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About the artist Claudio Arrau

When Arrau was a year old his father died. His mother gave piano lessons to support her three children, and after Claudio made his debut at the age of five she moved the family to Santiago de Chile so that he could study with Bindo Paoli. By 1911 the Chilean government had decided to fund Claudio’s training in Berlin. At the Stern Conservatory he studied with Martin Krause (1853–1918), a pupil of Liszt. Krause became a father-substitute for young Claudio, guiding him toward art, literature and opera. The boy had little schooling, and Krause oversaw most aspects of his life and development. At the piano Krause laid a technical foundation based not only on physical stamina and endurance but also on technique being the means to a musical interpretation. It supported Arrau throughout his long career. He toured Europe, won the Liszt Prize in 1919 and 1920, the Ibach Prize, and the Gustav Holländer Medal. His debut with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra was with conductor Karl Muck, and he also played under Willem Mengelberg and Wilhelm Furtwängler at this time as well as returning to South America, giving concerts in Argentina and Chile. His London debut in 1922 was with Nellie Melba and Bronis?aw Huberman, but by this time Arrau was already suffering from depression and self-doubt. The financial support from the Chilean government had recently ceased, and his debut tour of the USA was not a great success. This period Arrau described as ‘the most difficult and unhappy years of my life’. Always shy and retiring, he decided to seek professional help for his depression from a psychoanalyst in Germany. The treatment was successful, and Arrau gained the confidence to accept a teaching post at the Stern Conservatory. After winning the Geneva International Piano Competition in 1927, he received offers to play in Russia in 1929 and 1930. From the early 1930s he developed vast recital programmes, relying on the stamina and endurance instilled by Krause. In 1933 he gave fifteen recitals and had four orchestral dates in Mexico City, and in 1935 he performed twelve recitals in Berlin, consisting entirely of solo works by Bach. In 1936 he gave five evenings devoted to Mozart, and in 1937 four evenings to Schubert and Weber. The following year he played the complete sonatas of Beethoven in Mexico City. During World War II Arrau went to Chile, and in 1940 he decided to try his luck in America again. A Carnegie Hall recital in 1941 was a great success, leading to many engagements throughout the United States and Canada, and from then on his career was hugely successful for the next four decades. He and his wife Ruth Schneider, whom he had married in 1937, settled in America. He performed the complete sonatas of Beethoven in London and New York, and continued to tour the world. His amazing stamina enabled him to tour Europe, the USA, Brazil and Japan in the early 1980s, as he was approaching the age of eighty. In 1984 he returned to perform in Chile after refusing to play there for seventeen years due to the political regime. Arrau was showered with awards during his career. He received the Hans von Bülow Medal from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in 1980, prizes and awards from UNESCO, the National Arts Prize from Chile, the Order of the Aztec Eagle from Mexico, and was made Commandeur de la Légion d’honneur by France.

CDs and DVDs featuring the artist Claudio Arrau

CATALOGUE NR: 4461452  (barcode: 0028944614527)
RECORD LABEL: Philips Duo
FORMAT: 2 CD Set
PRICE: including VAT £ 9.19
RELEASE DATE: 05-May-1995

TITLE: Best of Chopin
TRACKS: Waltz No.5 in A flat op.42 - 'Grande valse'. Impromptu No.1 in A flat op.29. Impromptu No.4 in C sharp minor op.66 'Fantaisie-Impromptu'. 24 Preludes op.28 : IV in E minor. 24 Preludes op.28 : VII in A major. 24 Preludes op.28 : IX in E major. 24 Preludes op.28 : XV in D flat major 'Raindrop'. Waltz No.7 in C sharp minor op.64 No.2. Nocturne No.8 in D flat op.27 No.2. 12 Etudes op.10 : No.12. in C minor 'Revolutionary'. 12 Etudes op.10 : No.5. in G flat 'Black Keys' . 12 Etudes op.25 : No.9 in G flat 'Butterfly Wings'. Etudes op.25 : No.1 in A flat 'Harp Study'. Piano Sonata No.2 in B flat minor op.35 : Marche funèbre. Scherzo No.2 in B flat minor op.31. Berceuse in D flat op.57. Waltz No.6 in D flat op.64 No.1 -'Minute'. Ballade No.4 in F minor op.52. Barcarolle in F sharp op.60. Nocturne No.17 in B op.62 No.1. Nocturne No.18 in E op.62 No.2. Impromptu No.3 in G flat op.51. Mazurka in B op.63 No.1. Mazurka in F minor op.63 No.2. Mazurka in C sharp minor op.63 No.3. Polonaise No.7 in A flat op.61 Polonaise-Fantaisie. Ballade No.1 in G minor op.23. Mazurka in A minor op.59 No.1. Mazurka in A flat op.59 No.2. Mazurka in F sharp minor op.59 No.3. 12 Etudes op.10 : No.3. in E 'Tristesse'. Polonaise No.6 in A flat op.53 -'Heroic'.
ARTISTS: Zoltan Kocsis   Bella Davidovich   Nikita Magaloff   Claudio Arrau

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CATALOGUE NR: GEMMCD0070  (barcode: 0727031007029)
RECORD LABEL: Pearl
FORMAT: 2 CD Set
PRICE: including VAT £ 17.50
RELEASE DATE: 07-Feb-2000

TITLE: The Early Recordings
ARTISTS: Claudio Arrau      

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: recorded 1938-40

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CATALOGUE NR: MA1112  (barcode: 0017685111228)
RECORD LABEL: Music & Arts
FORMAT: 4 CD Set
PRICE: including VAT £ 27.56
RELEASE DATE: 04-Nov-2002

COMPOSER: Alexander Borodin  (other composers in brackets after works)
TITLE: Erich Kleiber at NBC
TRACKS: Symphony No.2 (Borodin). Konzertstuck for Piano op.79 (Weber). Introduction and Dance from La Vida Breve (Falla). Concerto Grosso No.8 - Christmas Concerto (Corelli). Symphony No.5 (Schubert). Tales of the Vienna Woods. Gypsy Baron Overture (Strauss). Carnival Overture. Wedding Dance from The Wild Dove (Dvorak). Symphony No.4 (Tchaikovsky). Egmont Overture op.84. Symphony No.3 (Beethoven).
ORCHESTRA: NBC Orchestra
CONDUCTOR: Erich Kleiber
ARTISTS: Claudio Arrau      

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: From previously unreleased 1947-48 live concerts

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CATALOGUE NR: GHCD2354  (barcode: 0795754235425)
RECORD LABEL: Guild Historical
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 5.99
RELEASE DATE: 13-Jul-2009

COMPOSER: Antonin Dvorak  (other composers in brackets after works)
TRACKS: Carnival Overture op.92 B169 (Dvorak). Alto Rhapsody op.53 (Brahms). Concerto No.2 for piano and orchestra F minor op.21 (Chopin). Symphony No. 5 in C minor op.67 (Beethoven).
ORCHESTRA: Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra and New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra
CONDUCTOR: Fritz Busch
ARTISTS: Marian Anderson   Claudio Arrau    

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: recorded Edinburgh International Festival of Music & Drama concert at the Usher Hall 26-Aug-1950 - Dvorak / Human Rights Day Concert at the Metropolitan Opera House New York 10-Dec-1950

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CATALOGUE NR: 4464842  (barcode: 0028944648423)
RECORD LABEL: Philips
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 8.45

COMPOSER: Claude Debussy
TITLE: Debussy for Daydreaming
TRACKS: Syrinx for unaccompanied Flute. La fille aux cheveux de lin (arr. Jerome Cohen). Suite bergamasque : Clair de lune (arr. Mouton / Piston). Petite suite : En bateau. Reverie. La plus que lente. Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune. String Quartet in G minor op.10 : Andantino doucement expressif. Sonata for Flute Viola and Harp : Interlude. Deux Arabesques : No.1 Andante con moto. Valse romantique. Images for Orchestra : Iberia / Les parfums de la nuit.
ORCHESTRA: Boston Pops Orchestra and Detroit Symphony Orchestra
CONDUCTOR: John Williams and Paul Paray
ARTISTS: Roger Bourdin   Zoltan Kocsis   Claudio Arrau   Quartetto Italiano

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Music to Caress your Innermost Thoughts

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CATALOGUE NR: WHRA6015  (barcode: 4015023160156)
RECORD LABEL: West Hill Radio Archives
FORMAT: 7 CD Set
PRICE: including VAT £ 48.95
RELEASE DATE: 21-Apr-2008

COMPOSER: Claude Debussy  (other composers in brackets after works)
TITLE: Charles Munch in Boston
TRACKS: Iberia (Debussy). Le Tombeau de Couperin (Ravel). La Danse des Morts (Honegger). Tristan and Isolde : Prelude and Liebestod (Wagner). Symphony No.5 in B flat D485 (Schubert). Symphony No.8 in B Minor D759 'Unfinished' (Schubert). La Muette de Portici : Overture (Auber). Symphony No.4 in A op.90 'Italian' (Mendelssohn). Symphony No.2 in C op.61 (Schumann). Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg : Act III Excerpts (Wagner). Symphony No.41 in C Major K551 (Mozart). Piano Concerto No.5 in E flat op.73 'Emperor' (Beethoven). Symphony No.2 in D op.36 (Beethoven). Symphony No.3 in E flat op.55 'Eroica' (Beethoven). Symphony No.3 in C Minor op.78 'Organ' (Saint-Saens). Symphonie Espagnole op.21 (Lalo). Concerto pour flute et orchestre (Ibert). Eine Faust Ouverture (Wagner). Variations on a Theme by Haydn 'St Antoni Chorale' op.56a (Brahms). Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat op.83 (Brahms).
ORCHESTRA: Boston Symphony Orchestra
CONDUCTOR: Charles Munch
ARTISTS: Gerard Souzay   Lelia Gousseau   Edward Power Biggs   Claudio Arrau

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: recorded 1952-1955

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CATALOGUE NR: SBT1233  (barcode: 0749677123321)
RECORD LABEL: Testament
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 11.29

COMPOSER: Edvard Grieg
TRACKS: Piano Concerto in A minor op.16 (Grieg). Piano Concerto in A minor op.54 (Schumann). Allegro de Concert in A op.46 (Chopin).
ORCHESTRA: Philharmonia Orchestra
CONDUCTOR: Alceo Galliera
ARTISTS: Claudio Arrau      

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: recorded 1957-1958

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CATALOGUE NR: ARPCD0260  (barcode: 4035122402605)
RECORD LABEL: Archipel
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 5.45
RELEASE DATE: 12-Jul-2004

COMPOSER: Franz Liszt
TRACKS: Piano Concerto No.1 in E flat S124. Piano Concerto No.2 in A S125. Fantasia on Hungarian Folk Songs S123. Hungarian Rhapsody No.9 in A minor S242. Hungarian Rhapsody No.11 in B flat S242.
ORCHESTRA: Berlin Radio Orchestra and New York Philharmonic
CONDUCTOR: Hans Rosbaud and Guido Cantelli
ARTISTS: Claudio Arrau      

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: recorded 1952-1953

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CATALOGUE NR: 4563392  (barcode: 0028945633923)
RECORD LABEL: Philips Duo
FORMAT: 2 CD Set
PRICE: including VAT £ 9.19
RELEASE DATE: 01-Sep-1997

COMPOSER: Franz Liszt
TITLE: Complete Etudes
TRACKS: 12 Etudes d'execution transcendante S139. 3 Etudes de Concert S144. 2 Etudes de Concert S145. 6 Etudes d'execution transcendante d'apres Paganini S140.
ARTISTS: Claudio Arrau   Nikita Magaloff    

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 'Arrau plays always with great panache and musical insight' Penguin Guide 3 star - Penguin Guide 3 star

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CATALOGUE NR: URN22281
RECORD LABEL: Urania
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 9.95
RELEASE DATE: 22-Aug-2005

COMPOSER: Franz Liszt  (other composers in brackets after works)
TRACKS: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No.2 in A S125 (Liszt). Fantasy in C major D760 (Schubert). Iberia Book I and Book II (Albeniz).
ORCHESTRA: New York Philharmonic
CONDUCTOR: Guido Cantelli
ARTISTS: Claudio Arrau      

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: recorded 15-Mar-1954 / London 1955 / London 1947

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CATALOGUE NR: MA1174  (barcode: 0017685117428)
RECORD LABEL: Music & Arts
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 9.19
RELEASE DATE: 03-Oct-2005

COMPOSER: Franz Liszt  (other composers in brackets after works)
TRACKS: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No.2 in A S125 (Liszt). Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in A minor op.54 (Schumann). Konzertstuck for Piano and Orchestra in F minor op.79 J282 (von Weber).
ORCHESTRA: Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra and NBC Symphony Orchestra
CONDUCTOR: Dmitri Mitropoulos and Erich Kleiber
ARTISTS: Claudio Arrau      

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: recorded 5-Sep-1943 / 18-Mar-1951 / 20-Dec-1947

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CATALOGUE NR: PTC5186171  (barcode: 0827949017162)
RECORD LABEL: Pentatone
FORMAT: Hybrid SACD
PRICE: including VAT £ 12.95
RELEASE DATE: 17-Mar-2008

COMPOSER: Franz Liszt
TRACKS: 12 Etudes d'execution transcendante S139.
ARTISTS: Claudio Arrau      

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: recorded in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam in Mar-1974

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CATALOGUE NR: PCLD0015  (barcode: 5065001863349)
RECORD LABEL: Piano Classics
FORMAT: 2 CD Set
PRICE: including VAT £ 12.79
RELEASE DATE: 27-Jun-2011

COMPOSER: Franz Liszt
TITLE: Claudio Arrau Plays Liszt
TRACKS: Sonata for Piano in B minor S178. Sonata quasi una Fantasia apres une lecture de Dante. Ballade No.2 in B minor S171. Les Jeux d'eau a la Villa d'Este. Transcendental Study No.10 in F minor. Sonetto del Petrarca 104. Piano Concerto No.1 in E flat S124. Harmonies du Soir - Transcendental Study No.11. Piano Concerto No.2 in A major S125.
ORCHESTRA: Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of New York
CONDUCTOR: Hans Rosbaud and Dmitri Mitropoulos
ARTISTS: Claudio Arrau      

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CATALOGUE NR: DHR570102  (barcode: 0723724588622)
RECORD LABEL: Doremi
FORMAT: 2 CD Set
PRICE: including VAT £ 24.50
RELEASE DATE: 03-Oct-2005

COMPOSER: Franz Schubert  (other composers in brackets after works)
TITLE: Juilliard Quartet at the Library of Congress 1
TRACKS: Quintet for piano & strings in A major D667 'Trout' (Schubert). Quintet for piano & strings in F minor (Franck). Trio for piano violin & cello in C major K548 (Mozart). Quintet for piano & strings in A major op.81 B155 (Dvorak).
ARTISTS: Juilliard String Qt   Claudio Arrau   Julius Levine  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: live recordings 1963-1964

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CATALOGUE NR: ARPCD0092  (barcode: 4035122400922)
RECORD LABEL: Archipel
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 5.45
RELEASE DATE: 05-Dec-2002

COMPOSER: Frederic Chopin
TITLE: Piano Works
TRACKS: Scherzo No.1 in B minor op.20. Scherzo No.2 in B flat minor op.31. Ballade No 1 in G minor op.23. Barcarola in F sharp major op.60. Impromptu No.1 in A flat major op.29. Impromptu No.2 in F sharp major op.36. Impromptu No.3 in G flat major op.51.
ARTISTS: Claudio Arrau      

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: recorded 1952

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CATALOGUE NR: 5628842  (barcode: 0724356288423)
RECORD LABEL: EMI Great Recordings
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 5.75
Save 13%! Above is a special price until 29-Mar-2012 when it reverts to £6.65
RELEASE DATE: 02-Aug-2004
Feature on EMI Great Recordings and Artists Series discounts

COMPOSER: Frederic Chopin  (other composers in brackets after works)
TRACKS: Sonata for Piano No.3 in B minor op.58. Fantasy (Chopin). Andante and rondo capriccioso op.14 (Mendelssohn). Konzertstuck for piano and orchestra in F minor J282 op.79 (von Weber).
ORCHESTRA: Philharmonia Orchestra
CONDUCTOR: Alceo Galliera
ARTISTS: Claudio Arrau      

- Penguin Guide 3 star 'this is a very fine performance indeed'

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CATALOGUE NR: 4563362  (barcode: 0028945633626)
RECORD LABEL: Philips Duo
FORMAT: 2 CD Set
PRICE: including VAT £ 9.19
RELEASE DATE: 01-Sep-1997

COMPOSER: Frederic Chopin
TRACKS: Complete Nocturnes. Complete Impromptus.
ARTISTS: Claudio Arrau      

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 'This is a very compelling cycle.' Penguin Guide - Penguin Guide 2/3 star

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CATALOGUE NR: 4646942  (barcode: 0028946469422)
RECORD LABEL: Philips 50
FORMAT: 2 CD Set
PRICE: including VAT £ 12.25
RELEASE DATE: 21-May-2001

COMPOSER: Frederic Chopin
TITLE: The Nocturnes
TRACKS: Barcarolle. Fantaisie.
ARTISTS: Claudio Arrau      

- Penguin Guide 3 star 'this is a very compelling cycle, full of poetry, the rubato showing an individual but very communicable sensibility'

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CATALOGUE NR: PTC5186165  (barcode: 0827949016561)
RECORD LABEL: Pentatone
FORMAT: Hybrid SACD
PRICE: including VAT £ 12.95
RELEASE DATE: 12-Mar-2007

COMPOSER: Frederic Chopin  (other composers in brackets after works)
TITLE: Complete Preludes
TRACKS: Prelude No.1 in C major op.28. Prelude No.2 in A minor op.28. Prelude No.3 in G major op.28. Prelude No.4 in E minor op.28. Prelude No.5 in D major op.28. Prelude No.6 in B minor op.28. Prelude No.7 in A major op.28. Prelude No.8 in F sharp minor op.28. Prelude No.9 in E major op.28. Prelude No.10 in C sharp minor op.28. Prelude No.11 in B major op.28. Prelude No.12 in G sharp minor op.28. Prelude No.13 in F sharp minor op.28. Prelude No.14 in E flat minor op.28. Prelude No.15 in D flat major op.28. Prelude No.16 in B flat minor op.28. Prelude No.17 in A flat major op.28. Prelude No.18 in F minor op.28. Prelude No.19 in E flat major op.28. Prelude No.20 in C minor op.28. Prelude No.21 in B flat major op.28. Prelude No.22 in G minor op.28. Prelude No.23 in F major op.28. Prelude No.24 in D minor op.28. Prelude No.25 in C sharp minor op.45. Prelude No.26 in A flat op.posth (Chopin). Papillons op.2 (Schumann).
ARTISTS: Claudio Arrau      

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CATALOGUE NR: URNSP4230
RECORD LABEL: Urania
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 9.95

COMPOSER: Frederic Chopin
TRACKS: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No.1 in E minor op.11. 4 Ballades : Ballade No.1 in G minor op.23 / Ballade No.2 in F op.38 / Ballade No.3 in A flat op.47 / Ballade No.4 in F minor op.52.
ORCHESTRA: WDR Sinfonieorchester
CONDUCTOR: Otto Klemperer
ARTISTS: Claudio Arrau      

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: recorded 1953-1954

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