It is always fascinating to discover the first steps of a great performer, before he found the unique voice that made his fame. Unlike most important pianists born at the turn of the century (notably Horowitz), Claudio Arrau (1903-91) has been almost exclusively celebrated for his late recordings. His style, however, did change a lot throughout his career. A few years ago, two French EMI CDs in the collection Références revived his splendid Carnaval from 1939 and a complete set of Chopin Etudes recorded in the 1950s. Later on, further efforts by Pearl, Dante, and Sony confirmed that the young and middle-aged Arrau had a very different interpretive profile than the mature artist who abundantly recorded for EMI and then Philips. Now, these new transfers of Arrau’s complete pre-war recordings allow us to observe the metamorphosis from boiling virtuoso to wise man of the 88 keys.
The switch of repertoire is the most obvious change that occurred in the process. After the war, Arrau progressively abandoned showpieces, Spanish, and modern music altogether to concentrate on a handful of immortal classics–Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, Liszt, and Debussy. A student of Liszt’s disciple Martin Krause, the young Arrau shows evident affinities with the virtuoso universe of the Hungarian-born composer. Although not exempt from digital accidents, all the Liszt selections display the same elegant fluency and dramatic use of color. Balakirev’s Islamey comes more as a lesson in singing tune and textural clarity than as an exotic virtuoso extravaganza (just compare it with Simon Barere’s jaw-dropping live performance from Carnegie Hall on APR). However, even considering Arrau’s peculiar, relaxed approach, the piece still misses some energy and flamboyance. Stravinsky’s Danse Russe from Petrouchka bounces with choreographic petulance, while Busoni’s magic Sonatina on Bizet’s Carmen rarely has sounded so convincing and imaginative.
Over the years, the 1939 Schumann Carnaval has acquired a legendary status, and rightly so. Despite the 78’s recording-time limitations, it’s a grandiose reading driven by an extraordinary sense of continuity, and yet full of details framed within lovingly shaped phrasings. This is its best sonic incarnation released so far. Finally, the young Arrau’s Chopin registers the most radical changes compared to his later recordings. The expression is direct, dark, and urgent, supported by a wonderfully balanced rubato that never distorts the melodic line. A vast improvement over the almost simultaneous Pearl release, Marston’s sensitive transfers sound just as clear and intelligible as the historical material allows. Two English Vocalion 78s from 1921 are reissued here for the first time. Here’s a real “must-have” set for all Arrau fans and piano lovers. [7/13/2000]
