Claudio Arrau, Beethoven's Emperor Concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 1957

Watch Claudio Arrau perform Beethoven's Emperor Concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 1957, conducted by Nikolai Malko.
Celebrating Chile's Independence Day on 18 September, we've partnered with the Embassy of Chile in Australia to release this video of Arrau in Australia, with the full Emperor Concerto.

[@GURUGOLDBERG]

"At his peak" does not mean there was steady decline afterwards. Following this 1957 performance Mr Arrau was still utterly marvellous for many years, even into his eighties. Though he did adopt slower tempi this did not detract from the quality and sovereign command of his performances.

[@marcosviniciosribeirocompo1137]

Arrau's hands look like two powerful Butterflies!!! Incredible ! ... It's really unique !!

[@alejandroarrau2112]

Arrau un genio del rubato

[@user-nd7ns6he8r]

Magistral interpretación de Claudio Arrau. Que las nuevas generaciones puedan disfrutarlo! Jack Assael-Misrachi.

[@centeravenue]

A majesterial concerto played majesterially. How splendid to be able to witness this performance by Arrau when at his peak.

[@vanessasgram8]

Arrau said that after spending his whole life studying Beethoven and his music (and conversation books) felt that MOST of Beethoven's music was played at too fast a tempo. He played slower because it was his very educated opinion that THAT was how the "Master" wanted it played! This man was taught in his youth by a man who learned to play with a teacher who was a student of Beethoven! This music never fails to make me feel life IS good! His music speaks when words fail.

[@Pablo-gl9dj]

Agree. Many recent sonata cycles suffer from to much speed. Breathless and hasty in fast movements

[@falstaff63]

In the mid eighties I saw Arrau in Barcelona, in the Palau de la Música playing this concerto. I will remember it ❤all my life.

[@neilkilleen3911]

Soo love arrau and especially when he was at his prime. Such a robust reading, and that unique high forearm technique is fabulous to watch. His trills !!

[@lionelthiebaud7081]

Divin Arrau

[@Gablesman888]

Beethoven wrote amazing symphonies, but his Emperor Concerto is in my opinion his runaway best work. So Beethoven on Beethoven. Turn it up loud!.

[@carlosaldana7536]

Esto es hermoso!. La calidad del sonido, y la calidad de la imagen corresponden a la gigantesca calidad del genio creador y del intérprete señor Arrau. Todo es una belleza aún en blanco y negro dos años antes de mi nacimiento!.

[@RoderickLing]

Lang Lang is 'perfect' in this work, but Arrau offers magic and deep emotion: an experience never to be forgotten.

[@berlinzerberus]

7:29 incredible - virtuoso!

[@desperateastro]

Arrau would stand out, even in today's overcrowded field of 'perfect' (read perfectly boring) musicians. Here , in his prime, we have that lovely limpid legato, allied with technical brilliance.... a magical touch on the ivories, both strong and gentle.

[@lionelthiebaud7081]

Immense pianiste que Arrau

[@ulfwernernielsen6708]

Thank you so much for this wonderful upload. Claudio Arrau at his very best just as in his Philips recording with Haitink. Unforgettable his dynamic, articulation and deep understanding of the the music of Beethoven. His sempre pianissimo in the first solo of the second movement and in the middle part of the finale are magic and miraculous.

[@francescoc.371]

Che genialate le parti che suona senza il pedale del forte .. !

[@melindamills6995]

Great to have these old tapes in such good shape, so long after the event and the demise of the performers.

[@marcosviniciosribeirocompo1137]

ARRAU !! The Great Master !!!

[@lionelthiebaud7081]

Immense pianiste Claudio Arrau

[@user-up1vn6up7i]

I am filled with wonder at vital force in his brilliant performance.

[@alejandroarrau2112]

Maravilloso, sublime

[@lionelthiebaud7081]

Immense pianiste que Arrau

[@ricardoalegria6570]

Thank you for sharing. Valuable audiovisual document from Claudio Arrau's early career and the Sidney symphony orchestra. Brilliant interpretation.

[@Oswald59]

Una joya emocionante!

[@lionelthiebaud7081]

Une merveille absolue vraiment

[@saltcots8985]

Marvellous. As others have said, Arrau is in his prime here. You can also see his body/shoulder technique in playing big chords to give a full yet not harsh sonority, something he has talked about in interview. And his trills! Klemperer once stopped a rehearsal and asked him what he was doing - surely a trill is just a trill? Not so.

[@jsa6160]

Masterful; the greatest Beethoven pianist on record, period. You can see how percussive his playing still was at this time; just an amazing performance.

[@arturonicolayevsky9675]

Arrau never in his life played any percussive sound on any of the pieces of his vast repertoire

[@jsa6160]

@@arturonicolayevsky9675 Listen to his recordings from the 1950's (Eroica Variations is representative) and compare with later remakes.

[@arturonicolayevsky9675]

I did he Never had any percussive Arrau always had a rich beautiful deep sound

[@meredith218461]

Greatest Beethoven pianist on record? undoubtedly ONE of the greatest. What about Kempff, Backhaus, Solomon, Serkin? not to mention the trail blazing Beethoven recordings of Schnabel!. Certainly Arrau gives a marvellous account of the Emperor, however there is no ''greatest interpreter'' of any composer. Every great pianist will bring his or hers special interpretation to whatever composition, consequently each listener will have their preferences.

[@RaineriHakkarainen]

Kempff Gilels more colorful beautiful piano sound!!

[@vhar5658]

Gracias por subir este video del gran Claudio Arrau. Sublime.

[@lionelthiebaud7081]

Sublime Arrau que j'adore

[@lionelthiebaud7081]

Sublime version du 5ème par Arrau

[@luigidascoli9727]

Monumentale

[@claudiograziano5052]

@luigidascoli9727 È l'aggettivo giusto ❗👍👍👍👍👍

[@user-ej7dq8ge8c]

연주를 들으며 깊은 참회의 눈물을 흘립니다 이런 아름다운 곡을 작곡하신 베토벤 님과 아라우님 지휘자님 정말 감사해요

[@juanpabloriveros1574]

21:06 WOW is Arrau!

[@user-ej7dq8ge8c]

오래된 연주를 듣게 되어 행복하고 감사합니다 다시 태어나서도 좋은 음악 가가 되실겁니다

[@joaquingonzalez2705]

Wowww, años buscando otro video de arrau tocando emperor concierto y acá está al fin.. espectacular

[@lionelthiebaud7081]

Oui je pense pareillement, encore une sublime version par le génial Arrau

[@yaelpalombo4093]

Unico.💖

[@lionelthiebaud7081]

Merveilleux Arrau

[@lucindaramirez3264]

Que maravilla me deja sin palabras. solo tengo ganas de llorar. Maestro Arrau grandioso Gracias Angel Martinez.

[@lionelthiebaud7081]

Sublime Arrau

[@fernandopalacios9458]

Espetacular, singular.

[@Hita_33]

Hermoso! El maestro Arrau el mejor ❤️

[@lionelthiebaud7081]

Immense pianiste que Arrau

[@marcellelecocq7328]

magnifique !

[@lionelthiebaud7081]

Sublime version, sublime Arrau

[@3nombresNefecto]

Salve en la otra vida; maestro Arrau,,

[@lionelthiebaud7081]

J'adore Arrau

[@josequilahuilque5246]

Infinitas gracias por subir el video!! he visto todas las interpretaciones de Arrau de esta joya, y hoy me encuentro con este tesoro. Saludos.

[@lionelthiebaud7081]

Sublime version du 5ème concerto de Beethoven par le merveilleux Arrau

[@quercus243]

Thanks for sharing this!

[@naruhiti-shinigami]

ピアノの為に産まれた人ですね、素晴らしい！

[@lionelthiebaud7081]

Bien parlé

[@janhenrikamberg5097]

Many thanks for this marvellous performance, Angel Martinez! Would it be possible to upload also the other work which Arrau performed at the very same concert in Sydney (the exact date was 20 June 1957)? The pianist played not only Beethoven's Emperor Concerto, but gave also a gorgeous interpretation of Chopin's F minor Concerto at the same evening.

[@davidimprontus]

Thank you very much for the comment. Very well, these concerts belong to the second Australian tour of Claudio Arrau for the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) for 11 weeks in June-August, which includes more than 30 concerts and recitals with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Nicolai Malko at Sydney Town Hall, Thursday June 20. Yes, I hope soon to be able to get the recording of Chopin's Piano Concerto and Schubert's Rosamunde Overture and Barber's 2nd Essay for Orchestra (which belongs to the same date), and upload it immediately to the platform.

[@janhenrikamberg5097]

Marvellous, Angel Martinez, that would be just great!

[@hector8634]

La reencarnación de Beethoven...

[@lionelthiebaud7081]

Très juste, un de ses compositeurs de prédilections avec Liszt, Brahms, Chopin, et bien sûr Beethoven qu'il adorait tout comme j'adore ce monument du piano 🎹

[@nilsholgersson6893]

0:45 4:54 9:55 13:08

[@ClassicalCybernaut]

21:31 2nd

[@octavioramirezguzman4257]

Maestro! La partitura!

[@ClassicalCybernaut]

?

[@freddysaezvelasquez4320]

No tocaba con partitura , así de genio

[@alejandroarrau2112]

Sin partitura ,

[@eduardocontreras6533]

Bonito sí

[@orfeo117]

En su juventud,hizo "demasiado alarde"de virtuosismo malabarístico en sus presentaciones en público...innecesariamente por cuánto poseía sobrado dominio del teclado...y hasta puede apreciarse repetidos "toques de fortaleza Lisztiana"en cada obra que interpretaba....tal vez para "conjurar íntimos sentimientos de su personalidad"...

[@user-nj4mw1fn3v]

Pero tocó hasta el final maravilloso, igual a,Arthur Rubinstein

[@berlinzerberus]

The orchestra is very bad in interpretation!

[@slawomirmalik4783]

Arab to nie malim lepie wybrac to znisczyl wszystko i tu jest .

[@emmerentiagroenewald3694]

Who is the Arab here??? Arrau is from Chile!!❤❤❤

[@emmerentiagroenewald3694]

....and Nikolai Malko is Russian!!