Of the previously published titles reissued here, the only ones not included in Philips’ Great Pianists anthology are the charming salon bon-bons “Elle Danse” and “Tabatière à Musique”. APR’s transfers for Ignaz Friedman’s unique, freewheeling Chopin, Hummel, Schubert-Liszt, Mendelssohn, and Beethoven are a shade fuller-bodied than on Philips, but certain surface imperfections left untouched by Philips are minimized here. Four items appear for the first time. New to the Friedman discography are Chopin’s A-flat Waltz Op. 69 No. 1, in which Friedman whimsically alters the left hand texture and harmonies. The idiom of the attractive Shield-Friedman “Old English Menuet” recalls Delius and Heseltine rather than Arne or Purcell. A caveat: these “new” tracks are reproduced a whole step sharp. Pitched properly, though, are earlier “alternate” takes for two Chopin Mazurkas: the B-flat minor Op. 24 No. 4 and B minor Op. 33 No. 4. Compared to their familiar counterparts, these “new” versions are a shade more relaxed, with closer microphone placement. Listeners with access to a CD player with pitch control will want this disc, but the Philips set remains your basic Ignaz Friedman starter kit.
