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CHOPIN: SCHUBERT arr. LISZT ADD 1 Waltz in A flat major, Op. 34, No. 1 3:50 @ Erlkönig, D.328 4:34 Recorded 13th February, 1918 - Matrix no.: 49306-1 Recorded 13th October, 1916 - Matrix no.: 48945-4 · Great Pianists • Hofmann First issued on Columbia A6045 First issued on Columbia A5942 8.111326 2 Waltz in C sharp minor, Op. 64, No. 2 3:17 Recorded 18th April, 1923 - Matrix no.: 10405 MENDELSSOHN First issued on Brunswick 15057 # Spinning Song, Op. 67, No. 4 1:50 3 Nocturne in F sharp major, Op. 15, No. 2 4:06 Recorded 13th October, 1916 Recorded 19th April, 1923 - Matrix no.: X 10420 Matrix no.: 48949-1 [part] First issued on Brunswick 50044 First issued on Columbia A6211 CHOPIN 4 Fantaisie-Impromptu in C sharp minor, Op. 66 4:13 $ Rondo capriccioso, Op. 14 3:46 Recorded 6th March, 1918 - Matrix no.: 49326-2 Recorded 13th February, 1918 - Matrix no.: 49309-3 First issued on Columbia A6174 First issued on Columbia A6078 LISZT 5 Berceuse in D flat major, Op. 57 3:17 % Hunting Song, Op. 19, No. 3 2:10 Recorded 26th March, 1918 - Matrix no.: 49327-3 Recorded 14th February, 1918 First issued on Columbia A6078 Matrix no.: 49307-2 [part] 6 Polonaise in A major, Op. 40, No. 1, ‘Military’ 3:12 First issued on Columbia A6045 MENDELSSOHN Recorded 10th April, 1923 - Matrix no.: 10336 MOSZKOWSKI: First issued on Brunswick 15098 ^ La Jongleuse, Op. 52, No. 4 1:39 CHOPIN arr. LISZT: Recorded 14th February, 1918 MOSZKOWSKI Chants Polonais (after Chopin Op. 74), S.840 Matrix no.: 49307-2 [part] 7 No. 5 Meine Freuden (My Joys) 3:55 First issued on Columbia A6045 Recorded 27th April, 1923 - Matrix no.: X 10503 & Caprice espagnole, Op. 37 4:35 First issued on Brunswick 50045 Recorded 16th October, 1916 - Matrix no.: 48948-5 PADEREWSKI 8 No. 1 Mädchens Wunsch (The Maiden’s Wish) 3:16 First issued on Columbia A5942 Recorded 6th March, 1918 - Matrix no.: 49328-2 PADEREWSKI: First issued on Columbia A6211 * Minuet in G major, Op. 14, No. 1 3:40 RACHMANINOV LISZT: Recorded 2nd November, 1916 - Matrix no.: 48975-2 9 Concert Etude No. 1, ‘Waldesrauchen’ 3:24 First issued on Columbia A5915 Recorded 13th March, 1923 - Matrix no.: 10105 RACHMANINOV: First issued on Brunswick 15046 ( Prelude in G minor, Op. 23, No. 5 3:35 0 Venezia e Napoli: Tarantella 4:41 Recorded 20th April, 1923 - Matrix no.: X 10434 Recorded 2nd November, 1916 - Matrix no.: 48976-2 First issued on Brunswick 50045 First issued on Columbia A5915 ) Prelude in C sharp minor, Op. 3, No. 2 3:32 ! Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 8:32 Recorded 20th April, 1923 - Matrix no.: 10433 Recorded in December, 1922 First issued on Brunswick 15053 Matrix nos.: X 9431 and X 9434 First issued on Brunswick 50023 Josef Hofmann, piano All tracks recorded in Josef Hofmann

Producer and Audio Restoration Engineer: Mark Obert-Thorn Acoustic recordings 1916-1923

8.111326 4 111326 bk Hofmann1 EU 6/10/08 1:56 PM Page 4

CHOPIN: SCHUBERT arr. LISZT ADD 1 Waltz in A flat major, Op. 34, No. 1 3:50 @ Erlkönig, D.328 4:34 Recorded 13th February, 1918 - Matrix no.: 49306-1 Recorded 13th October, 1916 - Matrix no.: 48945-4 · Great Pianists • Hofmann First issued on Columbia A6045 First issued on Columbia A5942 8.111326 2 Waltz in C sharp minor, Op. 64, No. 2 3:17 Recorded 18th April, 1923 - Matrix no.: 10405 MENDELSSOHN First issued on Brunswick 15057 # Spinning Song, Op. 67, No. 4 1:50 3 Nocturne in F sharp major, Op. 15, No. 2 4:06 Recorded 13th October, 1916 Recorded 19th April, 1923 - Matrix no.: X 10420 Matrix no.: 48949-1 [part] First issued on Brunswick 50044 First issued on Columbia A6211 CHOPIN 4 Fantaisie-Impromptu in C sharp minor, Op. 66 4:13 $ Rondo capriccioso, Op. 14 3:46 Recorded 6th March, 1918 - Matrix no.: 49326-2 Recorded 13th February, 1918 - Matrix no.: 49309-3 First issued on Columbia A6174 First issued on Columbia A6078 LISZT 5 Berceuse in D flat major, Op. 57 3:17 % Hunting Song, Op. 19, No. 3 2:10 Recorded 26th March, 1918 - Matrix no.: 49327-3 Recorded 14th February, 1918 First issued on Columbia A6078 Matrix no.: 49307-2 [part] 6 Polonaise in A major, Op. 40, No. 1, ‘Military’ 3:12 First issued on Columbia A6045 MENDELSSOHN Recorded 10th April, 1923 - Matrix no.: 10336 MOSZKOWSKI: First issued on Brunswick 15098 ^ La Jongleuse, Op. 52, No. 4 1:39 CHOPIN arr. LISZT: Recorded 14th February, 1918 MOSZKOWSKI Chants Polonais (after Chopin Op. 74), S.840 Matrix no.: 49307-2 [part] 7 No. 5 Meine Freuden (My Joys) 3:55 First issued on Columbia A6045 Recorded 27th April, 1923 - Matrix no.: X 10503 & Caprice espagnole, Op. 37 4:35 First issued on Brunswick 50045 Recorded 16th October, 1916 - Matrix no.: 48948-5 PADEREWSKI 8 No. 1 Mädchens Wunsch (The Maiden’s Wish) 3:16 First issued on Columbia A5942 Recorded 6th March, 1918 - Matrix no.: 49328-2 PADEREWSKI: First issued on Columbia A6211 * Minuet in G major, Op. 14, No. 1 3:40 RACHMANINOV LISZT: Recorded 2nd November, 1916 - Matrix no.: 48975-2 9 Concert Etude No. 1, ‘Waldesrauchen’ 3:24 First issued on Columbia A5915 Recorded 13th March, 1923 - Matrix no.: 10105 RACHMANINOV: First issued on Brunswick 15046 ( Prelude in G minor, Op. 23, No. 5 3:35 0 Venezia e Napoli: Tarantella 4:41 Recorded 20th April, 1923 - Matrix no.: X 10434 Recorded 2nd November, 1916 - Matrix no.: 48976-2 First issued on Brunswick 50045 First issued on Columbia A5915 ) Prelude in C sharp minor, Op. 3, No. 2 3:32 ! Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 8:32 Recorded 20th April, 1923 - Matrix no.: 10433 Recorded in December, 1922 First issued on Brunswick 15053 Matrix nos.: X 9431 and X 9434 First issued on Brunswick 50023 Josef Hofmann, piano All tracks recorded in New York City Josef Hofmann

Producer and Audio Restoration Engineer: Mark Obert-Thorn Acoustic recordings 1916-1923

8.111326 4 111326 bk Hofmann1 EU 6/10/08 1:56 PM Page 2

Great Pianists: Josef Hofmann (1876-1957) exceptional and unique performances of Hofmann with delicate filigree playing of ornamentation. There is including a stunning performance of Liszt’s Tarantella clarity and elegance in the Waltzes with Hofmann’s Acoustic recordings 1916-1923 from Venezia e Napoli and Moszkowski’s Caprice flexibility of tempo (as opposed to indulgent rubato) Josef Hofmann was born in 1876, at Podgorze, near the Rubinstein. During this two-year period he had around espagnole, both including extraordinarily accurate making them sound like lilting dances rather than Polish city of Kraków. Both of his parents were forty lessons with the great master, later describing the repeated notes. Another of Hofmann’s finest discs is of virtuoso showpieces. The recording of the Nocturne in musicians, his mother a singer of light opera and his relationship he formed with Rubinstein as ‘the most Liszt’s technically demanding arrangement of F sharp, Op. 15, No. 2, is one of Hofmann’s most father a conductor of the Kraków theatre and professor important event of my life’. Schubert’s song Erlkönig, a favourite of Anton extraordinary. It displays his wonderful singing legato of piano and harmony at the Conservatory. At his adult début in Hamburg Hofmann played Rubinstein. tone coupled with his understanding of passages of Young Josef was, however, a phenomenally gifted child Rubinstein’s No. 4, Op. 70, with the Hofmann did not renew his contract with Columbia filigree decoration that are played as an integral part of who learnt the basics of music at the age of three, gave composer , giving such a wonderful after it expired but signed to one of the new fledgling the melodic line, the descending chromatic passages his début at the Warsaw Opera House at five, and when performance that Rubinstein declared there was nothing labels, Brunswick, that had only begun releasing its sounding like vocal slides. In the middle section of the he played again in Warsaw at the age of seven was left to teach him. That was in March, 1894; Rubinstein discs in the in January 1920. work Hofmann subtlety uses tempo to underline the heard by the great Russian pianist and composer Anton returned to Russia and died in November. Hofmann Predominantly a label that produced popular titles, harmonic changes and gives an unusual feeling of Rubinstein. At Rubinstein’s urging, the German played in England in June and November of 1894, and Brunswick was expanding rapidly and wanted to sign sadness and longing in this section rather than the more impresario Hermann Wolff wanted to manage the boy from then on led the life of a touring virtuoso for forty some famous classical artists of the day and in addition often heard frantic ranting. The recording of the and send him on a tour of Europe. Casimir, Josef’s years, playing in Russia, Europe, North and South to Hofmann managed to persuade violinists Bronislaw Berceuse is surprisingly fast and rather straight-faced father, would not allow this until the boy was nine years America and Mexico. He was appointed head of the Hubermann and Albert Spalding, and pianists Elly Ney although Hofmann’s evenness of trills and passagework old. This amazing child prodigy then played in piano department of Curtis Institute of Music in 1924, and Hofmann’s friend (who also are impressive. Germany, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, later becoming the director from 1927 to 1938. He took recorded for Columbia at the same time as Hofmann) to As frustrating as it is to hear these recordings in Sweden and Britain. He played Beethoven’s Piano American citizenship in 1936 and remained in the record for them. By 1923 Brunswick was the third sonically inferior sound we should be thankful that we Concerto No. 1 in Berlin with the Berlin Philharmonic, United States where he died in in 1957. largest producer of recordings in America after are able to hear Hofmann in his prime because he made and in London performed the same work for the Royal Hofmann’s unique abilities incorporated a Columbia and Victor and it was at this time that no further commercial recordings in the late 1920s and Philharmonic Society. technique second to none, and a clarity and pureness of Hofmann’s recordings were made in December 1922 1930s when the sonically superior electrical process The following year, in 1887, a tour of America was tone that has probably never been heard since his death. and March and April 1923. From these few sessions, was introduced and he was at the height of his powers. arranged for the young Hofmann. He was to play eighty Until his final years Hofmann had incredible control again acoustic, come an impressive performance of He did in fact record for RCA in 1935, but these sides concerts, performing four times a week. Wherever he over his virtuosity. He was always in total command of Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (Hofmann also were not issued at the time, neither were five sides played the eleven-year-old boy caused a sensation with everything he played, presenting each work with an recorded an abridged, single sided version for Hofmann recorded for HMV in November of 1935 his playing and improvising. After three months of impression of complete facility of execution. Brunswick) and the Concert Etude Waldesrauschen whilst in England. performances which included fifty recitals, seventeen of Always interested in all things scientific as well as displaying Hofmann’s amazing clarity and dexterity. These recordings can be heard many times, and at which were at the House in New musical, on his first visit to the United States Hofmann Other highlights include the Prelude in G minor, Op. each hearing the listener can always hear something York, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to was recorded at the age of ten by with 23, No. 5, by his friend Rachmaninov, who dedicated new, some subtle bending of a phrase, colouring of an Children stepped in citing the boy’s fragile health. Josef whom he kept in correspondence about matters his Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 30, to Hofmann, internal line, or any one of Hofmann’s myriad details had been offered $10,000 for the American tour, but a scientific and technical. Three cylinder recordings from although he never played it in public. Hofmann strictly stemming from his innate natural musical gift. Hofmann benefactor offered Casimir $50,000 on the condition 1896 have also survived, but Hofmann’s first maintains the Alla Marcia marking of the outer sections was one of the greatest of pianists from the Golden Age, that Josef would not appear in public until he was commercial recordings were made in Berlin in 1903 for of the Prelude but plays the slow middle section as a or any age. His was a totally unique, individual voice, eighteen years of age. The rest of the tour was cancelled the Gramophone and Typewriter Company. From April vocal duet (favouring the tenor) with arpeggio instantly recognisable, like that of his pupil Shura and the family returned to Germany. In Berlin Hofmann 1913 to April 1918 Hofmann recorded for Columbia accompaniment, using subtle phrasing of the melodic Cherkassky, and unlike anything that can be heard took some lessons from the pianist and composer and from these seventeen acoustic sessions come some lines as natural as breathing. today. , but it was in 1892, when Hofmann of his best recorded performances, but it must be Hofmann’s repertoire, although large, was was sixteen, that he became a private pupil of Anton remembered that the recording process was still in its dominated by the works of Chopin and Liszt, Schumann © 2008 Jonathan Summers Rubinstein, who had himself been an exploited child infancy notwithstanding Columbia’s claims at the time and Beethoven. Hofmann’s view of Chopin is chaste, prodigy and was by then the greatest living pianist. that ‘the tone of the piano as recorded is one more signal Once a week in winter, and twice a week in summer, triumph for the Columbia corps of recording experts’. Hofmann travelled from Berlin to Dresden to study with This primitive process, however, captured some 8.111326 2 3 8.111326 111326 bk Hofmann1 EU 6/10/08 1:56 PM Page 2

Great Pianists: Josef Hofmann (1876-1957) exceptional and unique performances of Hofmann with delicate filigree playing of ornamentation. There is including a stunning performance of Liszt’s Tarantella clarity and elegance in the Waltzes with Hofmann’s Acoustic recordings 1916-1923 from Venezia e Napoli and Moszkowski’s Caprice flexibility of tempo (as opposed to indulgent rubato) Josef Hofmann was born in 1876, at Podgorze, near the Rubinstein. During this two-year period he had around espagnole, both including extraordinarily accurate making them sound like lilting dances rather than Polish city of Kraków. Both of his parents were forty lessons with the great master, later describing the repeated notes. Another of Hofmann’s finest discs is of virtuoso showpieces. The recording of the Nocturne in musicians, his mother a singer of light opera and his relationship he formed with Rubinstein as ‘the most Liszt’s technically demanding arrangement of F sharp, Op. 15, No. 2, is one of Hofmann’s most father a conductor of the Kraków theatre and professor important event of my life’. Schubert’s song Erlkönig, a favourite of Anton extraordinary. It displays his wonderful singing legato of piano and harmony at the Warsaw Conservatory. At his adult début in Hamburg Hofmann played Rubinstein. tone coupled with his understanding of passages of Young Josef was, however, a phenomenally gifted child Rubinstein’s Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 70, with the Hofmann did not renew his contract with Columbia filigree decoration that are played as an integral part of who learnt the basics of music at the age of three, gave composer conducting, giving such a wonderful after it expired but signed to one of the new fledgling the melodic line, the descending chromatic passages his début at the Warsaw Opera House at five, and when performance that Rubinstein declared there was nothing labels, Brunswick, that had only begun releasing its sounding like vocal slides. In the middle section of the he played again in Warsaw at the age of seven was left to teach him. That was in March, 1894; Rubinstein discs in the United States in January 1920. work Hofmann subtlety uses tempo to underline the heard by the great Russian pianist and composer Anton returned to Russia and died in November. Hofmann Predominantly a label that produced popular titles, harmonic changes and gives an unusual feeling of Rubinstein. At Rubinstein’s urging, the German played in England in June and November of 1894, and Brunswick was expanding rapidly and wanted to sign sadness and longing in this section rather than the more impresario Hermann Wolff wanted to manage the boy from then on led the life of a touring virtuoso for forty some famous classical artists of the day and in addition often heard frantic ranting. The recording of the and send him on a tour of Europe. Casimir, Josef’s years, playing in Russia, Europe, North and South to Hofmann managed to persuade violinists Bronislaw Berceuse is surprisingly fast and rather straight-faced father, would not allow this until the boy was nine years America and Mexico. He was appointed head of the Hubermann and Albert Spalding, and pianists Elly Ney although Hofmann’s evenness of trills and passagework old. This amazing child prodigy then played in piano department of Curtis Institute of Music in 1924, and Hofmann’s friend Leopold Godowsky (who also are impressive. Germany, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, later becoming the director from 1927 to 1938. He took recorded for Columbia at the same time as Hofmann) to As frustrating as it is to hear these recordings in Sweden and Britain. He played Beethoven’s Piano American citizenship in 1936 and remained in the record for them. By 1923 Brunswick was the third sonically inferior sound we should be thankful that we Concerto No. 1 in Berlin with the Berlin Philharmonic, United States where he died in Los Angeles in 1957. largest producer of recordings in America after are able to hear Hofmann in his prime because he made and in London performed the same work for the Royal Hofmann’s unique abilities incorporated a Columbia and Victor and it was at this time that no further commercial recordings in the late 1920s and Philharmonic Society. technique second to none, and a clarity and pureness of Hofmann’s recordings were made in December 1922 1930s when the sonically superior electrical process The following year, in 1887, a tour of America was tone that has probably never been heard since his death. and March and April 1923. From these few sessions, was introduced and he was at the height of his powers. arranged for the young Hofmann. He was to play eighty Until his final years Hofmann had incredible control again acoustic, come an impressive performance of He did in fact record for RCA in 1935, but these sides concerts, performing four times a week. Wherever he over his virtuosity. He was always in total command of Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (Hofmann also were not issued at the time, neither were five sides played the eleven-year-old boy caused a sensation with everything he played, presenting each work with an recorded an abridged, single sided version for Hofmann recorded for HMV in November of 1935 his playing and improvising. After three months of impression of complete facility of execution. Brunswick) and the Concert Etude Waldesrauschen whilst in England. performances which included fifty recitals, seventeen of Always interested in all things scientific as well as displaying Hofmann’s amazing clarity and dexterity. These recordings can be heard many times, and at which were at the Metropolitan Opera House in New musical, on his first visit to the United States Hofmann Other highlights include the Prelude in G minor, Op. each hearing the listener can always hear something York, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to was recorded at the age of ten by Thomas Edison with 23, No. 5, by his friend Rachmaninov, who dedicated new, some subtle bending of a phrase, colouring of an Children stepped in citing the boy’s fragile health. Josef whom he kept in correspondence about matters his Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 30, to Hofmann, internal line, or any one of Hofmann’s myriad details had been offered $10,000 for the American tour, but a scientific and technical. Three cylinder recordings from although he never played it in public. Hofmann strictly stemming from his innate natural musical gift. Hofmann benefactor offered Casimir $50,000 on the condition 1896 have also survived, but Hofmann’s first maintains the Alla Marcia marking of the outer sections was one of the greatest of pianists from the Golden Age, that Josef would not appear in public until he was commercial recordings were made in Berlin in 1903 for of the Prelude but plays the slow middle section as a or any age. His was a totally unique, individual voice, eighteen years of age. The rest of the tour was cancelled the Gramophone and Typewriter Company. From April vocal duet (favouring the tenor) with arpeggio instantly recognisable, like that of his pupil Shura and the family returned to Germany. In Berlin Hofmann 1913 to April 1918 Hofmann recorded for Columbia accompaniment, using subtle phrasing of the melodic Cherkassky, and unlike anything that can be heard took some lessons from the pianist and composer and from these seventeen acoustic sessions come some lines as natural as breathing. today. Moritz Moszkowski, but it was in 1892, when Hofmann of his best recorded performances, but it must be Hofmann’s repertoire, although large, was was sixteen, that he became a private pupil of Anton remembered that the recording process was still in its dominated by the works of Chopin and Liszt, Schumann © 2008 Jonathan Summers Rubinstein, who had himself been an exploited child infancy notwithstanding Columbia’s claims at the time and Beethoven. Hofmann’s view of Chopin is chaste, prodigy and was by then the greatest living pianist. that ‘the tone of the piano as recorded is one more signal Once a week in winter, and twice a week in summer, triumph for the Columbia corps of recording experts’. Hofmann travelled from Berlin to Dresden to study with This primitive process, however, captured some 8.111326 2 3 8.111326 NAXOS Historical HOFMANN • Acoustic recordings (1916-1923) 8.111326

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2008 Naxos Rights International Ltd. International Rights Naxos 2008 & BROADCASTING AND COPYING OF THIS COMPACT DISC PROHIBITED. DISC COMPACT THIS OF COPYING AND BROADCASTING

TRANSLATIONS RESERVED. UNAUTHORISED PUBLIC PERFORMANCE, PUBLIC UNAUTHORISED RESERVED. TRANSLATIONS ALL RIGHTS IN THIS SOUND RECORDING, ARTWORK, TEXTS AND TEXTS ARTWORK, RECORDING, SOUND THIS IN RIGHTS ALL ) ( * & ^ % $ # @ ! 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Producer and Audio Restoration Engineer:MarkObert-Thorn detailed tracklistcanbefoundinthebooklet. A Cover Photograph:JosefHofmann[Private Collection] www.naxos.com 8.111326 MOSZKOWSKI: Prelude inCsharpminor, Op.3,No.2 Prelude inGminor, Op.23,No.5 RACHMANINOV: Minuet inGmajor, Op.14,No.1 PADEREWSKI: Caprice espagnole,Op.37 La Jongleuse,Op.52,No.4 Hunting Song,Op.19,No.3 Rondo capriccioso,Op.14 Spinning Song,Op.67,No.4 Erlkönig, D.328 arr. LISZT: SCHUBERT Hungarian RhapsodyNo.2 Venezia eNapoli: Concert EtudeNo.1,‘Waldesrauchen’ No. 1Mädchens Wunsch (TheMaiden’s Wish) No. 5MeineFreuden (MyJoys) ChopinOp.74),S.840 CHOPIN arr. LISZT: Chantspolonais(after major, Op.40,No.1,‘Military’ Polonaise in A Berceuse inDflatmajor, Op.57 Fantaisie-Impromptu inCsharpminor, Op.66 sharpmajor, Op.15,No.2 Nocturne inF Waltz inCsharpminor, Op.64, No.2 flatmajor, Op.34,No.1 Waltz in A CHOPIN: MENDELSSOHN: All tracksrecordedinNew York City LISZT: ADD ( Recorded 13thOctober, 1916) Tarantella ( ( ( Recorded 16thOctober, 1916) Recorded 13thFebruary, 1918) Josef Hofmann(1876-1957) ( ( Recorded 14thFebruary, 1918) ( Recorded inDecember, 1922) ( Recorded 14thFebruary, 1918) Recorded 2ndNovember, 1916) Recorded 13thOctober, 1916) ( cutcrcrig (1916-1923) Acoustic recordings Recorded 27th April, 1923) ( Recorded 26thMarch,1918) ( ( Recorded 2ndNovember, 1916) Recorded 20th April, 1923) ( Recorded 13thFebruary, 1918) ( ( ( Recorded 18th April, 1923) Recorded 13thMarch,1923) Recorded 20th April, 1923) ( Recorded 19th April, 1923) ( Recorded 10th April, 1923) ( ( Recorded 6thMarch,1918) Recorded 6thMarch,1918) 4:41 3:40 2:10 3:35 4:35 1:50 8:32 3:24 3:17 4:06 3:50 1:39 4:34 3:32 3:46 3:16 3:17 4:13 3:55 3:12 Liszt’s include stunningperformancesof acoustic recordings onthisdisc complete facilityofexecution. The work withanimpression of played, Hofmannpresented each command ofeverythinghe since hisdeath. Always intotal beenheard has probably never clarity andpureness oftonethat technique secondtonone,anda unique abilitiesincorporateda greatest pianistsofanyage.His Josef Hofmannwasoneofthe slides. passages soundinglikevocal line, thedescendingchromatic as anintegralpartofthemelodic filigree decorationthatare played understanding ofpassages legato Hofmann’s wonderfulsinging sharp,Op.15,No.2, Nocturne inF performance ofChopin’s notes. Intheextraordinary supremely accuraterepeated espagnole Napoli and Moszkowski’s tone iscoupledwithhis Tarantella , bothnotablefor from Playing 75:05 Time

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8.111326 HOFMANN • Acoustic recordings (1916-1923) recordings Acoustic • NAXOS Historical NAXOS