A new collection of recordings from the late Chilean pianist Claudio Arrau offers a joyful reminder of his artistry. The three recitals, performed at the Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena, California, in 1977, 1981, and 1986, showcase his lucid and emphatic playing, which remains undated.
The album, released by First Hand Records, follows the original programmes exactly. The first recital features works by Beethoven, Liszt, and Brahms; the second includes Beethoven, Schumann, Debussy, Chopin, and Liszt; and the third is devoted to four Beethoven sonatas, including the Waldstein Sonata Op 53 and Les Adieux Op 81a.
Arrau's rich, almost plummy piano sound is recognisable from the first bars, as is his emphatic phrasing. While this style may seem out of place in Debussy or Schumann, it is wonderfully appropriate in Beethoven, Liszt, and Brahms, combined with an unfaltering sense of structure. Each performance is beautifully lucid, with its direction never in doubt.
Arrau, who died in 1991, was part of a golden age of piano recitals in London in the late 1970s and early 1980s, alongside such greats as Maurizio Pollini, Radu Lupu, and Martha Argerich. This collection serves as a reminder of why his appearances were eagerly anticipated.
