A catalogue of 78rpm Piano Recordings of Classical Pianists
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
MALCOLM BINNS A 90th Birthday Tribute
4CDs
COMPACT DISC 1 (73’02)
1. BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No 2 in B flat major Op 19 BBC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA / SIR MALCOLM SARGENT Recorded on 6 August 1962
4. LISZT Piano Concerto No 2 in A major S125 BBC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA / SIR MALCOLM SARGENT Recorded on 6 August 1962
8. PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No 4 in B flat major for the left-hand Op 53 BBC SCOTTISH ORCHESTRA / NORMAN DEL MAR Recorded on 21 January 1962
COMPACT DISC 2 (78’13)
1. LYAPUNOV Piano Concerto No 1 in E flat minor Op 4 BBC SCOTTISH ORCHESTRA / NORMAN DEL MAR Recorded on 21 January 1961
6. RUBINSTEIN Six Études Op 23 Recorded in January 1966
12. ALKAN Allegretto alla Barbaresca Op 39 No 1 Recorded in April 1966
13. ALKAN Capriccio alla soldatesca Op 50; 14. Le tambour bat aux champs Op 50bis Recorded in April 1966
COMPACT DISC 3 (66’16)
1. MEDTNER Sonata-Ballade in F sharp major Op 27 Recorded on 29 September 1976
4. MEDTNER Sonata Minacciosa in F minor Op 53 No 2 Recorded on 29 September 1976
5. MEDTNER 4 Skazki Op 26 Recorded on 29 September 1976
9. MEDTNER Sonate-Idylle in G major Op 56 Recorded in 1991
COMPACT DISC 4 (73’02)
1. CHOPIN Études Op 10 Recorded on 13–15 July 1995
13. CHOPIN Études Op 25 Recorded on 13–15 July 1995
25. CHOPIN Nouvelles Études Recorded on 13–15 July 1995
28. GLINKA/BALAKIREV The Lark Recorded on 14–16 July 2000
Malcolm Binns (born 29 January 1936) was for half a century one of the UK’s most significant pianists. He retired aged 80, but let’s not forget his hugely eclectic career which ranged from giving the UK premiere of Prokofiev’s 4th Piano Concerto in 1961 (and UK broadcast premiere, included here) to being the first pianist to record the complete Beethoven piano sonatas on original instruments. For this celebration we focus on his early career with several uniquely preserved BBC concerto recordings from the pianist’s own collection, including a Proms performance featuring two concertos with Sir Malcolm Sargent, a rare LP on the Concert Artist label featuring works by Rubinstein and Alkan which were premiere recordings at the time, and, from much later, two of his most acclaimed recordings from the no longer active Pearl label.
APR7405
Available on Compact Disc, as a Digital Download and to Stream
ALFRED CORTOT - The 1942-1943 Paris Chopin recordings
2CDs
COMPACT DISC 1 (77.31)
1-12. 12 Études Op 10 recorded on 2 November 1942 in Paris at Studio Albert
13-24. 12 Études Op 25 recorded on 4 November 1942 in Paris at Studio Albert
25-28. Piano Sonata No 3 in B minor Op 58 recorded on 12 May 1931 in London at Small Queen’s Hall
COMPACT DISC 2 (75.47)
1-24. 24 Préludes Op 28 recorded on 2 December 1942 & 25 February 1943 in Paris at Studio Albert
25-38. 14 Waltzes recorded on 24 May and 7th July 1943 in Paris at Studio Albert
What better way to introduce Alfred Cortot to APR’s French Piano School series than by focussing on the few recordings he actually made in France.
There’s a good case for claiming Cortot as the greatest of twentieth century French pianists and he was certainly the most prolific one to record in the 78-rpm era. He began recording as a soloist in 1919 and continued through to the 1950s, but nearly all his discs were made in the USA and the UK. It was only during World War 2 that he recorded solo repertoire in France and these recordings, originally only released locally, are much less well-known than his London HMVs from the 1930s. Cortot seems to have planned these Paris sessions to be a substantial survey of Chopin’s works, including the complete Polonaises and Scherzi which he had not previously recorded, but in the end only the Etudes, Preludes and Waltzes were released. Cortot here is still on top form, the post war decline in his playing not yet evident, and these performances are very much complimentary to his earlier ones. Anyone, knowing of Cortot’s ‘wrong notes’ and doubting his technique only has to listen to these Etudes (all first takes!) to hear virtuoso playing of the highest order, and of course Cortot’s unique poetry is never in doubt. Perhaps the Preludes best reveal the soul of our pianist, and this set finds him at his finest.
As an appendix we have included another rarity, Cortot’s first recording of Chopin’s B minor Piano Sonata, made in London in 1931. He was to remake the work in the then new Abbey Road studios in 1933, and it is this later version which has been continuously reissued, but this earlier version is in no way inferior and could be argued to be better in parts than the 1933 version. It is also in very good sound for its time and we are happy to give it some well-deserved attention.
APR6046
Available on Compact Disc, as a Digital Download and to StreamNICOLAS MEDTNER The complete solo piano recordings
3CDs
COMPACT DISC 1 (75’06) The unpublished 1931-1931 Columbia recordings & Beethoven Appassionata Sonata
1. MEDTNER Skazka in E minor Op 14 No 2 (March of the Paladin)
2. MEDTNER Skazka in B minor Op 20 No 2 (Campanella)
Recorded in Central Hall, Westminster, London, on 31 March 1930
3. MEDTNER Skazka in A major Op 51 No 3 (take 1)
4. MEDTNER Skazka in A major Op 51 No 3 (take 3)
5. MEDTNER Skazka in F sharp minor Op 51 No 5
6. MEDTNER Skazka in B flat minor Op 20 No 1
Recorded in Central Hall, Westminster, London, on 1 April 1930
7. MEDTNER Skazka in F minor Op 26 No 3
8. MEDTNER Skazka in E flat major Op 26 No 2
9. MEDTNER Skazka in A major Op 51 No 3
Recorded in Petty France Studios, London, on 11 February 1931
10. MEDTNER Hymn in praise of toil Op 49 No 1 (Before work)
11. MEDTNER Danza jubilosa No 4 of Forgotten Melodies III, Op 40
12. MEDTNER Skazka in A minor Op 51 No 2
13. MEDTNER Danza festiva No 3 of Forgotten Melodies I, Op 38
14. MEDTNER Canzona matinata No 4 of Forgotten Melodies II, Op 39
Recorded in Petty France Studios, London, on 25 February 1931
15. MEDTNER Skazka in C minor Op 8 No 1
16. MEDTNER Novelle in G major Op 17 No 1 (Daphnis and Chloe)
Recorded in Petty France Studios, London, on 26 February 1931
17-19. BEETHOVEN Sonata in F minor Op 57 (Appassionata)
Recorded in Studio 3, Abbey Road, London,on 20–21 November & 9 December 1946
COMPACT DISC 2 (76’14) The 1936 & 1947 HMV recordings & Violin Sonata No 1
1. MEDTNER Novelle in G major Op 17 No 1
2. MEDTNER Skazka in B flat minor Op 20 No 1
3. MEDTNER Skazka in B minor Op 20 No 2 (Campanella)
Recorded in Studio 3, Abbey Road, London, on 21 April 1936
4. MEDTNER Skazka in A minor Op 51 No 2
5. MEDTNER Danza festiva No 3 of Forgotten Melodies I, Op 38
6. MEDTNER Skazka in A minor Op 34 No 3 (Wood Goblin)
7. MEDTNER Arabesque in G minor Op 7 No 3 (Tragedy Fragment)
8. MEDTNER Danza jubilosa No 4 of Forgotten Melodies III, Op 40
Recorded in Studio 3, Abbey Road, London, on 22 April 1936
9. MEDTNER Skazka in A major Op 51 No 3
10. MEDTNER Skazka in E minor Op 14 No 2 (March of the Paladin)
11. MEDTNER Skazka in E flat major Op 26 No 2
12. MEDTNER Skazka in F minor Op 26 No 3
13. MEDTNER Skazka in E minor Op 34 No 2
Recorded in Studio 3, Abbey Road, London, on 8 May 1936
14. MEDTNER Russian Round-Dance Op 58/1 with BENNO MOISEIWITSCH piano
Recorded in Studio 3, Abbey Road, London, on 24 October 1946
15. MEDTNER Improvisation Op 31 No 1
Recorded in Studio 3, Abbey Road, London, on 28 October 1946
16-18. MEDTNER Violin Sonata No 1 in B minor Op 21 with CECILIA HANSEN violin
Recorded in Studio 3, Abbey Road, London, on 25 April 1947
COMPACT DISC 3 (62’23) The 1947 HMV recordings
1. MEDTNER Canzona matinata No 4 of Forgotten Melodies II, Op 39
2-4. MEDTNER Sonata tragica in C minor No 5 of Forgotten Melodies II, Op 39
Recorded in Studio 3, Abbey Road, London, on 19 March 1947
5. MEDTNER Arabesque in A minor Op 7 No 2 (Tragedy fragment)
Recorded in Studio 3, Abbey Road, London, on 21 March 1947
6-8. MEDTNER Sonata-Ballada in F sharp major Op 27
Recorded in Studio 3, Abbey Road, London, on 24, 25 & 27 March 1947
9. MEDTNER Hymn in praise of toil Op 49 No 1 (Before work)
Recorded in Studio 3, Abbey Road, London, on 25 March 1947
10. MEDTNER Novelle in C minor Op 17 No 2
Recorded in Studio 3, Abbey Road, London, on 27 March 1947
11. MEDTNER Skazka in D minor Op 51 No 1
Recorded in Studio 3, Abbey Road, London, on 21 & 31 March 1947
12. MEDTNER Skazka in F minor Op 26 No 3
Recorded in Studio 3, Abbey Road, London, on 31 March 1947
13. MEDTNER Primavera No 3 of Forgotten Melodies II, Op 39
Recorded in Studio 3, Abbey Road, London, on 19 September 1947
APR’s landmark issue on three CDs of Nicolas Medtner’s complete solo recordings, which included fifteen 78-rpm sides of previously thought lost Columbia recordings from 1931 and an unpublished HMV recording of his Violin Sonata No 1, are here reissued as a set. Medtner was a magnificent pianist, and these are definitive performances of many of his most important compositions.
We can also hear him in Beethoven’s Appassionata Sonata, the only music other than his own, he was to record.
For this reissue we have added a track – his recording of the Russian Round Dance for two pianos where he is joined by Benno Moiseiwitsch – and made some further refinements to the sound quality of the transfers.
APR7315
Available on Compact Disc, as a Digital Download and to StreamJESÚS MARÍA SANROMÁ - The complete Boston ‘Pops’ recordings
2CDs
COMPACT DISC 1 (80.05)
1. MacDOWELL Piano Concerto No 2 in D minor Op 23
BOSTON POPS ORCHESTRA/ARTHUR FIEDLER recorded on 1 July 1936
4. PADEREWSKI Piano Concerto in A minor Op 17
BOSTON POPS ORCHESTRA/ARTHUR FIEDLER recorded on 30 June 1939
JUAN MOREL CAMPOS Puerto Rican Dances
7. Felices días 8. Maldito amor 9. Alma sublime 10. Tormento 11. ¡No me toques! 12. Vano empeño 13. Laura y Georgina 14. Buen humor recorded on 9 August 1939 & 1 July 1941
COMPACT DISC 2 (75.34)
1. MENDELSSOHN Piano Concerto No 1 in G minor Op 25
BOSTON POPS ORCHESTRA/ARTHUR FIEDLER recorded on 29 June 1938
4. LISZT Totentanz – Paraphrase über ‘Dies irae’ S126
BOSTON POPS ORCHESTRA/ARTHUR FIEDLER recorded on 30 June 1937
5. GERSHWIN Rhapsody in Blue
BOSTON POPS ORCHESTRA/ARTHUR FIEDLER recorded on 1 July 1935
6. GERSHWIN Concerto in F for piano and orchestra
BOSTON POPS ORCHESTRA/ARTHUR FIEDLER recorded on 22 March 1940
The Puerto Rican pianist JESÚS MARÍA SANROMÁ (1902–1984) came to the USA to study and subsequently built his career there. He had a very wide repertoire and gave the US premieres of many contemporary works, including Ravel’s G major Concerto, but was equally at home in the classics or Gershwin. He had a long association with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and their summer festival brand the ‘Pops’, resulting in the series of concertos reproduced here. All are conducted by Arthur Fiedler (1894-1979) who conducted the ‘Pops’ for an astonishing 50 years from 1930. Their Gershwin Rhapsody was a huge hit, and the MacDowell and Paderewski were first recordings. We’ve filled out the set with Sanromá’s first recording of a selection of dances by Juan Morel Campos, his 19th century Puerto Rican fellow countryman.
APR6045
Available on Compact Disc, as a Digital Download and to Stream