Medtner’s recordings were sponsored par the Maharadjah of Mysore, a great admirer of the Russian composer. Made from beautiful copies of these extremely rare discs (English HMV pressings), these new transfers convey the huge dynamic impact of the recorded sound for both the piano and the orchestra, totally absent in the previous, heavily filtered CD transfers. The miraculous pianism of Medtner is finally revealed : big tone, thick textures of sound, and a technical mastery equalling Rachmaninov himself. Here, the power of his playing completely contradicts the legend of a tired musician, diminished by sickness at the time of these recordings.

genre

Classical

songs

• 1. Piano Concerto no. 1 in C minor, opus 33
  description

  I. Allegro

  song number

  1

  duration

  11'10

  record number

  D.B.6900,6901

  matrix

  (2EA 12319-1, 2EA 12320-1, 2EA 12321-1)

  orchestra

  Philharmonia Orchestra

  works

  Piano Concerto no. 1 in C minor, opus 33

  movement

  I. Allegro

  dates

  1947

  technical notes

  source

  78 RPM

  label

  His Master's Voice

  pressing

  England

  location

  Paris

  artists

  • Nicolai Medtner

  conductors

  • George Weldon

  composers

  • Medtner, Nicolai
• 2. Piano Concerto no. 1 in C minor, opus 33
  description

  II. Thème et variations

  song number

  2

  duration

  13'39

  record number

  D.B.6901, 6902, 6903

  matrix

  (2EA 12322-4, 2EA 12323-1, 2EA 12324-2, 2EA 12325-1)

  orchestra

  Philharmonia Orchestra

  works

  Piano Concerto no. 1 in C minor, opus 33

  movement

  II. Thème et variations

  dates

  1947

  technical notes

  source

  78 RPM

  label

  His Master's Voice

  pressing

  England

  location

  Paris

  artists

  • Nicolai Medtner

  conductors

  • George Weldon

  composers

  • Medtner, Nicolai
• 3. Piano Concerto no. 1 in C minor, opus 33
  description

  III.Récapitulation

  song number

  3

  duration

  2'11

  record number

  D.B.6903

  matrix

  (2EA 12326-1)

  orchestra

  Philharmonia Orchestra

  works

  Piano Concerto no. 1 in C minor, opus 33

  movement

  III.Récapitulation

  dates

  1947

  technical notes

  source

  78 RPM

  label

  His Master's Voice

  pressing

  England

  location

  Paris

  artists

  • Nicolai Medtner

  conductors

  • George Weldon

  composers

  • Medtner, Nicolai
• 4. Piano Concerto no. 1 in C minor, opus 33
  description

  IV. Coda: Allegro molto

  song number

  4

  duration

  6'10

  record number

  D.B.6903,6904

  matrix

  (2EA 12326-1, 2EA 12327-2)

  orchestra

  Philharmonia Orchestra

  works

  Piano Concerto no. 1 in C minor, opus 33

  movement

  IV. Coda: Allegro molto

  dates

  1947

  technical notes

  source

  78 RPM

  label

  His Master's Voice

  pressing

  England

  location

  Paris

  artists

  • Nicolai Medtner

  conductors

  • George Weldon

  composers

  • Medtner, Nicolai
• 5. Vorony, opus 52 no. 2 (Pushkine)
  description

  song number

  5

  duration

  2'30

  record number

  D.B.6904

  matrix

  (2EA 12305-1)

  orchestra

  works

  Vorony, opus 52 no. 2 (Pushkine)

  movement

  dates

  09/06/1947

  technical notes

  source

  78 RPM

  label

  His Master's Voice

  pressing

  England

  location

  Paris

  artists

  • Nicolai Medtner
  • Oda Slobodskaya

  conductors

  composers

  • Medtner, Nicolai
• 6. Serenade, opus 28 no. 2 (Fet)
  description

  song number

  6

  duration

  1\'56

  record number

  D.B.6904

  matrix

  (2EA 12305-1)

  orchestra

  works

  Serenade, opus 28 no. 2 (Fet)

  movement

  dates

  09/06/1947

  technical notes

  source

  78 RPM

  label

  His Master's Voice

  pressing

  England

  location

  Paris

  artists

  • Nicolai Medtner
  • Oda Slobodskaya

  conductors

  composers

  • Medtner, Nicolai
• 7. Canzona matinata, opus 39 no. 4
  description

  song number

  7

  duration

  4'28

  record number

  D.B.6905

  matrix

  (2EA 11723-1)

  orchestra

  works

  Canzona matinata, opus 39 no. 4

  movement

  dates

  03/19/1947

  technical notes

  source

  78 RPM

  label

  His Master's Voice

  pressing

  England

  location

  Paris

  artists

  • Nicolai Medtner

  conductors

  composers

  • Medtner, Nicolai
• 8. Sonata tragica in C major, opus 39 no. 5
  description

  I. Allegro risoluto

  song number

  8

  duration

  5'13

  record number

  D.B.6905,6906

  matrix

  (2EA 11724-1, 2EA 11725-1)

  orchestra

  works

  Sonata tragica in C major, opus 39 no. 5

  movement

  I. Allegro risoluto

  dates

  03/19/1947

  technical notes

  source

  78 RPM

  label

  His Master's Voice

  pressing

  England

  location

  Paris

  artists

  • Nicolai Medtner

  conductors

  composers

  • Medtner, Nicolai
• 9. Sonata tragica in C major, opus 39 no. 5
  description

  II. (Poco quasi recitavo)

  song number

  9

  duration

  1'47

  record number

  D.B.6906

  matrix

  (2EA 11725-1)

  orchestra

  works

  Sonata tragica in C major, opus 39 no. 5

  movement

  II. (Poco quasi recitavo)

  dates

  03/19/1947

  technical notes

  source

  78 RPM

  label

  His Master's Voice

  pressing

  England

  location

  Paris

  artists

  • Nicolai Medtner

  conductors

  composers

  • Medtner, Nicolai
• 10. Sonata tragica in C major, opus 39 no. 5
  description

  III. Tempo I

  song number

  10

  duration

  3'04

  record number

  D.B.6906

  matrix

  (2EA 11726-2)

  orchestra

  works

  Sonata tragica in C major, opus 39 no. 5

  movement

  III. Tempo I

  dates

  03/19/1947

  technical notes

  source

  78 RPM

  label

  His Master's Voice

  pressing

  England

  location

  Paris

  artists

  • Nicolai Medtner

  conductors

  composers

  • Medtner, Nicolai

reviews

• 2012 - 11 - Diapason - in french.pdf
• 2014 - Winter- Classical Recordings Quarterly.pdf