Clara Haskil

Clara Haskil, Robert Casadesus – Lucerne Festival Historic Performances Vol. I – Clara Haskil plays Mozart – Robert Casadesus plays Beethoven (2013)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 01:09:00 minutes | 427 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Audite Musikproduktion

MusicWeb Review by Blair John Quinn :: This is one of the first in what looks like being an important new series from Audite in association with the Lucerne Festival. Working, as they always do, from original tapes from broadcast archives, Audite plan a series of issues of concert performances from the festival, many of which, I suspect, will be appearing on disc officially for the first time. This series is launched auspiciously with two concerto performances by leading pianists of the last century.
In the booklet we learn that in a letter written in October 1959 Clara Haskil described her Lucerne collaboration with Klemperer as “unforgettable”. I’m not surprised for this disc preserves a very fine performance. After a strong, sinewy introduction by Klemperer and the Philharmonia Haskil’s first entry exudes graceful calm. Thereafter we are treated to much stylish, wonderfully subtle and tasteful playing. The pianism is carefully calibrated yet always a sense of spontaneity is evident. The balance of the recording favours the piano yet one can still hear that Haskil receives distinguished support from Klemperer and his orchestra: this is a real partnership. There’s often great delicacy from Haskil yet the music making has strength when required. Haskil uses her own cadenza, which is effective.

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