Symphony Orchestra, Berlin, and the Concertgebouw Orchestra,Amsterdam.

CD1 LISZT  Piano ConcertoNo. 1 • Piano Sonata in B minor • Mephisto Waltz No. 1 Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Ackermann (1954, 1955)

CD 2+9 BARTÓK  Piano Concerto Nos. 2+3  For Children – Book 1 Sonatina Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Ferenc Fricsay(1954, 1959)

CD 3 SCHUMANN Kreisleriana • Carnaval (1955)

CD 4+5 MOZART Concerto for Two Pianos Clara Haskil (piano), Philharmonia Orchestra,Alceo Galliera (1956) BEETHOVEN PianoConcerto No. 1 •  Piano Sonatas Nos. 7, 14, 28 Philharmonia Orchestra, Alceo Galliera (1955, 1958)

CD 6 CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 1 • 12 Études op. 25 Philharmonia Orchestra, Alceo Galliera (1956)

CD 7 SAINT-SAËNS Le Carnaval des animaux Béla Siki (Kpiano), Philharmonia Orchestra,Igor Markevitch (1954) FRANCK Variations symphoniques Concertgebouw Orkest, Eduard van Beinum (1943)DELIBES Paraphrase:Valse lente (“Coppélia”) (1954)

CD 8 BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 2 •  Variations on aTheme by Paganini Orchestra di Roma della RAI, Herbert von Karajan(1953, 1954)

CD 10 BACH Concerto for Two Pianos Clara Haskil (piano), Philharmonia Orchestra,Alceo Galliera (1956) RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2 Philharmonia Orchestra, Alceo Galliera (1953)