The Russian-born Busoni pupil Leo Sirota (1885-1965) made few commercial recordings during his long career, yet many of his radio broadcasts and recitals survive in private archives. Arbiter’s second Sirota CD unearths more fascinating bounty from this material, beginning with the first half of the pianist’s 1963 Tokyo farewell recital (he lived and taught in that city between 1928 and 1946). Your ears will easily adjust to the musty sonics. Sirota’s fingers sparkle throughout the Scarlatti/Tausig transcriptions, and spin fresh life into the familiar patterns of Beethoven’s E-flat Sonata Op. 31 No. 3 and the dark, songful Schubert A minor (D.845). He plays in the grand manner, projecting the music in wide, flexible arcs with liberal doses of tempo fluctuation that sound as natural as breathing. A 1955 Liszt broadcast features Sposalizio and the demanding Don Juan Fantasy. The 69-year-old pianist’s fingers may falter here and there, yet he clearly commands Liszt’s declamatory style with immense authority and harmonic awareness. The sound is tinny and constricted, but not unlistenable by any means. Specialists among piano collectors will want to investigate this excellently annotated release.
