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!

Mozart was born 255 years ago today

Yesterday night, I felt the urge to listen to the Prague Symphony, KV 504.  I chose Karl Böhm's recording with the Vienna Philharmonic. I also have Böhm's complete set of Mozart symphonies with the Berlin Philharmonic - a friend who worked at HMV in Edmonton got it for me in the early 1990s at employee pricing. The first movement of that symphony has always been a favorite of mine.  I really like Benjamin Britten's recording of it, but I only have that on a London LP.  Next, I listened to Rafael Kubelik's recording of the Jupiter Symphony, KV 551.  I only listened to the triumphant last movement - the epitome of the classical symphony.  Today is Mozart's birthday.  He is still one of my 3 favorite composers along with Brahms and Schumann.

 Now this recording was released shortly after Sir Clifford Curzon's death in 1982.  The performance was also conducted by Benjamin Britten.  It is yet another gem that I treasure.  I should listen to it today.