JOSÉ ITURBI The Victor and HMV solo recordings CONTENTS TRACK LISTING page 4 ENGLISH page 8 2 3 JOSÉ ITURBI His complete solo repertoire on RCA Victor & HMV 1933–1952 COMPACT DISC 1 (73.15) DOMENICO SCARLATTI (1685–1757) 1. Sonata in B minor Kk27 (L449) ........................................ Victor 4256 (matrix BS 81013) (2.15) 2. Sonata in C major Kk159 (L104) ....................................... Recorded on 29 December 1933 (1.05) JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685–1750) 3. Fantasia in C minor BWV906 ..................... Victor 18126 (matrix CS 65349), recorded on 12 May 1941 (5.11) PIETRO DOMENICO PARADIES (1707–1791) 4. Toccata from Sonata No 6 in A major ........ Victor 4256 (matrix BS 81014 [part]), recorded on 29 December 1933 (1.15) WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756–1791) Piano Sonata in A major K331 5. Tema (Andante grazioso) con variazioni ............................... Victor 11593/4 (matrices CS 77525/8) (6.41) 6. Menuetto ..................................................................... Recorded on 22 August 1933 (6.11) 7. Alla Turca (Allegretto) ............................................................................... (3.23) Piano Sonata in F major K332 8. Allegro ................................................................ Victor 15440/1 (matrices CS 13272/4) (4.23) 9. Adagio ...................................................................... Recorded on 2 September 1937 (5.10) 10. Allegro assai ........................................................................................ (4.44) LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770–1827) 11. Andante favori in F major WoO57 ....... Victor 11670 (matrices CS 81015/6), recorded on 29 December 1933 (8.54) 12. Piano piece in A minor ‘Für Elise’ WoO59 RCA Victor LM-1167 (matrix E0-RB-4890), recorded on 5 July 1950 (2.42) ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810–1856) 13. Arabesque in C major Op 18 .......... RCA Victor LM-1167 (matrix E0-RB-3708/9), recorded on 11 July 1950 (6.24) 14. Romance in F sharp major Op 28 No 2 ............... RCA Victor LRM-7057, recorded on 5 August 1952 (3.38) FRANZ LISZT (1811–1886) 15. Liebesträume No 3 S541 No 3 ........ RCA Victor LM-1167 (matrix D9-RC-1279), recorded on 9 September 1949 (4.05) 16. Les jeux d’eaux à la Villa d’Este S163 No 4 ............ RCA Victor 12-0921 (matrices D6-RC-5642/3) (7.12) Recorded on 17 October 1946 4 COMPACT DISC 2 (72.35) FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN (1810–1849) 1. Polonaise in A flat major Op 53 ... RCA Victor LM-87 (matrices D9-RC-1277/8), recorded on 9 September 1949 (6.38) 2. Fantasy Impromptu in C sharp minor Op 66 ........ Victor 10-1140/1 (matrices D4-RB-461/2 [part]) (4.59) 3. Waltz in D flat major Op 64 No 1 ..... Victor 10-1141 (matrix D4-RB-462 [part]), recorded on 6 December 1944 (1.56) 4. Waltz in C sharp minor Op 64 No 2 . ....... Victor 10-1141 (matrix D4-RB-463), recorded on 6 December 1944 (3.18) 5. Mazurka in B flat major Op 7 No 1 ........ Victor 10-1140 (matrix D4-RB-464), recorded on 6 December 1944 (2.22) 6. Nocturne in B major Op 32 No 1 ....................... RCA Victor LRM-7057, recorded on 14 August 1952 (4.44) 7. Prelude in E major Op 28 No 9 ..........................RCA Victor LRM-7057, recorded on 5 August 1952 (1.10) 8. Prelude in C sharp minor Op 28 No 10 .................RCA Victor LRM-7057, recorded on 5 August 1952 (0.34) 9. Étude in C minor Op 10 No 12 ‘Revolutionary’ ..................... RCA Victor LM-87 (matrix D9-RB-742) Recorded on 7 September 1949 (2.43) PYOTR TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–1893) 10. June (Barcarolle) No 6 from ‘The Seasons’ Op 37b .............. RCA Victor 12-0242 (matrix D7-RC-6930) (4.22) 11. November (Troika) No 11 from ‘The Seasons’ Op 37b ....(matrix D7-RC-6931), recorded on 5 September 1947 (3.17) SERGEI RACHMANINOV (1873–1943) 12. Prelude in C sharp minor Op 3 No 2 ...RCA Victor 11-9514 (matrix D6-RC-5639), recorded on 15 October 1946 (4.08) IGNACY JAN PADEREWSKI (1860–1941) 13. Minuet in G major Op 14 No 1 .......... RCA Victor 11-9514 (matrix D6-RC-5638), recorded on 15 October 1946 (4.23) FILIP LAZAR (1894–1936) 14. Marche funebre from Piano Sonata in A minor, Op 15 .................... Victor 15441 (matrix CS 19843) (4.03) Recorded on 2 September 1937 CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS (1835–1921) 15. Allegro appassionato Op 70 version for solo piano ........ RCA Victor 10-1315 (matrices D6-RB-3105/6) (5.19) Recorded on 17 October 1946 CLAUDE DEBUSSY (1862–1918) 16. Clair de lune from ‘Suite Bergamasque’ RCA Victor LM-1167 (matrix D9-RC-1276), recorded on 9 September 1949 (3.50) 17. Rêverie ..................................... RCA Victor LM-1167 (matrix E0-RB-5850), recorded on 11 July 1950 (3.33) 18. Arabesque No 1 in E major ......... RCA Victor LM-1167 (matrix E0-RC-367), recorded on 11 & 14 July 1950 (3.52) 19. Arabesque No 2 in G major ......... RCA Victor LM-1167 (matrix E0-RC-368), recorded on 11 & 14 July 1950 (3.31) 20. Jardins sous la pluie from ‘Estampes’ .................. RCA Victor LRM-7057, recorded on 5 August 1952 (3.53) 5 COMPACT DISC 3 (65.56) CLAUDE DEBUSSY (1862–1918) 1. Arabesque No 1 in E major ................. Victor 18237 (matrix CS 31843), recorded on 29 January 1939 (3.54) 2. Arabesque No 2 in G major ................. Victor 18237 (matrix CS 31844), recorded on 29 January 1939 (3.28) ISAAC ALBÉNIZ (1860–1909) 3. Sevilla No 3 from ‘Suite Española’ Op 47 . ........... Victor 11562 (matrix CS 77530), recorded on 22 August 1933 (3.59) 4. Córdoba No 4 from ‘Cantos de España’ Op 232 .....Victor 1844 (matrices BS 11790/1), recorded on 27 August 1937 (6.06) 5. Malagueña No 3 from ‘España’ Op 165 ............................ RCA Victor LM-1167 (matrix D9-RB-741) (3.20) Recorded on 7 September 1949 ENRIQUE GRANADOS (1867–1916) 6. The Maiden and the Nightingale from ‘Goyescas’ .................. Victor 11562 (matrix CS 77529) (4.46) Recorded on 22 August 1933 7. Spanish Dance No 2 in C minor ‘Oriental’ ... RCA Victor LRM-7057, recorded on 18, 19 & 27 August 1952 (4.28) 8. Spanish Dance No 5 in E minor ‘A n d al u z a ’ HMV DB 6573 (matrix 2EA 12540), recorded in November 1947 (4.11) 9. Spanish Dance No 10 in G major ‘Danza triste’ .................. HMV DB 6573 (matrix 2EA 12541) (3.57) Recorded in November 1947 EDUARDO LÓPEZ-CHAVARRI (1871–1970) 10. The Old Moorish Castle No 5 from ‘Cuentos y Fantasias’ RCA Victor LRM-7057, recorded on 13 August 1952 (3.01) MANUEL DE FALLA (1876–1946) 11. Dance of Terror from ‘El amor brujo’ ...... RCA Victor LM-1167 (matrix E0-RB-3736), recorded on 21 July 1950 (1.55) 12. Ritual Fire Dance from ‘El amor brujo’ .... RCA Victor LM-1167 (matrix E0-RB-5601), recorded on 21 July 1950 (3.48) MANUEL INFANTE (1883–1958) 13. Sevillañas ............................................... RCA Victor LRM-7038, recorded on 13 August 1952 (7.25) JOSÉ ITURBI (1895–1980) 14. Canción de cuna ........................................ RCA Victor LRM-7057, recorded on 9 August 1952 (3.50) 15. Pequeña Danza Española under the pseudonym ‘J. Navarro’ .... Victor 4256 (matrix BS 81014 [part]) (1.47) Recorded on 29 December 1933 MORTON GOULD (1913–1996) 16. Blues No 3 from ‘Interplay’ ................... Victor 10-1127 (matrix D4-RB-415), recorded on 6 December 1944 (3.47) 17. Boogie Woogie Etude ..................... Victor 10-1127 (matrix D4-RB-416), recorded on 6 December 1944 (2.13) 6 Producer and Audio Restoration Engineer: Mark Obert-Thorn Executive Producer: Michael Spring Special thanks to Nathan Brown, Donald Manildi, Charles Niss and the International Piano Archives at the University of Maryland (IPAM) 7 JOSÉ ITURBI The complete Victor and HMV solo recordings HE AMERICAN JAZZ MAGAZINE height of his powers via recordings containing Metronome had a regular column by his complete solo repertoire for RCA Victor and TStanley Dance where he would ask the HMV is most welcome. same twenty questions to different musicians. Born in Valencia, Spain, on 28 November Dance interviewed the composer/pianist/band- 1896, José Iturbi was the third of four children. leader Thelonious Monk for the April 1961 His father Ricardo Iturbi worked part-time, issue. Asked to name his favourite classical tuning, repairing and restoring musician, Monk said ‘José pianos, while his mother, Teresa Iturbi’. Given Monk’s icono - Báguena, was an avid music clastic and uncompromising lover. The boy often accompanied demeanour, one might not have his father on jobs, and eventually expected such an answer. Yet learned how to tune pianos considering his forthright and himself. ‘I was not a concertising insightful comments elsewhere child prodigy,’ Iturbi told Dean in the interview, Monk’s admira - Elder in a 1964 interview, ‘but I tion of Iturbi suggests that he have been told that I played could see past the pianist’s little tunes when I was three.’ At erstwhile Hollywood and popu - five he began lessons with a list persona to focus on his local teacher, Maria Jordán, musicianship. and progressed rapidly. Soon Iturbi’s reputation has been the boy went to work, playing in eclipse since his death in 1980. up to fourteen hours a day There are several reasons for without breaks in Valencia’s first silent movie this. One is that he recorded relatively little in theatre, Cinema Turia. After the cinema, Iturbi the decades after his Hollywood heyday. The would visit late-night cafés and play into the other is that critics tend to look upon classical morning. pianists who achieve immense popular appeal Following his graduation from the Valencia and box office power as lightweights, including Conservatory of Music at thirteen, Iturbi went luminaries such as Ignace Jan Paderewski, Van to Barcelona for three months to study with Cliburn and, closer to our time, Lang Lang.