Ignaz Friedman

[pianoloverus]

Has anyone heard any of his recordings? I just got his volume in Great Pianists of the 20th Century series from the Lincoln Center Library and found it fascinating although somewhat of a mixed bag. I best liked his Liszt/Busoni/Friedman La Campanella, the Mendelssohn Songs without Words and E minor Scherzo, Chopin Nocturne Op. 55, but only liked some of the Chopin Mazurkas and some of the Chopin Etudes. I liked least his Chopin Berceuse which is played so fast it sounds like an etude and where he often plays the left hand louder than the right! I also did not care for his A-flat Ballade too much.
I also got the Julius Katchen volume in the Great Pianists series. I found it uniformly sensational. His Islamey and Brahms Hungarian Dances were amazing both technically and musically. His Brahms Sonata No.3 and Frank Prelude, Chorale, and Fugue were ravishing!


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[groucho]

You really must listen to him performing his own compositions - particularly his Elle Danse No.5 and his Viennese Dances. It's some of the best playing I've ever heard. Pearl have a set with his complete solo recordings that should be in every pianophiles collection. What he does with the mazurka rhythm is amazing, and uncopyable. Also, his performance of the 3rd Ballade is my favourite. But each to his own! But do try to listen to those pieces, there the kind of performances that make you laugh. Like Horowitz doing his transcriptions but better.

I definitely rank him alongside Hofmann and Rachmaninov. (I do agree with you about the Berceuse though.)

For Balakirev's Islamey try Barere's live version. Now that's really something.

[rachfan]

Julius Katchen, like William Kappel and Dinu Lipati, died too young, and the music world has been poorer for his and their loss.  Fortunately, Katchen left behind a good discography.  His Brahms Paganini Variations are absolutely stupendous.