Vladimir Horowitz Vinyl Recordings Out Now
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of pianist Vladimir Horowitz’s death five of his legendary recordings have been released on vinyl.
Vladimir Horowitz (1 October 1903 – 5 November 1989) is widely regarded as one of the greatest pianists of all time. Any attempt to define the qualities of Vladimir Horowitz usually begin and end in a sea of superlatives. His “ne plus ultra” virtuosity earned Horowitz his reputation as the “Liszt of our age”. Horowitz noted, “Piano playing consists of common sense, heart, and technical resources. All three should be equally developed.” To Rachmaninov Vladimir Horowitz was, quite simply, the “only player in the world of my Third Concerto”. Prokofiev listened in amazement to Horowitz’s recording of his Seventh Sonata, and Samuel Barber reeled under the impact of Horowitz’s ‘first’ performance of his Sonata.
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Vladimir Horowitz’s death, on 5 November, four of his legendary recordings, The Studio Recordings – New York 1985, Horowitz – The Last Romantic, Horowitz At Home and Horowitz The Poet, have been reissued on vinyl and Horowitz In Hamburg – The Last Concert has been released on vinyl for the first time.
Horowitz’s The Studio Recordings – New York 1985 won three Grammy Awards (Best Classical Instrumental Solo; Best Engineered Album, Classical; Classical Album Of The Year) and features Schumann’s ‘Kreisleriana’, Scarlatti’s ‘Sonata In B Minor’ and ‘Sonata In E Major’, Liszt’s ’Impromptu Nocturne’, and ‘Valse Oubliée No.1’, Scriabin’s ‘No. 12 Etude’, Schubert’s ‘Impromptu In B Flat’ and ‘Marche Militaire No. 1’.
Horowitz – The Last Romantic features Bach’s ‘Nun Komm, Der Heiden Heiland’, Mozart’s ‘Piano Sonata No.10′, Chopin’s ‘Mazurka No.13’, ‘Scherzo No.1’ and ‘Polonaise No.6’, Schubert’s ‘Impromptu No. 4’, Liszt’s ‘Consolation No. 3’, Schumann’s ‘Novelette No.1’, Rachmaninov’s ‘Prélude In G Sharp Minor’, Scriabin’s ‘Etude In C Sharp Minor’ and Moszkowski’s ‘Etude In F Major.’
Horowitz At Home features Mozart’s ‘Piano Sonata No.3’, ‘Adagio In B Minor’, and ‘Rondo In D Major’, Schubert ‘Moment Musical No. 3’, Liszt’s ‘Schwanengesang No. 4’ and ‘Valse Caprices After Schubert Nos. 6 and 7’.
Horowitz The Poet features Schubert’s ‘Piano Sonata No. 21’ and Schumann’s ‘Kinderszenen’.
Horowitz In Hamburg – The Last Concert, his final recital in Hamburg (1989), has been released for the first time on vinyl. The Last Concert features Mozart’s ‘Rondo In D Major’ and ‘Piano Sonata No.13’, Liszt’s ‘Valse Caprice After Schubert No. 6’, Schumann’s ‘Kinderszenen’, Chopin’s ‘Mazurka No. 25’ and ‘Polonaise No. 6’, Schubert’s ‘Moment Musical No. 3’, and Moszkowski‘s’ ‘Étincelles, Morceau Caractéristique No.6’. “In a programme of Mozart, Liszt, Schumann, Chopin, Schubert and Moszkowski, Vladimir Horowitz demonstrates his guiding principle that the piano should be made to sing. There is a beautifully shaped, lyrical quality to his playing, allied to intuitive musical characterisation and a magical sense of intimacy,” observed The Daily Telegraph.
These five vinyl recordings have been remastered from original sources and pressed on 180gm vinyl.
Vladimir Horowitz’s three-time Grammy Award-winning The Studio Recordings – New York 1985 can be bought here.
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