Solomon

	TITLE : Solomon
	CATALOGUE NUMBER : 456 973-2
	INTERNATIONAL RELEASE DATE : August 1999
	SERIES : Great Pianists of the 20th Century

COMPOSERS AND WORKS
Bach/ Liszt Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 543 (rec. 1943) Mozart Piano Sonata in B flat, K.333 (rec. 1956) Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 29 in B flat, Op. 106 "Hammerklavier" Chopin Berceuse in D flat, Op. 57 (rec. 1942) Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52 (rec. 1946) Fantasy in F minor, Op. 49 (rec. 1932) Polonaise No. 6 "Heroic" in A flat, Op. 53 (rec. 1932) Liszt Étude de concert No. 2 "La leggierrezza" (rec. 1930) "Au bord d'une source" (from "Années de Pèlerinages") Hungarian Rhapsody No. 15 "Rakoczi" March (rec. 1932) Brahms "Handel" Variations, Op. 24 (rec. 1942) Intermezzo in B minor, Op. 117 No. 2 (rec. 1944)
RECORDING INFORMATION
Due to a stroke in 1956 at the very height of his career, the last half of the century was robbed of one of the greatest keyboard artists of the century. Although technically brilliant, which can be heard on pieces such as Brahms' "Handel" Variations, his main feature was the sensitivity in his playing, the like of which has not been heard since 1956 from any other pianist. His unassuming manner belied a deep, spiritual inner life which informed his pianism and can be heard clearly in the slow movement of the "Hammerklavier" Sonata or Liszt's "Au bord d'une source". A first release in any form is the Mozart Piano Sonata in B flat, recorded for the BBC in 1956, the very year Solomon suffered his stroke, and the performance makes the tragedy of his illness all the more poignant. Over 150 minutes of music on two CDs for the price of one.