FOUND! Searching for Cziffra/Benzi recordings

[everran]

Update.

I've located the recordings. The recording dates September 20, 1962. The program included the Grieg concerto, Totentanz and an encore of the Hungarian Rhapsody No.6.

I will post the Grieg in full when I receive the uploader's permission. The first two movements are virtually unheard and not available anywhere, so far as I can tell.


Hello forum,

I'm looking for two live recordings made by Georges Cziffra and conductor Roberto Benzi. The Grieg concerto in Paris, 1962, with the Orchestre Nationale de France, and Liszt's Totentanz in Montreux, 1962, orchestra unknown.

Recordings exist here (https://tinyurl.com/94zn94z) and here (https://tinyurl.com/9axly57), but are not commercially available. Does anyone own these recordings or know where I can find them? I've searched everywhere. I even contacted Robert Benzi through his website. I understand Cziffra recorded these works, especially the Grieg, with other conductors—it's imperative the conductor be Roberto Benzi.

[evitaevita]

Well... I found these on youtube:

I don't know if this helps...

[everran]

These are the same clips I linked to in my post. 

This is the music, however. If only we had the whole Grieg, for instance. Or that Totentanz on CD. It's on YouTube... it must exist in someone's archive.

[nyiregyhazi]

I'm not clear what you're expecting. I'm pretty sure these were non commercial live broadcasts that were never issued, but which were recorded by collectors. You can listen on YouTube, so what more are you hoping for? Look up Francis Romano on google if you want to hear from a cziffra expert.

[everran]

I understand they were not commercially issued, but they should be. These are the best performances of these pieces, hands down, and they're almost unknown. Besides, the Grieg is only partially available online. The YouTube up-loaders received their copies from somewhere.

How can you not find this interesting?

[ajspiano]

snipmp3.com will allow you to extract an mp3 from the youtube videos. Don't know if thats sufficient for you needs though, and its probably not legal.

[49410enrique]

snipmp3.com will allow you to extract an mp3 from the youtube videos. Don't know if thats sufficient for you needs though, and its probably not legal.

https://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-57456397-501465/google-youtube-blocks-website-that-converts-videos-into-mp3s/

 to the OP probably in a private collection. if the full thing exists at all. like was posed what more do you want. that's the point of collectors looking for rare stuff of things they collect. it's for them. privately. be glad you have what you have.

as for why someone would not be all that interested? i can understand it. at least for me. i'm not all that super crazy about the liszt work and the grieg, well there are so many great recordings out there, i have a hard time find a reason to dislike so many of them becuase a really good one is out there....

[evitaevita]

These are the same clips I linked to in my post. 

This is the music, however. If only we had the whole Grieg, for instance. Or that Totentanz on CD. It's on YouTube... it must exist in someone's archive.

Oh... You're right. I wasn't attentive...
I'm sorry, but I can't find out anything else about these recordings.

[everran]

as for why someone would not be all that interested? i can understand it. at least for me. i'm not all that super crazy about the liszt work and the grieg, well there are so many great recordings out there, i have a hard time find a reason to dislike so many of them becuase a really good one is out there....

Listen to the second clip in my post. You'll see exactly why is this is important. That is the best performance of the Grieg concerto ever, if not one of the greatest performances of all time.