2CDs
COMPACT DISC 1 (73.20)
VASSILY SAPELLNIKOFF, Vocalion, London 1924–1927
1-3. TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No 1 in B flat minor Op 23 AEOLIAN ORCHESTRA / STANLEY CHAPPLE
4. TCHAIKOVSKY Humoresque Op 10 No 2
5. GLINKA/BALAKIREV The Lark
6. BALAKIREV Mazurka No 4 in G flat
7. RUBINSTEIN Staccato Étude Op 23 No 2
8. LIADOV A Musical Snuffbox Op 32
9. WEBER/TAUSIG Invitation to the Dance Op 65
10. MENDELSSOHN Scherzo Op 16 No 2
11. SCHUMANN Traumes Wirren Op 12 No 7
12. SCHUMANN/LISZT Frühlingsnacht Op 39 No 12
13. WAGNER/LISZT Spinning Chorus S440
14. WAGNER/LISZT Entry of the Guests S445/1
15. BRAHMS Hungarian Dance No 6 in D flat
COMPACT DISC 2 (74.34)
VASSILY SAPELLNIKOFF Vocalion, London, 1924–1927
1-4. CHOPIN Waltz in E flat Op 18; Berceuse in D flat Op 57; Étude in G flat Op 10 No 5; Étude in G flat Op 25 No 9
5. ALYABYEV/LISZT Le Rossignol S250/1 ·
6. LISZT Valse-Impromptu in A flat S213
7-8. LISZT Waldesrauschen S145 No 1; Gnomenreigen S145 No 2
9-10. LISZT Hungarian Rhapsody No 12 in C sharp minor S244/12; Hungarian Rhapsody No 13 in A minor S244/13
11-13. SAPELLNIKOFF Waltz in E flat Op 1; Gavotte in E Op 4 No 2; Polka-Miniature Op 6 No 2
XAVER SCHARWENKA Columbia, New York 1910–1913
14. WEBER Invitation to the Dance Op 65 ·
15. MENDELSSOHN Rondo capriccioso Op 14
16. CHOPIN Waltz in A flat Op 34 No 1 ·
17. CHOPIN Fantasy Impromptu Op 66
18. LISZT Liebestraum No 3 in A flat S541/3 ·
19-20. SCHARWENKA Spanish Serenade Op 63 No 1; Polish Dance in E flat minor Op 3 No 1
Vassily Sapellnikoff (1868-1941) and Xaver Scharwenka (1850-1924) were among the earliest generation of pianists to record, and on this ground alone it is surprising that their complete recordings have never before been transferred to CD. Not only do they give us a fascinating insight into nineteenth-century pianism but in the Tchaikovsky Concerto (the premiere recording of the work) we have the pianist who, after his 1888 Hamburg performance under the composer's baton, went on to become Tchaikovsky's favoured soloist, witnessed in many subsequent performances they gave together.
APR6016 Available on Compact Disc, as a Digital Download and to Stream