Valerie Tryon's Mozart Concerto Recording Arrives on Maundy Thursday

I was awaiting this CD with great anticipation.  I have waited several months before finally taking the plunge and buying it from Amazon.ca marketplace.  There are several unique things about this CD-the first recording of Leopold Godowsky's candenza for KV 491 and some newly discovered music to add to the Rondo KV 386.  Hummel's candenzas are used for KV 503 and there is an extra track of Hummel's cadenza for KV 491 (which I believe Annie Fisher plays in her EMI KV 491 recording).  A very generous CD from APR as usual (76 minutes).  It is the third APR recording I've purchased (the others were Tryon's Schumann/Schubert/Mozart CD and her Chopin Chronology).  I've never been disappointed by either APR or Valerie Tryon.  She has a formidable technique which is always in service to the music.  I came upon an interview of her from Parry Sound last summer and she said "I haven't many years left" and indicated she wanted to play less.  Well, she was 75 years old when she made this concerto recording 18-19 April 2009.  I certainly hope she plays many more years.  Her technique is still secure.  Truly a great artist.  I actually listened to the final movement of KV 503 first as I was wondering how it would compare to Leon Fleisher's recording.  I think she is actually playing it Allegretto as marked.  Fleisher takes it very fast (and wow, is he ever exciting).  Géza Anda also takes this Allegretto pretty fast.  Year's ago when I first heard KV 503 from Alicia de Larrocha's LP recording from my Time Life Mozart series, I was quite awe struck at the grandeur of the first movement (Allegro maetoso - very apt indeed).  For KV 491, I first heard Wilhelm Kempff's recording on a cassette.  That was a magical recording from 1960 and Valerie Tryon's CD is of that calibre.  We are very fortunate that Valerie Tryon's art is preserved for everyone by the several recordings she has made for APR.  We are also lucky that people more remote places can now order this CD from Presto Classical or Amazon.ca (or direct from APR).  I will be buying more APR recordings of Valerie Tryon.  Her talent is truly under-appreciated!

Valerie Tryon and the Schumann Fantasie Op 17

This CD does not disappoint.  I was most interested in the Schumann Fantasie, Op 17 as that is one of my favorite solo piano works.  I heard the name Valerie Tryon and the Rembrandt Trio on CBC Stereo when I was in grad school (1990s). Never gave it much thought back then as I don't listen to chamber music too much.  The Schubert and Mozart sonatas are nice too.  I had a chance to listen to Valerie Tryon in Ancaster in the summer of 2009, but didn't act on it.  That recital was actually put together by the piano dealer I bought my Mason and Hamlin Model A from (don't buy a piano from The Music Group - I got terrible service from them and had to deal with Mason and Hamlin directly).  I have no problem with Mason and Hamlin - great company to deal with as they fixed the problem my dealer should have resolved.

The only thing I was disappointed with was that the audio quality didn't wow me.  Not that it was poor engineering, but I was hoping for something great from APR - a small English company. Valerie Tryon's technique has stayed solid even though she was over 70 when this CD was recorded.  She should be better known!

Thanksgiving 2010

We had a nice turkey for lunch with stuffing and gravy.  Elisha made a mess of some corn too.  In the evening, I put on the Valerie Tryon CD of Chopin Scherzi and Ballades.  I had the luck to find it in the bargain bin at L'Atelier Grigorian in Oakville the summer of 2009. I also bought another CBC CD of Kuerti playing solo Schumann works too.  A beautfiul weekend has come to an end.  The omega block that has given us such nice weather for two weeks is weakening.