EDITH PICHT-AXENFELD ∙ German Radio Recordings
CD 1
HAYDN: Piano Sonata in C-sharp Minor, Hob XVI:36
Recorded · 24 April 1956 · Frankfurt · Funkhaus am Dornbusch · Hessischer Rundfunk · Radio Studio Recording
BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata No 3 in C Major, Op 2, No 3
BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata No 22 in F Major, Op 54
Recorded · 19 June 1952 · Frankfurt · Altes Funkhaus · Hessischer Rundfunk · Radio Studio Recording
BRAHMS: 8 Klavierstücke, Op 76
Recorded · 18 October 1954 · Frankfurt · Altes Funkhaus · Hessischer Rundfunk · Radio Studio Recording
CD 2
CHOPIN: 2 Nocturnes
CHOPIN: 4 Mazurkas, Op 68
CHOPIN: Polonaise in E-flat Minor, Op 26, No 2
SCHUMANN: Humoreske in B-flat Major, Op 20
Recorded · 03 August 1953 · Frankfurt · Altes Funkhaus · Hessischer Rundfunk · Radio Studio Recording
CHOPIN: 12 Études, Op 10
Recorded · 28 May 1953 · Stuttgart · Studio VI · Süddeutscher Rundfunk · Radio Studio Recording
Article number: MC 1043
UPC barcode: 791154054468
Release date: 16 July 2019
Booklet: 8 Pages
Total timing: 79:06 CD1 ∙ 78:44 CD2
From the Original Masters ∙ © 2019 Meloclassic
December 2019 ∙ British Gramophone ∙ Rob Cowan ∙ Edith Picht-Axenfeld ∙ German Radio Broadcast Recordings
Edith Picht-Axenfeld (2 CDs, MC1043), whom I always thought of as a rather sober exponent of harpsichord music, is boldly assertive on the piano in Haydn, Beethoven, Brahms’s Op 76, Schumann’s Humoreske and Chopin’s Op 10 Études.
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January 2020 ∙ MusicWeb International ∙ Edith Picht-Axenfeld ∙ German Radio Broadcast Recordings
Edith-Picht-Axenfeld became known for her harpsichord recordings. This gatefold twofer of her German broadcasts spans the years 1952-56. Her Haydn sonata is cleverly characterised, its opening movement gently stern, the Scherzando rhythmically taut and crisp and its Menuet finale not at all prettified. The two Beethoven sonatas come from a different recital and are the earliest examples of her playing here. They exemplify her desire to be direct and honest as a musician, to show textual fidelity and to serve the composer. Her playing is also animated by an added electricity that surpasses her LP legacy. The Adagio of Op2 No.3, in particular, shows real dignity of expression. Brahms’ Op.76 Klavierstücke (October 1954) are equally impressive with an especially stormy and passionate C sharp minor Capriccio. In fact, this is a most valuable release, bringing to attention, in well-engineered transfers from the master tapes, a musician who has been largely forgotten but who deserves to be remembered.
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February 2020 ∙ French Classica ∙ Jean-Charles Hoffelé ∙ Edith Picht-Axenfeld ∙ German Radio Broadcast Recordings
Vous ne la connaissiez que claveciniste ? Edith Picht-Axenfeld (1914-2001) fut d’abord pianiste. Elle excelle dans les Études de Chopin, les jouant moderne comme le faisait aussi Backhaus, sait écouter comme personne les voix intérieures de l’ Humoreske de Schumann, tend des lignes claires chez Haydn et Beethoven, atteint une poésie décantée, transformant les Klavierstücke op. 76 de Brahms en nocturnes.
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August 2020 ∙ MusicWeb International ∙ Edith Picht-Axenfeld ∙ German Radio Broadcast Recordings
I’ve only ever been acquainted with Edith Picht-Axenfeld (1914-2001) via her harpsichord recordings. The CD reveals the pianist as a refined and intuitive Chopin player. Schumann’s Humoreske is both ruminative and poetically inspired. The pianist makes the most of rhythmic contrasts and is never afraid to let the music speak for itself. Throughout, she employs a wide colouristic range, which is a positive asset in the composer’s piano music. These well-preserved broadcasts are rewarding in every way, and have been lovingly restored. The detailed biography is more comprehensive than anything you’ll find elsewhere. This is a must-have collection for pianophiles, enabling you to fully savour the refined pianism of a long-forgotten artist.
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