TOWER RECORDS UNIVERSAL VINTAGE COLLECTION +plus
Wilhelm Kempff - Schumann: Tower Classic - Japan 4 CD Limited Edition
Wilhelm Kempff - Schumann: Tower Classic - Japan 4 CD Limited Edition
CD
Classical Music
Concerto
September 16, 2015
Will usually ship within 1~5 business days of receiving cleared payment.
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Catalog No.: PROC-1876
JAN/ISBN: 4988031110133
Number of Discs: 4
Country/Region of Manufacture: Japan
Credits:
Wilhelm Kempff
Description:
Kemp’s poetic interpretation of Schumann, imbued with true German romanticism, is reissued on a new master! Includes one track making its world CD debut. At the age of 71, Kemp recorded Schumann’s “Butterflies” (a re-recording) and “David Alliance Dances.” After a brief hiatus, he devoted the next three years—beginning at age 75—to recording Schumann’s solo piano works, which were released as a set of six LPs. The aforementioned “David…” along with “Carnival,” “Scenes from Childhood,” “Humoresques,” “Nocturnes,” “Romances,” and “Forest Scenes” are Kemp’s only recordings of these works and are therefore particularly valuable. It is well known that Schumann was a voracious reader who particularly enjoyed the novels of Jean Paul, which are rich in wit and humor, though at times disjointed and marked by sudden shifts in atmosphere. He composed numerous works—especially piano pieces—that reflected these Jean Paul-esque elements. In contrast to Schumann’s works—which are characterized by rapid shifts in mood and are sometimes described as “schizophrenic”—Kemp advances the music with moderation and rich nuance, without creating excessive contrasts in mood. The three pieces on CD 1 are all collections of short pieces with varied moods, but the fluidity of Kemp’s performance lends the works a sense of unity and focus, drawing the listener into the beauty of scenes that shift like a kaleidoscope. Here, the overall calm tone Kemp weaves on the piano also plays a major role in unifying the mood of the works. The three pieces on CD 2 are also works that have been part of Kemp’s repertoire since his youth; like CD 1, they feature a wide variety of mood changes, but his skill as a “master storyteller”—born from his refusal to “over-explain”—is brilliantly on display. By the time he recorded the “Symphonic Etudes” and “Kreisleriana,” Kemp had reached the age of 76, yet one is astonished by the freshness of his music—it’s hard to believe he was that old. In “Scènes d’Enfance,” poetic imagery seems to overflow from between the lines of his uncluttered, dignified performance. The “Fantasy” on CD 3 and the Piano Sonata No. 2 on CD 4 are also beautiful performances that evoke a sense of eternal youth. The “Humoresque” on CD 3 and “Forest Scenes” on CD 4, among others, are from the final recordings of this cycle, made in 1973. Whether due to the nature of the pieces or a change in Kemp’s own state of mind, it is noteworthy that his performances have become even more introspective. (1/2)
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