The Mozart C major Concerto K. 467 on Disc One of this two-disc set is released for the first time. It offers a glimpse of Hans Weisbach’s strong, stylish way with a work that this underrated conductor did not commercially record. Wilhelm Kempff is on inspired, even daring form in this live 1939 broadcast. Listeners familiar with the pianist’s later Mozart concerto recordings will notice more anachronistic rhetorical adjustments than the norm; yet it’s hard not to be seduced by Kempff’s ravishing tone and bejeweled passagework. Certainly this performance is far superior to the aged Kempff’s labored, valedictory version for DG. Conversely, his lean, Apollonian 1936 Beethoven Emperor Concerto (transferred from DG 78s) bears much resemblance to his better known 1950s and ’60s remakes. Peter Raabe, better known as a pioneering Liszt scholar than a conductor, provides an adequate accompaniment. Music and Arts’ transfer is a shade less bright than the one included in DG’s 1997 Beethoven Edition, although it stems from cleaner source material. Kempff’s artistry easily cuts through the dim sonics in both works.
By contrast, the 1945 solo broadcast material on Disc Two boasts remarkable sound for its time. Indeed, its presence and dynamic range rivals many of Kempff’s mono Decca and DG sessions from the ’50s. The lyrical Liszt selections are slightly subdued for my taste, lacking the firm outlines and textural transparency distinguishing Kempff’s later Liszt traversals. He telegraphs the climaxes in Au Bord D’Une Source, unsettling the music’s rippling effect in the process. Kempff’s sole foray into Fauré (pun intended), though, presents a Sixth Nocturne that unfolds with full-bodied understatement. He transforms Bach’s Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue into a veritable Chiller Theater soundtrack, replete with tremolos and added bass octaves. On the other hand, no better Kempff Chopin recording exists than this exquisite, sublimely sculpted Berceuse, followed close in hand by sensitively shaded, airborne readings of the Fantasie Impromptu and two Mazurkas. Kempff fans, in sum, will find plenty to savor in this welcome release, including Donald Manildi’s excellent booklet notes.
