Clifford Curzon, undoubtedly one of the most important English pianists of the 20th century, was born in London in 1907 and died there in 1982. Knighted by the Queen, he was lauded by critics as the greatest “Mozartian” of his time. Curzon’s recordings of the Schubert Impromptus, the “Trout Quintet” and the Symphonic Variations by César Franck, which are included in this 10-CD box, did set standards that are still valid today. Curzon made his debut under Henry Wood at London’s Queen’s Hall at the age of 16, and from 1928 on he completed his studies with Artur Schnabel in Berlin and with Nadia Boulanger and Wanda Landowska in Paris. He married Landowska’s student Lucille Wallace. After the early death of the singer Maria Cebotari and her husband Gustav Diessl, the couple adopted their two sons. Curzon was equally respected as a soloist and as a chamber musician. Outstanding documents of this can also be found in this box. Apparent in all of these recordings is something critics around the globe noted about Curzon: a piano tone, which “could unite clear contour and bright luminosity in an inimitable way”.
DISC 1
1. Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58: 1. Allegro Moderato –
2. Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58: 2. Andante Con Moto –
3. Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58: 3. Rondo-Vivace –
4. Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E Flat Major, Op. 73 ‘Emperor’ 1. Allegro –
5. Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E Flat Major, Op. 73, ‘Emperor’ 2. Adagio Un Poco Mosso –
6. Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E Flat Major, Op. 73 ‘Emperor’ 3. Rondo-Allegro –
DISC 2
1. Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 15: 1. Maestoso – Poco Piú Moderato –
2. Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 15: 2. Adagio –
3. Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 15: 3. Rondo: Allegro Non Troppo –
4. Brahms: Capriccio in B Minor, Op. 76 No. 2 –
5. Brahms: Rhapsody in G Minor, Op. 79 No. 2 –
6. Beethoven: Alla Ingharese Quasi Un Capriccio in G Major, Op. 129 –
7. Liszt: Sonetto 104 Del Petrarca –
DISC 3
1. Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Flat Major, Op. 83: 1. Allegro Non Troppo –
2. Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Flat Major, Op. 83: 2. Allegro Appassionato –
3. Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Flat Major, Op. 83: 3. Andante –
4. Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Flat Major, Op. 83: 4. Allegro Grazioso –
5. Brahms: Intermezzo in E Flat Major, Op. 117 No. 1 –
6. Brahms: Intermezzo in C Major, Op. 119 No. 3 –
7. Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op 15: Of Foreign Lands And People / Von Fremden Ländern Und Menschen –
8. Kinderszenen Op. 15 Strange Story / Kuriose Geschichte –
9. Kinderszenen Op. 15 Catch Me If You Can / Hasche-Mann –
10. Kinderszenen Op. 15 Pleading Child / Bittendes Kind –
11. Kinderszenen Op. 15 Quite Happy / Glückes Genug –
12. Kinderszenen Op. 15 Important Event / Wichtige Begebenheit –
13. Kinderszenen Op. 15 Day-Dreams / Traumerei –
14. Kinderszenen Op. 15 By The Fireside / Am Kamin –
15. Kinderszenen Op. 15 Knight Of The Hobby-Horse / Ritter Vom Steckenpferd –
16. Kinderszenen Op. 15 Almost Too Serious / Fast Zu Ernst –
17. Kinderszenen Op. 15 Bogey-Man / Fürchtenmachen –
18. Kinderszenen Op. 15 Falling Asleep / Kind Im Einschlummern –
19. Kinderszenen Op. 15 The Poet Speaks / Der Dichter Spricht
DISC 4
1. Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B Flat Minor, Op. 23: 1. Allegro Non Troppo E Molto Maestoso – Allegro Con Spirito –
2. Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B Flat Minor, Op. 23: 2. Andante Semplice – Prestissimo – Tempo Primo –
3. Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B Flat Minor, Op. 23: 3. Allegro Con Fuoco –
4. Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18: 1. Moderato –
5. Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18: 2. Adagio Sostenuto –
6. Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18: 3. Allegro Scherzando –
7. Liszt: Mephisto Waltz No. 1, S514
DISC 5
1. Grieg: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16: 1. Allegro Molto Moderato –
2. Grieg: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16: 2. Adagio –
3. Grieg: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16: 3. Allegro Moderato Molto E Marcato –
4. Schumann: Fantasie in C Major, Op. 17: Durchaus Fantastisch Und Leidenschaftlich Vorzutragen- Im Legenden-Ton –
5. Schumann: Fantasie in C Major, Op. 17: Mäßig. Durchaus Energisch – Etwas Langsamer – Viel Bewegter –
6. Schumann: Fantasie In C Major, Op. 17: Langsam Getragen. Durchweg Leise Zu Halten – Etwas Bewegter –
7. Liszt: Liebestraum No. 3, S541
DISC 6
1. Britten: Introduction and Rondo Alla Burlesca, Op. 23 No. 1 –
2. Britten: Mazurka Elegiaca, Op. 23 No. 2 –
3. Piper: Symphony No . 3 –
4. Rawsthorne: Piano Concerto No. 2: 1. Allegro Piacevole –
5. Rawsthorne: Piano Concerto No. 2: 2. Allegro Molto –
6. Rawsthorne: Piano Concerto No. 2: 3. Intermezzo –
7. Rawsthorne: Piano Concerto No. 2: 4. Allegro –
8. Franck: Variations Symphoniques –
9. Chopin: Nocturne In C Sharp Minor, Op. Posth.
DISC 7
1. Mozart: Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, K 478: 1. Allegro –
2. Mozart: Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, K 478: 2. Andante –
3. Mozart: Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, K 478: 3. Rondo: Allegro Moderato –
4. Mozart: Piano Quartet No. 2 in E Flat Major, K 493: 1. Allegro –
5. Mozart: Piano Quartet No. 2 in E Flat Major, K 493: 2. Larghetto –
6. Mozart: Piano Quartet No. 2 in E Flat Major, K 493: 3. Allegretto –
7. de Falla: Noches En Los Jardines De España: En El Generalife –
8. de Falla: Noches En Los Jardines De España: Danza Lejana –
9. de Falla: Noches En Los Jardines De España: En Los Jardines De La Sierra De Cordoba
DISC 8
1. Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major. K 488: 1. Allegro –
2. Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major. K 488: 2. Adagio –
3. Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major. K 488: 3. Allegro Assai –
4. Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, K 491: 1. Allegro –
5. Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, K 491: 2. Larghetto –
6. Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, K 491: 3. Allegretto –
7. Litolf: Scherzo (Concerto Syphonique No. 4, Op. 102)
DISC 9
1. Schubert: Piano Quintet in A Major, D 667, ‘Trout’: 1. Allegro Vivace –
2. Schubert: Piano Quintet in A Major, D 667, ‘Trout’: 2. Andante –
3. Schubert: Piano Quintet in A Major, D 667, ‘Trout’: 3. Scherzo: Presto –
4. Schubert: Piano Quintet in A Major, D 667, ‘Trout’: 4. Thema – Andante Variazioni I-V – Allegretto –
5. Schubert: Piano Quintet in A Major, D 667, ‘Trout’: 5. Finale: Allegro Giusto –
6. Schubert: Four Impromptus, D 935: 1. Allegro Moderato, F Minor –
7. Schubert: Four Impromptus, D 935: 2. Allegretto, A Flat Major –
8. Schubert: Four Impromptus, D 935: 3. Theme An Variations, B Flat Major –
9. Schubert: Four Impromptus, D 935: 4. Allegro Scherzando, F Minor
DISC 10
1. Schubert: Wanderer-Fantasie, D 760: 1. Allegro Con Fuoco Ma Non Troppo –
2. Schubert: Wanderer-Fantasie, D 760: 2. Adagio –
3. Schubert: Wanderer-Fantasie, D 760: 3. Presto –
4. Schubert: Wanderer-Fantasie, D 760: 4. Allegro –
5. Schubert: Wanderer Fantasy: 1. Allegro Con Fuoco –
6. Schubert: Wanderer Fantasy: 2. Adagio –
7. Schubert: Wanderer Fantasy: 3. Presto –
8. Schubert: Wanderer Fantasy: 4. Finale: Fugato: Allegro –
9. Schubert: Four Impromptus, D 899: No. 1 in C Minor –
10. Schubert: Four Impromptus, D 899: No. 2 in E Flat Major –
11. Schubert: Four Impromptus, D 899: No. 3 in G Flat Major –
12. Schubert: Four Impromptus, D 899: No. 4 in A Flat Major –