Building A Record Library In 1953--Keyboard Music: The 'A' List

New York Times music critic Howard Taubman's "A" List of essential keyboard music contains many of the expected culprits, but there are also some surprises reflecting the state of the discography in 1953. Have a look to see just what was, and was not, available to collectors at the dawn of the vinyl LP era.

[jdistler]

Yes, Bartok records was indeed a label, founded by the composer's son Peter. In addition to issuing several first recordings of Bartok's music, there was, indeed, that Ilona Kabos disc you mentioned, and the amazing New Music Quartet did some marvelous things for that label, including the most demonic Beethoven Op. 53 No. 3 ever recorded.

[jdistler]

Hi Dave - I'm here! The reference Chopin Ballades in 1953 were the Robert Casadesus recordings on Columbia. Rubinstein's stereo versions had to wait until 1959.

[davidaiken]

Many decades ago, my LP Chopin collection began with Novaes's set of the Preludes (very fine indeed). I was pleased when Vox issued many of Novaes's recordings on CD. They are worth reissuing in a box. However, now that Naxos owns the Vox catalog, I wonder whether that will ever happen. I also wanted to mention that Fernando Valenti recorded a huge swath of harpsichord repertoire for Westminster--most or all in mono. Westminster engaged him in the incredibly ambitious project of recording all 555 Scarlatti Sonatas. I'm not sure whether he ever completed that project, but at least two dozen LP's appeared in that series. In the CD era "Millennium Classics" (remember them?) issued a 3-CD box of Valenti playing Scarlatti, which remains a treasured part of my Baroque keyboard collection. Valenti was a bold and vigorous interpreter of both Bach and Scarlatti. Even though he played on a "modern" harpsichord, it would be great if Universal, which owns the Westminster catalog, would reissue some or all of that Scarlatti cycle.
Finally, I will observe that there was at least one distinguished recording of the Goldbergs available at the time Taubman's Guide was written--Namely, Landowska's. I wonder why it was not mentioned in their "A" list?

[bbailey]

By early 1955, there were four Goldbergs available. Landowska on Victor, a 1945 release so it's odd Taubman didn't mention it as it was an early lp release LM 1080; Ralph Kirkpatrick, also on harpsichord, on Haydn Society, and he had edited the piece for Schirmer in 1938; and on piano Rosalyn Tureck (Allegro) and Jorg Demus (Westminster.) The Tureck was from 1947 and Kirkpatrick's from 1952, so it's odd none of them are in Taubman unless the piece is in the B List, which would also be strange. Landowska's Victor was her second recording because EMI had done it with her in 1933. But that seems to have been one of those Society sets and essentially non-existent for the average consumer.
The compkete Chopin Ballades would very soon have become available on Columbia with Casadesus; De Groot on Epic; Earl Wild on Concert Hall; Jean Doyen on Westminster ("recorded in a queerly affected manner" according to Harold Schonberg) and Arrau, released on American Decca ("His mannered playing has little to recommend" Schonberg again.)
I'd have thought one or more of these was around in 1953.

[armandodelromero]

If I may, precisely on 1953 Arrau recorded the 4 Ballades for DECCA US, one of the best ever recordings of those works.

[jg]

Bartók Records has a fabulous Bluebeard, by the way, really beautiful, idiomatic (not as much as Székely with Palankay, but who would be?) and with the prologue included. If you don't know it, check it out! It's with Susskind on the podium, I think 1953.

[marilynharris]

Oooh! What a great concept! Gonna do a video on old issues of ETUDE? 😀

[ronaldswedlund]

The finest recording of Chopin's ballades is a arguably Cortot's 1929 recording. Was this available in 1953?

[johnwaring]

Were the Cortot recordings of the Chopin Ballades still available in 1953?

[LB-ysil]

this book reminds me of another you probably know, B H Haggin's truly strange Music for the Man who Enjoys Hamlet (1944). .. the one that comes with a calibrated strip of cardboard so he can reference specific passages on specific lps.

[shouryaavinash]

No Haydn sonatas! A shame. No other 20th century giants either like Ravel, Bartok, or Prokofiev, but if I recall correctly they were represented in the other categories, at least.

[gavingriffiths]

Vaguely amazed there is no Ravel, and so much