by Mark Ainley /
Feature / Recordings /
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March 20, 2018
This is a revised form of an article that was published in the Summer 1999 edition of International Piano Quarterly. It has been updated with information that has since come to light.
Dinu Lipatti is one
A Tribute to Dinu Lipatti
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March 19, 2018
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Much of my focus in the field of historical recordings the last three decades has been with the legendary Romanian pianist Dinu Lipatti, who has had a cult following since even before his tragically early
Dinu Lipatti: The Chopin Concerto Scandal
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March 19, 2011
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In 1966, EMI issued a previously unknown recording of Chopin’s Piano Concerto #1 in E Minor featuring the pianist Dinu Lipatti. No orchestra or conductor was named. On the record jacket of the British release
Géza Anda’s Debut Album 70 Years Later
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June 12, 2023
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The last week of April 2023 marked the 70th anniversary of Géza Anda’s debut recording sessions for EMI’s Columbia label, some of the finest performances set down over the course of a three-decade career that
Remembering Monique de La Bruchollerie
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December 15, 2022
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December 15, 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the death of French pianist Monique de La Bruchollerie, who passed away in Paris at the age of 57 on December 15, 1972.
I remember very clearly when
Gina Bachauer: The Mercury Masters
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December 8, 2022
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I was delighted to be commissioned to write the notes for the Eloquence label’s fantastic historical release of Gina Bachauer’s fabled Mercury recordings. Here is an extended version of the notes that I submitted for
Noel Mewton-Wood at 100
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November 20, 2022
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Had fate decided otherwise, the many young pianists who died in the 1950s would have been the headliners of their generation. As it stands, these artists continue to command attention, albeit largely with their tragic
Behind The Microphone: Anthony Griffith
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October 20, 2022
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Producer Walter Legge (standing) and Anthony Griffith
With all the focus we can give the great musicians who left us recorded examples of their artistry, it is easy to overlook those working behind the scenes. While
William Kapell at 100
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September 20, 2022
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The 1950s saw some of the most promising young classical musicians die prematurely, seeming to wipe out a new generation of leading interpreters: among those lost are Ginette Neveu (in 1949), Rosa Tamarkina, Dinu Lipatti,
Solomon at 120
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August 9, 2022
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The British pianist Solomon Cutner (primarily known just as Solomon) was born August 9, 1902, making this his 120th birthday. While I have long planned a comprehensive page with detailed biographical material, this anniversary caught