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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 £ 10.85
RELEASE DATE: 05-May-1995

TITLE: Best of Chopin
TRACKS: Waltz Number 5 in A flat opus 42 - 'Grande valse'. Impromptu Number 1 in A flat opus 29. Impromptu Number 4 in C sharp minor opus 66 'Fantaisie-Impromptu'. 24 Preludes opus 28 : IV in E minor. 24 Preludes opus 28 : VII in A major. 24 Preludes opus 28 : IX in E major. 24 Preludes opus 28 : XV in D flat major 'Raindrop'. Waltz Number 7 in C sharp minor opus 64 Number 2. Nocturne Number 8 in D flat opus 27 Number 2. 12 Etudes opus 10 : Number 12. in C minor 'Revolutionary'. 12 Etudes opus 10 : Number 5. in G flat 'Black Keys' . 12 Etudes opus 25 : Number 9 in G flat 'Butterfly Wings'. Etudes opus 25 : Number 1 in A flat 'Harp Study'. Piano Sonata Number 2 in B flat minor opus 35 : Marche funèbre. Scherzo Number 2 in B flat minor opus 31. Berceuse in D flat opus 57. Waltz Number 6 in D flat opus 64 Number 1 -'Minute'. Ballade Number 4 in F minor opus 52. Barcarolle in F sharp opus 60. Nocturne Number 17 in B opus 62 Number 1. Nocturne Number 18 in E opus 62 Number 2. Impromptu Number 3 in G flat opus 51. Mazurka in B opus 63 Number 1. Mazurka in F minor opus 63 Number 2. Mazurka in C sharp minor opus 63 Number 3. Polonaise Number 7 in A flat opus 61 Polonaise-Fantaisie. Ballade Number 1 in G minor opus 23. Mazurka in A minor opus 59 Number 1. Mazurka in A flat opus 59 Number 2. Mazurka in F sharp minor opus 59 Number 3. 12 Etudes opus 10 : Number 3. in E 'Tristesse'. Polonaise Number 6 in A flat opus 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 £ 27.95
RELEASE DATE: 04-Nov-2002

COMPOSER: Alexander Borodin  (other composers in brackets after works)
TITLE: Erich Kleiber at NBC
TRACKS: Symphony Number 2 (Borodin). Konzertstuck for Piano opus 79 (Weber). Introduction and Dance from La Vida Breve (Falla). Concerto Grosso Number 8 - Christmas Concerto (Corelli). Symphony Number 5 (Schubert). Tales of the Vienna Woods. Gypsy Baron Overture (Strauss). Carnival Overture. Wedding Dance from The Wild Dove (Dvorak). Symphony Number 4 (Tchaikovsky). Egmont Overture opus 84. Symphony Number 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 Opus 92 B169 (Dvorak). Alto Rhapsody Opus 53 (Brahms). Concerto Number 2 for piano and orchestra F minor Opus 21 (Chopin). Symphony Number 5 in C minor Opus 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 Opus 10 : Andantino doucement expressif. Sonata for Flute Viola and Harp : Interlude. Deux Arabesques : Number 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 Number 5 in B flat D485 (Schubert). Symphony Number 8 in B Minor D759 'Unfinished' (Schubert). La Muette de Portici : Overture (Auber). Symphony Number 4 in A opus 90 'Italian' (Mendelssohn). Symphony Number 2 in C opus 61 (Schumann). Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg : Act III Excerpts (Wagner). Symphony Number 41 in C Major K551 (Mozart). Piano Concerto Number 5 in E flat opus 73 'Emperor' (Beethoven). Symphony Number 2 in D opus 36 (Beethoven). Symphony Number 3 in E flat opus 55 'Eroica' (Beethoven). Symphony Number 3 in C Minor opus 78 'Organ' (Saint-Saens). Symphonie Espagnole opus 21 (Lalo). Concerto pour flute et orchestre (Ibert). Eine Faust Ouverture (Wagner). Variations on a Theme by Haydn 'St Antoni Chorale' opus 56a (Brahms). Piano Concerto Number 2 in B flat opus 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 Opus 16 (Grieg). Piano Concerto in A minor Opus 54 (Schumann). Allegro de Concert in A Opus 46 (Chopin).
ORCHESTRA: Philharmonia Orchestra
CONDUCTOR: Alceo Galliera
ARTISTS: Claudio Arrau      

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: recorded 1957-1958

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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 Number 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 £ 9.49
RELEASE DATE: 03-Oct-2005

COMPOSER: Franz Liszt  (other composers in brackets after works)
TRACKS: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra Number 2 in A S125 (Liszt). Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in A minor opus 54 (Schumann). Konzertstuck for Piano and Orchestra in F minor opus 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 Number 2 in B minor S171. Les Jeux d'eau a la Villa d'Este. Transcendental Study Number 10 in F minor. Sonetto del Petrarca 104. Piano Concerto Number 1 in E flat S124. Harmonies du Soir - Transcendental Study Number 11. Piano Concerto Number 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: 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

Details for information only as this item is no longer available to order

CATALOGUE NR: MA1205  (barcode: 0017685120527)
RECORD LABEL: Music & Arts
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 9.18

COMPOSER: Franz Liszt
TITLE: Arrau plays Liszt
TRACKS: Sonata for Piano in B minor S178. Annees de pelerinage annee 2 : Italie S161 : Apres une lecture du Dante fantasia quasi sonata. Ballade No.2. In B minor S171. Annees de pelerinage annee 3 S163 : Jeux d'Eau a la Villa d'Este. Etudes d'execution transcendente S139 : Etude No.10 Appassionata. Includes transcript of a previously unpublished conversation with Arrau about Liszt.
ARTISTS: Claudio Arrau      

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: public performances 1970-1981

Details for information only as this item is no longer available to order

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 Opus 81 B155 (Dvorak).
ARTISTS: Juilliard String Quartet   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 Number 1 in B minor opus 20. Scherzo Number 2 in B flat minor opus 31. Ballade No 1 in G minor opus 23. Barcarola in F sharp major opus 60. Impromptu Number 1 in A flat major opus 29. Impromptu Number 2 in F sharp major opus 36. Impromptu Number 3 in G flat major opus 51.
ARTISTS: Claudio Arrau      

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: recorded 1952

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CATALOGUE NR: 4563362  (barcode: 0028945633626)
RECORD LABEL: Philips Duo
FORMAT: 2 CD Set
PRICE: including VAT £ 10.85
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 £ 10.85
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: 4785154  (barcode: 0028947851547)
RECORD LABEL: Decca Virtuoso
FORMAT: CD
PRICE: including VAT £ 5.99
RELEASE DATE: 14-Jan-2013

COMPOSER: Frederic Chopin
TITLE: Waltzes
TRACKS: Waltz Number 1 in E flat opus 18 'Grande valse brillante'. Waltz Number 2 in A flat opus 34 Number 1 'Valse brillante'. Waltz Number 3 in A minor opus 34 Number 2. Waltz Number 4 in F opus 34 Number 3. Waltz Number 5 in A flat opus 42 'Grande valse'. Waltz Number 6 in D flat opus 64 Number 1 'Minute'. Waltz Number 7 in C sharp minor opus 64 Number 2. Waltz Number 8 in A flat opus 64 Number 3. Waltz Number 9 in A flat opus 69 Number 1 'Farewell'. Waltz Number 10 in B minor opus 69 Number 2. Waltz Number 11 in G flat opus 70 Number 1. Waltz Number 12 in F minor/A flat opus 70 Number 2. Waltz Number 13 in D flat opus 70 Number 3. Waltz Number 14 in E minor opus posth. Waltz Number 16 in A flat opus posth. Waltz Number 15 in E opus posth. Waltz Number 19 in A minor opus posth. Waltz Number 18 in E flat opus posth. Waltz Number 17 in E flat opus posth.
ARTISTS: Claudio Arrau      

- Apr-2013 4 star BBC Music Mag.

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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 Number 1 in C major opus 28. Prelude Number 2 in A minor opus 28. Prelude Number 3 in G major opus 28. Prelude Number 4 in E minor opus 28. Prelude Number 5 in D major opus 28. Prelude Number 6 in B minor opus 28. Prelude Number 7 in A major opus 28. Prelude Number 8 in F sharp minor opus 28. Prelude Number 9 in E major opus 28. Prelude Number 10 in C sharp minor opus 28. Prelude Number 11 in B major opus 28. Prelude Number 12 in G sharp minor opus 28. Prelude Number 13 in F sharp minor opus 28. Prelude Number 14 in E flat minor opus 28. Prelude Number 15 in D flat major opus 28. Prelude Number 16 in B flat minor opus 28. Prelude Number 17 in A flat major opus 28. Prelude Number 18 in F minor opus 28. Prelude Number 19 in E flat major opus 28. Prelude Number 20 in C minor opus 28. Prelude Number 21 in B flat major opus 28. Prelude Number 22 in G minor opus 28. Prelude Number 23 in F major opus 28. Prelude Number 24 in D minor opus 28. Prelude Number 25 in C sharp minor opus 45. Prelude Number 26 in A flat opus posth (Chopin). Papillons opus 2 (Schumann).
ARTISTS: Claudio Arrau      

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