Dinu Lipatti: The September 24, 1947 Abbey Road Recordings

The three recordings that Dinu Lipatti produced for at EMI's Abbey Road Studio No.3 on September 24, 1947:
0:00 Bach-Hess Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
3:33 Chopin Waltz No.2 in A-Flat Major Op.34 No.1
8:08 Liszt Sonetto del Petrarca No.104
All of these works are pieces that the pianist had attempted to record before. At this session (which took place from 6 to 9pm), Lipatti made three attempts at each of the four 78rpm disc sides, with the exception of the first of two sides of the Liszt work, of which only two takes were made.
The three takes that Lipatti made of the Bach transcription on this day were takes 5 through 7 of those he'd made that year (having started at his first Abbey Road session on February 20) and it was the final one that was approved and published. It should be noted that he rerecorded the work in 1950 and that is the version that circulated most regularly for decades - the 1947 account was never released on LP (despite some records having put this date) and it was reissued for the first time on APR's 1999 CD of Dinu Lipatti's 1947 Columbia Recordings.
The Chopin Waltz and Liszt Sonetto had first been recorded by Lipatti at his first Columbia session in Zurich in July 1946, along with Liszt's La Leggierezza. The masters for those discs warped in transit to London, as when transfers were attempted in October 1946 (often mistakenly listed as the recording date) it was found that the damage was too severe to issue them. Lipatti's September 24, 1947 Abbey Road session saw the first two works being successfully recorded again. Regrettably Lipatti made no further attempts at La Leggierezza, but he played this piece on a BBC broadcast the next day and a copy of that - captured on a home disc cutter and then transferred to tape - was located (by yours truly) and was issued in 1995. At the same BBC broadcast, Lipatti had also played the same Chopin Waltz and a Chopin Etude - probably Op.10 No.2, which he had been practicing that during breaks of his Grieg Concerto recording sessions a week earlier (there is no indication that he attempted to record this work commercially).
This Chopin Waltz was the one that Lipatti would most commonly program when playing a variety of Chopin works in his recital programs, and he actually made an earlier recording of it for Romanian Radio in 1941 (it has not been issued). It is also the Waltz that he began but was unable to play at his last recital (a recording of that portion of the concert has not been located), the final one in the group of 14 that he had programmed. This 1947 account features far more vivacious bravura than his later more famous recording from the complete cycle recorded in Geneva in July 1950 - a sign of how powerful a pianist Lipatti was before Hodgkin's Disease tightened its grip. This version was available on LP only twice to my knowledge: on a 1971 UK LP and on a 1981 4-LP box set issued both in the US and the UK.
Lipatti had a great affinity for the works of Liszt but the only existing studio recording of him playing this composer is this Sonetto del Petrarca No.104; fortunately this has now been supplemented by a 1941 radio recording of Gnomenreigen, the 1947 BBC broadcast of La Leggierezza referred to above, and a June 6, 1947 concert recording of the Liszt 1st Concerto. His declamatory emphasis and lyrical phrasing, with idiomatic contrasts between his stunningly refined pianissimo and boldly accented dramatic exclamations, make this a most arresting interpretation.
These three performances were first issued together in APR's 1999 CD Dinu Lipatti: The 1947 Columbia Recordings and are now available in a more recent expanded 2-CD set on the same label entitled Dinu Lipatti: The Complete Columbia Recordings 1947-48. I wrote the notes for both of these releases, the second featuring a lot of detail about Lipatti's recorded output (including the further debunking of pervasive myths about his recording career) and the performances themselves.
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[@angeladraghicescu9832]

I cannot listen to this without balling my eyes out... what you are doing for world culture, for Lipatti, for beauty, is the most beautiful gift I could ever imagine

[@ettoregelli6834]

Nel 1947 aveva 30 anni...suonava così a 30 anni...a 33 anni ha seguito il suo onnipotente Maestro. Nessuno come Lui ne prima né dopo... davvero nessuno...

[@lorenzley1324]

The perfection is achieved by genius only. Bach with Lipatti is unbelievably unique.

[@Dtiaah]

Always the pianist I love the most. Thank you for sharing these recordings. A great gift. I can never (as I’m sure like many others) hear enough of his playing. Thank you!

[@kanekokazuko7034]

何度聴いても、涙が止まらなくなります。あまりにも早く天国に旅立たれてしまいましたね😭😭😢😢😢

[@jean-davidcoen3686]

we owe you so so much Mark for your work on this , and bringing the amazing artistry of so many pianists to our attention!

[@ljummen]

Absolutely marvellous and interesting enough I just played this 78 over my equipment to some friends and they were just bowled over of the beautiful sound and the radiant playing!! Pure bliss!

[@user-sk4kd7ob2b]

Благодарю! Мне,так,жаль,что он так рано ушёл из земной жизни. Но его душа,запечатлённая в звуках музыки, продолжает его жизнь.

[@wielandhartwich3184]

If you have lost your faith listen to this.

[@helenahughes2257]

Such exquisite fluidity

[@fabiopalma4429]

What a Chopin! Elegance and bravura at the same time. And of course this Bach-Hess, fenomenal... the recording that started this craving of mine for Lipatti's interpretations. Your contribute to piano culture deserves so much distinction! Thank you

[@pianomaly9859]

A treasure chest for 75 years.

[@stanislavarustanovich5701]

удивительный пианист. столько нежности в звуке..и неба безмерно жаль, что так рано ушел..

[@monikaschroder2328]

Habe ich auf LP. Schöne Erinnerung hier. 💕

[@ThePianoFiles]

If you read the notes in detail, you'll find that this 1947 Bach was never on LP so you surely have the 1950 version; and the Chopin Waltz was only on LP twice ... the Liszt, however, was much more available. All great performances!

[@jandehaaij3847]

Thanks for a beautiful upload!

[@user-lf8lf3ft3x]

Bravissimo

[@user-lf8lf3ft3x]

fielen dank Dinu

[@user-lf8lf3ft3x]

fabelhaft

[@alexandrugheorghe5610]

Liszt? Interesting! Thanks for sharing!

[@ThePianoFiles]

This has been widely available in Europe over the years but was on LP in North America only once in the mid-50s and then again in a box set in the 1980s... and then regularly on CD - but a whole lot of people missed it because of its relative scarcity in the vinyl years.

[@monikaschroder2328]

J. S. Bach. Choral Jesus bleibet meine Freude aus der Kantate Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben.

[@joselatorre1696]

Thank you very much for your interesanting explanations.

[@Sofronichrist]

Extraordinary session! Thank you for this wonderful rendition!

[@Julia-ei2wf]

Talentul face diferența!❤️

[@mikeq7134]

I like the fuller bass in this recording of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring."

[@susanamelody7319]

Thanks!!!

[@user-lf8lf3ft3x]

sensacional

[@throxing8865]

fire

[@saltburner2]

The inner voices in the Bach seem to come out more clearly here than in the 1950 version. The Chopin is more hectic here than in 1950.

[@ettoregelli6834]

L'ETERNO ci volle aiutare e fu il nascituro di Eisenach, e fu l'angelo di Bucarest

[@angeladraghicescu9832]

How different this Jesu is from the 1950!!!

[@cdnmrspolitics]

Abbey Road existed in 1947?

[@ThePianoFiles]

Since 1931!

[@zvelekva]

@@ThePianoFiles Hi. A bit of a random question, but a significant point of interest for me, so if you could help I would be eternally grateful. Namely, do you have any anecdotes/accounts of Lipatti's use of the una corda? I'm pretty certain I saw some photos (from the last concert, I think) where his left foot is over the top of it, i.e. he was clearly using it or about to use it in that very moment. I'm fascinated to know what his philosophy was and what he would have instructed his students regarding the use of the una corda. For example, what was his opinion on correct use, was he keen to apply it or used it sparingly, what did he consider to be it's true function on the modern piano etc. etc.? Also, I'm pretty sure during his lessons he would've spoken regarding the sustaining pedal, but that's a lot easier to discern from the recordings (at least to my ears), thus I think I have a fairly clear idea of his sensibilities there. However, it would of course still be great to know his exact opinion on the use of that, too. Thank you so much for all and any information on this.