The Art of Benno Moiseiwitsch

Born in Odessa (Ukraine), Moiseiwitsch was a pianist who transcends categorisation. He is as much valued and revered today, as he ever was An aristocrat and a gentleman, both as an artist and a person, his interpretations are characterised by poetic and lyrical phrasing, as well as natural, unrestrained rhythmic expression and virtuosity Rachmaninov himself declared that Moiseiwitsch played some of his works, including the second piano concerto, better than he did himself and called him his ‘spiritual heir’ Many pianists choose to express emotion through showmanship. Benno Moiseiwitsch by contrast, was an artist of unpretentious certainty; he kept a poker-faced appearance whilst bringing warmth, elegance, beauty and depth of emotion to his playing.

CD1
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Piano Sonata No.21, Op.53 "Waldstein" (V.1958)
Violin Sonata No.9, Op.47 "Kreutzer"
Jascha Heifetz, violin
DMITRY KABALEVSKY (1904-1987)
Piano Sonata No.3, Op.46
CD 2
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Piano Sonatas: No.8 "Pathétique",
No.14 "Moonlight", No.21 "Waldstein" (v.1942) NIKOLAI MEDTNER (1880-1951)
Piano Sonata in G minor, Op.22
CD 3
FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN (1810-1849)
24 Preludes, Op.28
ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Kinderszenen, Op.15
JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833-1897)
25 Variations and Fugue
on a theme by Handel, Op.24 (1930)
CD 4
JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833-1897)
25 Variations and Fugue
on a theme by Handel, Op.24 (v.1953)
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943)
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op.43 (v.1946)
MODEST MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881)
Pictures at an Exibition (v.1945)
CD 5
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943)
Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, Op.18 (v.1937)
London Philharmonic Orchestra, dir. Walter Goher
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op.43 (v.1938)
Preludes: No.1, Op.3 No.2; No.6, Op.23 No.5
No.21, Op.32 No.10; No.16, Op.32 No.5
CD 6
ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Fantasie, Op.17; Fantasiestücke, Op.12
FREDERICK DELIUS (1862-1934)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
Philharmonia Orchestra, dir. Constant Lambert

CD 7
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Andante favori in F major, WoO 57 (v.1958)
Piano Concerto No.5, Op.73 "Emperor" (1961 live)
Stadium Symphony Orchestra of N.Y.,
dir. Josef Krips
MODEST MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881)
Pictures at an Exibition (v.1961)
CD 8
ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Kreisleriana, Op.16
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Piano Concerto No.5, Op.73 "Emperor" (1963 live)
BBC Symphony Orchestra, dir. Sir Malcolm Sargent
CD 9
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Piano Concerto No.1 in B flat minor, Op.23
Philharmonia Orchestra, dir. George Weldon
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943)
Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, Op.18 (1956 live)
BBC Symphony Orchestra, dir. Sir Malcolm Sargent
CD 10
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Piano Concerto No.2 in G minor, Op.44
Roy Robertson, violin; Anthony Pini, cello
Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra,
dir. George Weldon
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943)
Piano Concerto No.1 in F sharp minor, Op.1
Philharmonia Orchestra, dir. Sir Malcolm Sargent
CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921)
Piano Concerto No.2 in G minor, Op.22
CD 11
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Piano Concerto No.5, Op.73 "Emperor" (v.1938)
London Philharmonic Orchestra, dir. George Szell
EDVARD GRIEG (1843-1907)
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.16 (v.1941)
Hallé Orchestra, dir. Leslie Heward
CD 12
EDVARD GRIEG (1843-1907)
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.16 (v.1953)
Philharmonia Orchestra, dir. Otto Ackermann
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Piano Concerto No.3 in C minor, Op.37
Philharmonia Orchestra, dir. Sir Malcolm Sargent
Andante favori in F major, WoO 57 (v.1950)

CD 13
ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.54
Philharmonia Orchestra, dir. Otto Ackermann
Scherzo No.3, Op.39; Scherzo No.4, Op.54
CARL MARIA VON WEBER (1786-1826)
Perpetuum Mobile
JOHN VALLIER (1920-1991)
Toccatina
SERGEI PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
Suggestion diabolique, Op.4 No.4
FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN (1810-1849)
Nocturne No.19 in E minor, Op.72 No.1
Fantaisie-Impromptu, Op.66
Scherzo No.1 in B minor, Op.20
CD 14
LOUIS-CLAUDE DAQUIN (1694-1772)
Le coucou
CLAUDE DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
Jardins sus la pluie from Estampes
Minstrels from Preludés Book I
Clair de lune from Suite Bergamasque
MAURICE RAVEL (1875-1937)
Jeux d'eau
FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN (1810-1849)
Berceuse in D flat major, Op.57
Prelude No.20 in C minor, Op.28
Waltz No.6, Op.64 No.1 "Minute Waltz"
Waltz No.11, Op.70 No.1 (2 versions 1921)
Impromptu No.2, Op.36 (2 versions 1921)
JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Capriccio in B minor, Op.76 No.2
FRANZ LISZT (1811-1886)
Moja pieszczotka (Meine Freuden), S.480 No.5,
from Chopin Op.74 No.12
ALEXANDER SCRIABIN (1872-1915)
Nocturne for the left hand, Op.9 No.2
SELIM PALMGREN (1878-1951)
Linnunlaulua (Birdsong), Op.17 No.19
Meri (The sea), Op.17 No.12
Finnish dance, Op.31 No.5 (1921)
JEAN-PHILIPPE RAMEAU (1683-1764)
Gavotte et Variations
DOMENICO SCARLATTI (1685-1757) (ARR.TAUSIG)
Pastorale e Capriccio
FRANZ SCHUBERT (1797-1828) (ARR. LISZT)
Horch! Horch! die Lerch im Ätherblau, S.558 No.9

CARL MARIA VON WEBER (1786-1826)
Perpeetuum Mobile
THEODOR LESCHETIZKY (1830-1915)
Arabesque en forme d'Etude, Op.45 No.1
LEO DELIBES (1836-1891)
Passepied from Le Roi s'amuse,
air de danse No.6
MORITZ MOSZKOWSKI (1854-1925)
Die Jongleurin, Op.52 No.4
MODEST MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881)
Gopak from Sorochinsky Fair
ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Traumes virren
CD 15
FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN (1810-1849)
Nocturne No.19 in E minor, Op.72 No.1
Impromptu No.1 in A flat major, Op.29
Waltz No.14 in E minor, Op. posth. B.56
Ballade No.3 in A flat major, Op.47 (v.1927)
Etude No.11, Op.10 No.11
Etude No.4, Op.10 No.4
Etude No.15, Op.25 No.3
Etude No.10, Op.10 No.10
Mazurka No.51 in A minor "Émile Gaillard"
Scherzo No.2 in B flat minor, Op.31
ARTHUR RUBINSTEIN (1887-1982)
Barcarolle in F minor, Op.30 No.1
ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856) (ARR. LISZT)
Frühlingsnacht, S.568
ENRIQUE GRANADOS (1867-1916)
Danza Española, Op.37 No.5 "Andaluza"
Danza Española, Op.37 No.6
"Rondalla aragonesa"
GEORG MARTIN VON HENSELT (1814-1889)
Si oiseau j'etais,
Douze Études caractéristiques, Op.2 No.6
FELIX MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
Piano concerto No.1 in G minor, Op.25
Royal Albert Hall Orchestra; dir. Landon Ronald
The Art of Benno Moiseiwitsch