Welcome

Welcome to APR - or Appian Publications & Recordings Ltd. to quote our full title, though we are invariably more familiarly known simply as "APR".

Within the relatively short time since APR was founded in 1986 it has won an enviable reputation as a quality label devoted predominantly - though not exclusively - to historic piano recordings. In particular APR has won countless laurels for the high standard of its 78rpm restoration work - "Transfers of genius" to quote one critic - as well as the detail and content of its booklets - "Presentation is, as always with APR, immaculate" - to cite another accolade. These features have been recognised by the award of numerous international honours, not least an unprecedented 9 Grand Prix by the Liszt Society of Budapest in recent years.

In September 2004, following the retirement of its founder, Bryan Crimp, APR changed hands, though the aspirations of the label remain unchanged. APR is now based in London, England and is owned and run by Michael Spring who previously spent many years at Hyperion Records.

 

New Releases

SHURA CHERKASSKY The complete 78rpm recordings 1923 -1950

3CDs

COMPACT DISC 1 (63’05) Victor recordings, Camden, New Jersey 1923–1928
1. BEETHOVEN Ecossaises WoO 83 (acoustic version)
2. MENDELSSOHN Prelude Op 35/1 (acoustic)
3. MENDELSSOHN Scherzo Op 16/2 (acoustic)
4. SHURA CHERKASSKY Prelude Pathetique (acoustic)
5. MENDELSSOHN Song Without Words ‘Hunting Song’ Op 19b/3
6. CHOPIN Waltz in E minor Op posth
7. RAMEAU/GODOWSKY Tambourin
8. MANNA-ZUCCA Prelude Op 73
9. BEETHOVEN Ecossaises WoO 83 (electric version)
10. MENDELSSOHN Prelude Op 35/1 (electric)
11. MENDELSSOHN Scherzo Op 16/2 (electric)
12. SHURA CHERKASSKY Prelude Pathetique (electric)

US Columbia recording, New York 1934/5
13. RACHMANINOV Cello Sonata in G minor Op 19 with MARCEL HUBERT cello

COMPACT DISC 2 (66’28) US Vox recordings 1946–1947
1. GLINKA Tarantella
2. REBIKOV Waltz Op 21/1
3. TCHAIKOVSKY October Op 37b/10
4. LIADOV A Musical Snuffbox Op 32
5. SCRIABIN Prelude for the left-hand Op 9/1
6. MEDTNER Skazka (Tale) Op 34/2
7. PROKOFIEV Suggestion diabolique Op 4/4
8. KHATCHATURIAN Toccata
9. SHOSTAKOVICH Prelude Op 34/10; Prelude Op 34/5
11. LISZT Hungarian Rhapsodies Nos 5, 6, 11 & 15 S244

 Swedish Cupol recordings 1949
15. LISZT Gnomenreigen S145/2
16. CHOPIN Polonaise Op 53
17. BEHR/RACHMANINOV Polka de W. R.
18. POULENC Toccata
19. MORTON GOULD Prelude and Toccata
21. MORTON GOULD Boogie Woogie Etude

COMPACT DISC 3 (65’32) Concert Hall Society recording 1946
1. TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No 2 Op 44
JACQUES RACHMILOVICH / SANTA MONICA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

HMV recordings, Abbey Road studio 3, London 1950 
4. CHOPIN Nocturne Op 72/1
5. CHOPIN Mazurka Op 33/2
6. CHOPIN Etude Op 10/4
7. CHOPIN Fantasy Op 49
8. SAINT-SAËNS Prélude and Fugue Op 52/3
10. LISZT Consolation No 3 S172/3
11. CHAMINADE Autrefois Op 87/4

 

In his later years, SHURA CHERKASSKY (1909–1995) was regarded as one of the last ‘Romantics’ – a throwback to the so-called ‘golden age’ of pianism in the first decades of the 20th century. As a pupil of Josef Hofmann, he had an impeccable pedigree, but we tend to forget his long career meant he was already playing and recording in that ‘golden age’. Here then are these early recordings, complete for the first time, starting in the acoustic era with the young prodigy’s 1923 Victor discs. Much of the repertoire is unique in his discography, including his only recording of chamber music – the Rachmaninov cello sonata. The Tchaikovsky 2nd Concerto, Cherkassky’s earliest concerto recording, has never previously been reissued and reveals the 36-year-old artist at his virtuoso peak.

APR7316   CD £0.00  

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

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KATHLEEN LONG Decca solo recordings 1941-45

2CDs

COMPACT DISC 1 (70.48)

1. ANONYMOUS/RESPIGHI Siciliana from Antiche danze et arie
2-9. D SCARLATTI Sonata in C sharp minor K247 (L256); Sonata in G major K201 (L129); Sonata in C minor K84 (L10) Sonata in F sharp minor K447 (L294); Sonata in A major K62 (L45); Sonata in B flat major K47 (L46); Sonata in F major K366 (L119); Sonata in G major K235 (L154)
10. PARADIES Toccata (Allegro) from Sonata No 6 in A major
11. J S BACH Fantasia in C minor BWV906
12. J S BACH/ALBERT LÉVÊQUE Sheep May Safely Graze from BWV208
13. SCHUBERT Sonata in A minor Op 164, D537
16. SCHUBERT Sonata in E flat major Op 122, D568


COMPACT DISC 2 (73.11)

GRIEG Lyric Pieces
1-8. Butterfly Op 43 No 1; Shepherd Boy Op 54 No 1; Notturno Op 54 No 4; Scherzo Op 54 No 5; Peasant’s Song Op 65 No 2; Once upon a time Op 71 No 1; Summer’s Eve Op 71 No 2; Puck Op 71 No 3
9. FAURÉ Barcarolle No 2 in G major Op 41
10. FAURÉ Nocturne No 6 in D flat major Op 63
11. FAURÉ Thème et variations Op 73
12. DEBUSSY Préludes Book II

An unobtrusive figure in the British music scene and despite her self-stated lack of ambition, KATHLEEN LONG (1896–1968) was a musician of the highest order. She taught for 44 years at the Royal College of Music and was a major Decca artist for two decades, having recorded for several other labels before that. Her first recording was made in 1928, and her first Decca recordings (of Mozart’s Piano Concertos K449 and K450) were made in 1935. Her first Decca solo recordings are those on this release. On disc, she made premiere recordings of several Mozart concertos and sonatas and was renowned for her Scarlatti and Fauré. For her service to French music, she was made Honorary Member of the Académie de France.

APR6041  

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

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ROBERT LORTAT The complete recordings

2CDs

COMPACT DISC 1 (74.08)

CHOPIN
1. 24 Préludes Op 28 recorded on 5 May 1928
25. 14 Waltzes recorded on 4 and 12 May 1931

COMPACT DISC 2 (78.44)

CHOPIN
1. 12 Études Op 10
13. 12 Études Op 25
25. Nouvelles études
recorded on 3, 4, 7 October and 14 November 1929 & 8 November 1930
28. Piano Sonata No 2 in B flat minor Op 35 recorded on 9 June 1928

This is the tenth release in APR’s ongoing French Piano School series which aims to present important recordings from the often-forgotten pianists who represent the very distinctive French style of playing in the first half of the 20th century.

Were it not for the chronic illness which dogged him after service in WW1 and led to his premature death, Robert Lortat (1885–1938) would undoubtedly have recorded more and been remembered as one of the greatest French pianists of the 20th century. He performed a wide repertoire, including much Fauré and Debussy, magnificently, but Chopin was central to his art. He first performed the composer’s complete works from memory in five concerts in 1912 and his only recordings, presented here complete, are of Chopin. Lortat was only the second pianist to record Chopin’s complete etudes, after the Backhaus cycle of 1928 (on APR6026), and that they preceded Cortot cycle shows the esteem with which Lortat’s playing was held in France.

When they have been presented before, Lortat’s recordings have suffered from very poor transfers from the original 78s. We hope these new transfers, by Mark Obert-Thorn, cast them in a new and much improved light.

APR6042  

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

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