Alfred Cortot - private recordings (Chopin/Liszt, Chopin, Schumann, Franck)

- Chopin/Liszt: 'Die Heimkehr' (Narzeczony), from "Six Polish Songs", S. 480;
- Chopin: Polonaise-Fantaisie, Op. 61 [2:11];
- Schumann: Piano Sonata n. 2, Op. 22
I. So rasch wie möglich [15:20];
II. Andantino. Getragen [22:55];
III. Scherzo. Sehr rasch und markirt - attacca [27:17];
IV. Rondò. Presto possibile, Prestissimo, quasi cadenza [29:03].
- Franck: Prélude, Fugue et Variation, Op. 18 [35:39].
Alfred Cortot, piano.

[@ThePianoFiles]

The Chopin-Liszt song and Schumann Sonata are piano roll recordings - that's immediately evident from both the sound and the lack of precise nuancing and tonal effects we would hear in Cortot's playing. The Polonaise-Fantaisie was unissued in his lifetime but a few different versions that he made on 78 have since been released, so this is surely one of those. The Franck I am unclear of - he certainly did not play it often, and so while this is not a piano roll recording as far as I can tell, without any documentation as to the source, I am quite skeptical ... as someone else noted in the comments, some such Cortot recordings were released on the Concert Artist label that was implicated in the Joyce Hatto scandal of recording forgeries so I think one needs to be careful with these (who knows, they might be authentic Joyce Hatto...).

[@YuusukeIso]

I appreciate your keen and clear comment.

[@jorislejeune]

@@YuusukeIso whoever the pianist is, he is playing the piano and not limiting himself to imitating the organs (percieved) rigidity. Also the arrangement has lovely coloristic touches, that are not present in the more familiar versions. So, even if it's not Cortot, it has an original voice.

[@josephli7164]

Actually the music comes from the Concert Artist cassette tapes released decades ago in UK. The authenticity of Cortot's performance is questionable. William Barungton-Coupe produced the tracks using recordings of other pianists. So let's have fun.

[@yusakumoto]

Either way, this Schumann is a masterpiece! I really think so.

[@goodmanmusica2]

Dove e quando ?

[@Cayres18]

Year of recording?

[@jukeh]

I much prefer this version of the Polonaise-Fantaisie to the published one, which I find disappointing

[@jorislejeune]

could you tell me the year the Franck was recorded please? Do you have any more info?