WILHELM BACKHAUS plays Chopin, Liszt, Schumann & encore pieces HMV recordings 192 5–1937 WILHELM BACKHAUS plays Chopin, Liszt, Schumann & encores and transcriptions HMV RECORDINGS 1925–1937 2 COMPACT DISC 1 (79.25) CHOPIN 12 Études Op 10 1. No 1 in C major ......................... (1.57) 7. No 7 in C major ........................... (1.21) 2. No 2 in A minor ........................ (1.15) 8. No 8 in F major ........................... (2.18) 3. No 3 in E major ......................... (4.26) 9. No 9 in F minor ........................... (1.51) 4. No 4 in C sharp minor .................. (1.52) 10. No 10 in A flat major ..................... (2.18) 5. No 5 in G flat major .................... (1.26) 11. No 11 in E flat major ..................... (1.36) 6. No 6 in E flat minor .................... (3.09) 12. No 12 in C minor ......................... (2.33) Recorded on 4–5 January 1928; matrices Cc 12199-1 (1, 2, 7), 12403-1 (3), 12404-1 (4, 8), 12405-1 (5, 6), 12406-1 (9, 10) & 12407-2 (11, 12) (DB 1132/4) CHOPIN 12 Études Op 25 13. No 1 in A flat major .................... (2.05) 19. No 7 in C sharp minor .................... (4.36) 14. No 2 in F minor ......................... (1.15) 20. No 8 in D flat major ...................... (1.02) 15. No 3 in F major ......................... (1.38) 21. No 9 in G flat major ...................... (0.51) 16. No 4 in A minor ........................ (1.37) 22. No 10 in B minor ......................... (3.36) 17. No 5 in E minor ......................... (2.33) 23. No 11 in A minor ......................... (3.02) 18. No 6 in G sharp minor ................. (1.50) 24. No 12 in C minor ......................... (2.19) Recorded on 4 January 1928; matrices Cc 12192-2 (1, 12), 12193-1 (2, 11), 12194-2 (3, 4, 8), 12197-1 (5, 6), 12195-5 (7) & 12198-1 (9, 10) (DB 1178/80) 25. CHOPIN Prélude in C major Op 28 No 1 ...................................................... (0.52) Recorded on 30 October 1933; matrix 2B 5392-4 [part] (DB 2059) 26. CHOPIN Berceuse in D flat major Op 57 ................................................... (4.00) Recorded on 15 October 1928; matrix Cc 12191-4 (DB 1131) 27. CHOPIN Waltz in E flat major Op 18 ........................................................ (4.27) Recorded on 4 January 1928; matrix Cc 12196-2 (DB 1131) 28. CHOPIN Waltz in D flat major Op 64 No 1 ................................................... (1.38) Recorded on 2 November 1925; matrix Cc 7150-1 [part] (DB 929) 29. CHOPIN Fantaisie-Impromptu in C sharp minor Op 66 ................................. (4.34) Recorded on 30 October 1933; matrix 2B 5391-2 (DB 2059) 30. MENDELSSOHN/HUTCHESON Scherzo from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ ......... (4.29) Recorded on 28 January 1927; matrix CR 956-1A (DB 1195) 31. SMETANA Polka No 3 in F major from Czech Dances, Book 1 ................................ (2.54) Recorded on 5 January 1928; matrix Cc 12410-1 (DB 1130) 32. DELIBES/DOHNÁNYI Waltz from ‘Naïla’ (abridged) .......................................... (4.07) Recorded on 2 November 1925; matrix Cc 7153-2 (DB 926) 3 COMPACT DISC 2 (80.44) 1. MOZART/BACKHAUS Serenade from ‘Don Giovanni’ ...................................... (2.30) Recorded on 5 January 1928; matrix Bb 12409-1 (DA 944) 2. SCHUBERT/BACKHAUS Marche militaire in E flat major D733 No 3 ..................... (4.35) Recorded on 5 January 1928; matrix Cc 12200-2 (DB 1125) 3. SCHUBERT/LISZT Soirée de Vienne No 6 in A major S427 No 6 ......................... (4.41) Recorded on 27 January 1936; matrix 2EA 3025-2 (DB 2809) 4. LISZT Waldesrauschen No 1 of Zwei Konzertetüden, S145 .................................... (3.22) Recorded on 2 November 1925; matrix Cc 7149-1 (DB 929) 5. LISZT Liebesträume No 3 S541 No 3 ......................................................... (3.54) Recorded on 2 November 1925; matrix Cc 7154-1 (DB 926) 6. LISZT Hungarian Rhapsody No 2 in C sharp minor S244 No 2 ....................... (7.57) Recorded on 28 January 1927; matrices CR 952-1A & 953-1 (DB 1013) 7. SCHUMANN/LISZT Widmung S566 ............................................................. (3.17) Recorded on 5 January 1928; matrix Bb 12408-1 (DA 944) 8. SCHUMANN Aufschwung No 2 from Fantasiestücke, Op 12 ..................................... (3.12) Recorded on 15 October 1928; matrix Bb 14642-1 (DA 1018) 9. SCHUMANN Traumes Wirren No 7 from Fantasiestücke, Op 12 ............................... (2.38) Recorded on 28 January 1927; matrix CR 958-2A [part] (DB 1033) 10. SCHUMANN Nachtstück in F major Op 23 No 4 ............................................. (4.32) Recorded on 14 May 1937; matrix 2EA 4929-1 (DB 3224) SCHUMANN Fantasie in C major Op 17 11. Durchaus phantastisch und leidenschaftlich vorzutragen ........................................ (12.25) 12. Mässig: Durchaus energisch ....................................................................... (6.32) 13. Langsam getragen: Durchweg leise zu halten .................................................... (9.25) Recorded on 13 May 1937; matrices 2EA 4914-1, 4915-3, 4916-1, 4917-1, 4918-1, 4913-1 & 4919-3 (DB 3221/4) 14. ALBÉNIZ Triana No 3 from Iberia, Book 2 ....................................................... (4.26) Recorded on 5 January 1928; matrix Cc 12402-1 (DB 1125) 15. ALBÉNIZ/GODOWSKY Tango Op 165 No 2 ....................................................... (2.49) Recorded on 18 June 1928; matrix Bb 13829-2 (DA 1018) 16. MOSZKOWSKI Caprice espagnole Op 37 ..................................................... (4.25) Recorded on 5 January 1928; matrix Cc 12411-1 (DB 1130) 4 ROM HIS FIRST MAJOR RECITAL at age fifteen in 1899 until his final public Fconcert just one week before his death on 5July 1969, Wilhelm Backhaus’ career was one of the longest among the twentieth century’s prominent pianists. The son of a Leipzig businessman, Backhaus was born in that city on 26 March 1884. His first teacher was Alois Reckendorf, a professor at the Leipzig Conservatory, where Backhaus later studied. By the age of twelve Backhaus could instantaneously transpose Bach’s Preludes and Fugues at tempo into any key. The prodigy’s talents did not go unnoticed, and he received a written endorsement from Arthur Nikisch, the famed conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Among Backhaus’ youthful keyboard icons were Ferruccio Busoni, Teresa Carreño, and Eugen D’Albert. The latter had studied with Franz Liszt and was renowned for his over - whelming personality and volcanic style of playing. The fifteen-year-old Backhaus summoned up the courage to play for D’Albert, who consented to teach him. Backhaus had about twenty-five sessions with D’Albert, which recital at Queen’s Hall, where Backhaus played were sporadically held, and had less to do with twelve compositions selected by the audience instruction than providing ‘finishing touches’. on the spot. The pianist’s international breakthrough Indeed, Backhaus enjoyed a fruitful came in 1905 in Paris, when he gained first relation ship with the British public, starting prize in the Anton Rubinstein competition over in 1900 with a London recital at St James’s runner-up Béla Bartók. (Another contender, Hall in Piccadilly. However, Backhaus regarded eliminated earlier on in the proceedings, was a pair of engagements the following year as Otto Klemperer.) That same year Backhaus part of Sir Henry Wood’s Promenade Concerts performed Richard Strauss’ Burleske in Berlin as his true professional debut. Manchester under the composer’s baton, and to his soon became a favourite destination, marked apparent delight. Scores of engagements by regular appearances with the Hallé followed, including one memorable London Orchestra under Hans Richter, and a short- 5 lived professor ship at the Royal Manchester mavens largely familiar with Backhaus’ latter- College of Music. Australian audiences, too, day status as an elderly doyen of the central welcomed Backhaus with open arms; his first Austro/German classics might be surprised to tour of the continent in 1923 encompassed at find a good amount of Romantic encore-type least 57 concert dates. fare and short pieces among his acoustic By contrast, it took Backhaus longer to and early electrical discs. No doubt Backhaus make headway in the United States, where he was encouraged to record such ‘lollipops’ first toured in 1912. In his book Speaking of for commercial purposes, yet the younger Pianists, Abram Chasins recalled Backhaus in Backhaus commanded a surprisingly wide and the early 1920s, playing ‘year after year to row eclectic public repertoire. upon row of vacant seats in the modest spaces In 1930, Backhaus and his Brazilian wife of Aeolian Hall. Onstage, Backhaus was a Alma Herzberg moved to Switzerland, which shy, unaffected, recessive personality whose would become their permanent home base, sensational capacities were so unsensationally although he remained a key player in German projected that lay audiences remained totally cultural life under Nazi rule. He was appointed unconscious of his fabulous accomplishments. by Bernhard Rust (the Prussian Minister for Offstage, this pale, modest, silent man was an Education) in 1933 to serve on a commission unlikely drawing-room lion, especially in the convened to supervise the work of Berlin music early twenties, when anti-German sentiment organizations. According to Fred K Prieberg’s ran high.’ ‘A little show of bravura’, Backhaus Handbuch Deutsche Musiker 1933–1945, wrote, ‘will turn many of the unthinking Backhaus met Hitler as late as May 1933, and auditors into a roaring mob. This is, of