ARTHUR DE GREEF Solo & Concerto recordings

APR7401

4CDs

COMPACT DISC 1 (62.57)
Acoustic HMV solo and concerto recordings, 1917–1923
1. GRÉTRY/GREEF Danse en rond No 3 of Danses villageoises (1.29)
2. GRÉTRY/GREEF Entr’acte No 5 of Danses villageoises (1.17)
3. SCHUMANN Arabeske in C Op 18 (3.41)
4. SCHUMANN Finale from Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op 26 (3.57)
5. CHOPIN Nocturne in F sharp major Op 15 No 2 (3.36)
6. LISZT Hungarian Rhapsody in C sharp minor S244/12 (8.23)
7. RUBINSTEIN Melody in F Op 3 No 1 (4.17)
8. GRIEG Album Leaf in A major Op 28 No 3 (3.20)
9. GRIEG March of the Dwarfs Op 54 No 5 (3.30)
10. GRIEG Tempo di Menuetto Op 6 No 2 (2.50)
11. GRIEG Puck Op 71 No 3 (2.06)
12. MOSZKOWSKI Serenata Op 15 No 1 (1.58)
13. MOSZKOWSKI Étude in G major Op 18 No 3 (1.44)
14. ALBÉNIZ Seguidillas No 5 of Chants d’Espagne, Op 232 (3.03)
15. RONALD Pensée musicale (3.00)
16. FRANCK Variations symphoniques (14.41)
ROYAL ALBERT HALL ORCHESTRA / LANDON RONALD 

COMPACT DISC 2 (72.25)
Acoustic and Electric HMV Liszt concerto and solo recordings, 1922–1930
LISZT Piano Concerto No 1 in E flat major S124
ROYAL ALBERT HALL ORCHESTRA / LANDON RONALD
1. Allegro maestoso: Tempo giusto (5.59)
2. Quasi adagio (4.24)
3. Allegretto vivace – Allegro animato (4.22)
4. Allegro marziale animato (4.44)
LISZT Piano Concerto No 2 in A major S125
LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA / LANDON RONALD
5. Adagio sostenuto assai – Allegro agitato assai (7.05)
6. Allegro moderato (5.28)
7. Allegro deciso – Marziale un poco meno allegro (4.39)
8. Allegro animato (2.03)
9. LISZT Fantasia on Hungarian Folk Themes S123 (16.12)
ROYAL ALBERT HALL ORCHESTRA / LANDON RONALD
10. LISZT Polonaise in E major S223/2 (8.51)
11. LISZT Hungarian Rhapsody in C sharp minor S244/12 (8.37)

COMPACT DISC 3 (56.16)
Electric HMV solo recordings, 1925–1931
1. SCHUBERT/LISZT Soirée de Vienne in A minor S427/6 (4.42)
CHOPIN Piano Sonata No 2 in B flat minor Op 35
2. Grave – Doppio movimento (7.25)
3. Scherzo (5.09)
4. Marche funèbre (6.47)
5. Presto (1.48)
6. CHOPIN Nocturne in F sharp major Op 15 No 2 (3.41)
7. CHOPIN Waltz in E flat major Op 18 (4.14)
8. CHOPIN Waltz in A flat major Op 42 (4.09)
9. CHOPIN Waltz in G flat major Op 70 No 1 (1.58)
10. CHOPIN Waltz in D flat major Op 64 No 1 (1.48)
11. RAFF La Fileuse Op 157 No 2 (4.10)
12. MOSZKOWSKI Serenata Op 15 No 1 (2.01)
13. MOSZKOWSKI Étude in G major Op 18 No 3 (1.42)
14. MOSZKOWSKI Valse Op 34 No 1 (6.38)

COMPACT DISC 4 (73.14)
Electric HMV concerto and solo recordings, 1927–1931
SAINT-SAËNS Piano Concerto No 2 in G minor Op22
NEW SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA / LANDON RONALD
1. Andante sostenuto (10.52)
2. Allegro scherzando (6.10)
3. Presto (7.17)
GRIEG Piano Concerto in A minor Op 16
ROYAL ALBERT HALL ORCHESTRA / LANDON RONALD
4. Allegro molto moderato (12.10)
5. Adagio (5.40)
6. Allegro moderato molto e marcato – Andante maestoso (9.41)
7. GRIEG Arietta Op 12 No 1 (1.06)
8. GRIEG To the Spring Op 43 No 6 (3.15)
9. GRIEG Album Leaf in A major Op 28 No 3 (2.26)
10. GRIEG Butterfly Op 43 No 1 (1.48)
11. GRIEG Norwegian Bridal Procession Op 19 No 2 (3.52)
12. GRIEG Wedding Day at Troldhaugen Op 65 No 6 (5.40)
13. PROKOFIEV Gavotte from Classical Symphony, Op 25 (1.41)
14. GRÉTRY/GREEF Danse en rond No 3 of Danses villageoises (1.35)

Belgian pianist Arthur de Greef studied with Franz Liszt and also became a close friend of Grieg, who strongly admired his playing. He was a main-stay of the HMV catalogue in the 1920s and this set brings together for the first time his complete recordings, save for acoustic versions of concertante works he subsequently recorded electrically (the Liszt Hungarian Fantasia and abridged versions of the Saint-Saëns and Grieg concertos) and two electric chamber recordings with violinist Isolde Menges. Given his associations, his recordings of the Liszt concertos and Hungarian Fantasy must be considered important stylistic documents, but perhaps most important of all is his recording of the Grieg concerto. He initially studied this with his teacher Brassin at the time when the latter gave the Belgian premiere of the work. He subsequently worked on it, and gave performances with, Grieg, who said of him 'De Greef is the best interpreter of my music I have met with. It is surprising how he understands my meaning... He is a real Master'.
This is the first time that the bulk of de Greef's recordings have been released together and they show that a serious reappraisal of a pianist from the earliest generation to record substantially, is overdue.

APR7401 Available on Compact Disc, as a Digital Download and to Stream