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NIKOLAJ ORLOFF (1892-1964)
Russian pianist
Nikolaj Orloff was a magnificent pianist of the turn-of-the-20th century school. His playing, in the words of the inestimable gullivior, was "anti-virtuoso, intense, deeply poetic and romantic..." To me he is a kind of Russian Cortot, a dramatic poet of the piano.
There is not much available to hear. A number of Nikolaj Orloff's Chopin recordings made in the early 1960s shortly before his death, some early piano rolls, and a complete performance of the Tchaikovsky first piano concerto. But it is enough to give us a good idea of the magnitude of the man's talent
For me, the real joy here is Orloff's Chopin, uniquely gorgeous and powerfully personal. The Brahms, Scarlatti and Scriabin examples, albeit pianos rolls, show a very different and interesting side to him. And then there is the Tchaikovsky concerto, a terrific performance with one of my favorite conductors.
Chopin Ballades
recorded in the early 1960s
1 in G minor, Op 23
4 in F minor, Op 52
Chopin Barcarolle in C♯ minor, Op 60
recorded in the early 1960s
Chopin Impromptu 1 in A♭ major, Op 29
recorded in the early 1960s
Chopin Mazurkas
recorded in the early 1960s
C♯ minor, Op 50 n3
A minor, Op 59 n1 (5:16)
C♯ minor, Op 63 n3
B♭ minor, Op 24 n4 (2:12)
A minor, Op 67 n4
B minor, Op 30 n2 (2:46)
C minor, Op 30 n1 (4:17)
F minor, Op 7 n3 (6:03)
Chopin Nocturnes
5 in F♯ major, Op 15 n2
8 in D♭ major, Op 27 n2 (3:43)
recorded in the early 1960s
Chopin Preludes Op 28
recorded in the early 1960s
n° 1 - 3 - 5 - 7 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 16
n° 17 - 19 - 21 - 23
Chopin Waltzes
F major, Op 34 n3
recorded in 1946
C♯ minor, Op 64 n2
A♭ major, Op 64 n3 (3:46)
recorded in the early 1960s
G♭ major, Op 70 n1
Ampico piano roll
Chopin Étude in F major, Op 10 n8
Ampico piano roll recorded c 1927
Brahms Rhapsody in B minor Op 79 n1
1920s Ampico piano roll
Scarlatti Sonata in B minor (arr Pauer) and Capriccio in E major (arr Tausig)
Scriabin Etude in D♭ major, Op 8 n10
1920s Ampico piano roll
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto 1 in B♭ minor, Op 23
i Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso - Allegro con spirito
ii Andantino simplice -- Prestissimo -- Tempo I
iii Allegro con fuoco
Anatole Fistoulari conducting The National Symphony Orchestra
recorded in the 1940s
For those of you who enjoy murder mysteries, here is my first with a strong musical polemic as background
Murder in the House of the Muse
which is also available as an audiobook.
And this is the more recently published second mystery in the series:
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