Beethoven’s “Emperor” concerto fared well in the 78-rpm era, with distinguished editions from Backhaus, Gieseking, Fischer, Long, and two from Schnabel. Wilhelm Kempff’s shellac version certainly holds its own in such company. Though similar in many respects to Kempff’s mono and stereo LP remakes, it proves more interesting from a pianistic angle. Most of Kempff’s later Beethoven readings are lighter in texture and more refined in detail than his earlier traversals. The opposite holds true, though, for the “Emperor”. Here Kempff makes interpretive points with less rhetorical emphasis (the Finale’s opening statement, for instance), and with more grace and sheen to the work’s virtuosic scales and runs. Yet Kempff also turns on the power muscle when he chooses, such as in the first-movement development’s ascending and descending octaves, and the Finale’s coda. The slow movement also benefits from Kempff’s more shapely singing line. While the Berlin Philharmonic plays well, you don’t sense the strong collaborative podium presence from Peter Raabe that Böhm provides for Fischer.
In the Fourth Concerto, Kempff’s limpid mastery and sensitive phrasing digs deeper than Gieseking’s similarly rippling, cameo-like yet cooler interpretation. There are occasional dynamic surges at transitional points that suggest Schnabel’s somewhat grander 1932 recording, as well as Kempff’s more intense and personalized 1953 version (also featuring Paul van Kempen’s alert, sympathetic podium support). As always, Kempff provides his own tasteful, stylish cadenzas. Hänssler’s transfers stem from clean source material and emphasize the bass register while keeping shellac surface crackle to a bare minimum. I tend to prefer brighter transfers that preserve more of the piano’s upper partials (as in DG’s and Music & Arts’ earlier Emperors), but you can’t complain about Hänssler’s modest asking price.
