Wilhelm Kempff ∙ Live Concert Edition ∙ 9CD Box

44.99 €

Wilhelm Kempff left a significant commercial record legacy with distinguished labels such as Deutsche Grammophon and Decca. Nevertheless, he held a dislike for the studio recording process. In a recording session in Hannover, when asked to perform a retake to address some imperfections in a Beethoven sonata, Kempff responded decisively. Closing the piano lid, he stood up and firmly stated, “I absolutely refuse. We’ll leave it at that.” His true inspiration emerged in live concerts performances, particularly those with an engaged audience. In these captivating instances, Kempff seemingly transcended into an alternate dimension of pianism. Our newly released box features Kempff across nine CDs, presenting him in the splendor of live public performances. Here, he effortlessly connects with his audience, creating a profound and engaging musical experience. This edition features the complete set of five Beethoven piano concertos recorded in stereo over two days during his public performances in East Berlin. Besides the Beethoven concertos, the edition encompasses several Mozart concertos, distinguished by Kempff’s own cadenzas, each rendition infused with a renewed perspective and Kempff’s distinctive artistry. Additionally, it highlights Kempff’s performances in chamber music, such as those at the Prades Festival alongside his friend Pablo Casals, featuring works like the Brahms Piano Trio in B Major, which was not part of his commercial recording legacy or with the Amadeus String Quartet at the Menton Festival.

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WILHELM KEMPFF Live Concert edition

CD 1

BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No 1 in C Major, Op 15
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No 2 in B-flat Major, Op 19
Wilhelm Kempff ∙ piano
Staatskapelle Berlin
Heinz Rögner ∙ conductor
Recorded · 26 March 1965 · East Berlin · Staatsoper Unter den Linden · Rundfunk der DDR (Stereo)

CD 2

BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No 3 in C minor, Op 37
BEETHOVEN: Bagatelle No 1 E-flat Major, Op 33 (Encore)
Wilhelm Kempff ∙ piano
Staatskapelle Berlin
Heinz Rögner ∙ conductor
Recorded · 26 March 1965 · East Berlin · Staatsoper Unter den Linden · Rundfunk der DDR (Stereo)

BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No 4 in G Major, Op 58
Wilhelm Kempff ∙ piano
Staatskapelle Berlin
Heinz Rögner ∙ conductor
Recorded · 28 March 1965 · East Berlin · Staatsoper Unter den Linden · Rundfunk der DDR (Stereo)

CD 3

BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No 5 in E-flat Major, Op 73
SCHUBERT: Impromptu No 4 in A-flat Major, D.899, Op 90 (Encore)
Wilhelm Kempff ∙ piano
Staatskapelle Berlin
Heinz Rögner ∙ conductor
Recorded · 28 March 1965 · East Berlin · Staatsoper Unter den Linden · Rundfunk der DDR (Stereo)

SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op 54
Wilhelm Kempff ∙ piano
Radio-Orchester Beromünster
Erich Schmid ∙ conductor
Recorded · 24 January 1962 · Biel · Städtebundtheater · Schweizer Radio DRS (Mono)

CD 4

MOZART: Piano Concerto No 27 in B-flat Major, KV 595
BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No 1 in D minor, Op 15
Wilhelm Kempff ∙ piano
Staatskapelle Berlin
Heinz Rögner ∙ conductor
Recorded · 25 September 1966 · East Berlin · Staatsoper Unter den Linden · Rundfunk der DDR (Stereo)

CD 5

BRAHMS: Intermezzo in E-flat Major, Op.117/1 (Encore)
Wilhelm Kempff ∙ piano
Recorded · 25 September 1966 · East Berlin · Staatsoper Unter den Linden · Rundfunk der DDR (Stereo)

MOZART: Piano Concerto No 20 in D minor, KV 466
Wilhelm Kempff ∙ piano
SO des Süddeutschen Rundfunks
Hans Müller-Kray ∙ conductor
Recorded · 21 July 1955 · Konstanz · Konzil-Saal · Süddeutscher Rundfunk (Mono)

MOZART: Piano Concerto No 24 in C minor, KV 491
Wilhelm Kempff ∙ piano
Klassische Philharmonie Stuttgart
Karl Münchinger ∙ conductor
Recorded · 21 November 1969 · Stuttgart · Liederhalle · Süddeutscher Rundfunk (Stereo)

CD 6

BACH: French Suite No 5 in G Major, BWV 816
MOZART: Piano Sonata No 8 in A minor, KV 310/300
SCHUMANN: Études Symphoniques, Op 13
SCHUBERT: Four Impromptus, D 899, Op 90
Wilhelm Kempff ∙ piano
Recorded · 07 October 1963 · Potsdam · Nicolai-Saal · Rundfunk der DDR (Mono)

CD 7

BRAHMS: Rhapsody in G minor, Op 79, No 2
BRAHMS: Capriccio in B minor, Op 76, No 2
Wilhelm Kempff ∙ piano
Recorded · 07 October 1963 · Potsdam · Nicolai-Saal · Rundfunk der DDR (Mono)

MOZART: Piano Concerto No 15 in B-flat Major, KV 450
Wilhelm Kempff ∙ piano
Concertgebouw Orkest
Eugen Jochum ∙ conductor
Recorded · 17 March 1963 · Amsterdam · Concertgebouw · Algemene Vereniging Radio (Mono)

MOZART: Piano Quartet No 1 in G minor, KV 478
Wilhelm Kempff ∙ piano
Amadeus Quartet
Recorded · 10 August 1962 · Menton · Place de l’Église Saint-Michel · Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (Mono)

CD 8

BEETHOVEN: Cello Sonata No 5 in D Major, Op 102, No 2
Wilhelm Kempff ∙ piano
Pablo Casals ∙ cello

BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata No 32 in C minor, Op 111
BEETHOVEN: Six Bagatelles, Op 126
Wilhelm Kempff ∙ piano
Recorded · 16 July 1958 · Prades · Église Saint Pierre · Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (Mono)

CD 9

BACH/KEMPFF: Choral Prelude ‘Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland’, BWV 659
Wilhelm Kempff ∙ piano

BEETHOVEN: Violin Sonata No 10 in G Major, Op 96
Wilhelm Kempff ∙ piano
Sándor Végh ∙ violin

BRAHMS: Piano Trio No 1 in B Major, Op 8
Wilhelm Kempff ∙ piano
Sándor Végh ∙ violin
Pablo Casals ∙ cello
Recorded · 17 July 1958 ∙ Prades · Église Saint Pierre · Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (Mono)

Article number: MC 1076
UPC barcode: 791154051085
Release date: 1 February 2024
Booklet: 32 Pages
From the Original Masters ∙ © 2024 Meloclassic

All recordings featured in this edition comprise live performances. They are presented in MONO, with the exception of CD1, CD2, CD3 (Beethoven Piano Concerto No 5 and Schubert Impromptu), CD4, and CD5 (Brahms Intermezzo and Mozart Piano Concerto No 24 in C minor), which were recorded in STEREO.

MC 1076 Wilhelm Kempff 9CD Box
MC 1076 Wilhelm Kempff 9CD Box

May 2024 ∙ MusicWeb International ∙ Stephen Greenbank ∙ Wilhelm Kempff ∙ Live Concert Edition
Those who cherish the artistry of Wilhelm Kempff will be immensely grateful to Meloclassic for unearthing these valuable audio documents. They are indeed worthy of preservation, and provide a desirable supplement to the pianist’s commercial legacy. All the recordings have scrubbed up well in the restoration and remastering process and emerge vibrant and bathed in wonderful clarity and definition. Some audience presence is registered and applause is retained. The producer of this fine set, Lynn Ludwig, has written a detailed biographical account of Kempff’s life, and the booklet also contains some very interesting black and white photographs.
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June 2024 ∙ British Gramophone ∙ Rob Cowan ∙ Wilhelm Kempff ∙ Live Concert Edition
Virtually everywhere you turn in Melo Classic’s often revelatory live collection, whether in the Beethoven concertos (all five are included) or Mozart (try the dramatic account of the G minor Piano Quartet with the Amadeus Quartet or the gentle ‘rocking horse’ finale to K595), subtleties abound. Other concertos featured include the Brahms D minor, where Kempff’s DG mono recording under Franz Konwitschny is noticeably swifter (in the first two movements) than the version under Rögner included by Melo Classic. Also by Brahms, the First Piano Trio, a memorably insightful Prades Festival recording with Sándor Végh and Pablo Casals, various Brahms solo piano pieces including a grandly rolling G minor Rhapsody, Op 79 No 2, Beethoven’s last cello sonata, again with Casals, and his last violin sonata with Végh. All these Prades sessions are musical mellowness incarnate, like seasoned wood and not to be heard elsewhere on disc, not even in Music and Arts’ two big boxes of Prades recordings.
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