Marcelle Meyer: 27 Scarlatti Sonatas (78rpm disc recordings)
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- čas přidán 6. 07. 2024
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A series of 27 Sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti recorded by the fabled French pianist Marcelle Meyer for Les Discophiles Français between 1946 and 1949.
The 3 albums of these 78rpm discs were first issued in long-play format on a Pearl CD in 2001, produced by Don Manildi and remastered by Seth Winner. While that release stated that the recordings were been made in 1947, it appears that these performances were set down over the course of four years: in November 1946; on December 20, 1948; and on May 10, 1949.
Meyer's 1954-55 series of 32 Scarlatti Sonatas is better known, being among the four two-LP sets of her recordings released on the EMI France's References series in the 1980s that brought her back to public attention after her absence from the catalogue of some 25 years. These were then issued on CD in Volume 2 of the 'Les Introuvables' sets devoted to the artist, then again on the 'Les Rarissimes' series, and finally in the complete 17-CD box set of the artist's complete studio recordings. However, Meyer's readings on 78s of these works had not been appeared since their original release until the 2001 Pearl CD from which the upload presented here derives.
Scarlatti Sonatas were rarely recorded by pianists at the time: Ilona Eibenschütz and Wilhelm Backhaus were the earliest to put any on disc at the turn of the 20th century, Horowitz set down two in 1935, but it would be Robert Casadesus who would record the first volume on piano, a series of 11 for Columbia in 1937 - Wanda Landowska had recorded 20 on the harpsichord in 1934. Meyer's represents the most significant collection of the composer's Sonatas played on the piano up until that that time.
Meyer was a pianist who played with a unique blend of robustness and refinement, and we hear both qualities in these performances. While her 1950s account presents her distinctive supple phrasing and glass-like sonority with greater fidelity, in the present recordings we can appreciate the vivacity of her attack and rhythmic vitality in the more lively pieces, the lyrical ones revealing her fluid legato phrasing, refined pedal technique, and transparency of texture.
Terrific playing by one of the all-time great pianists!
0:00 Aria in D Minor, K 32
1:12 Allegro in A Minor, K 175
4:21 Allegro in B Minor, K 27
7:28 Vivo in G Major, K 125
8:30 Fuga ("del Gato") in G Minor, K 30
11:43 Sonata in B Minor, K 87
15:30 Andante commodo ("Cortege") in E Major, K 380
18:23 Non presto ma a tempo di ballo in D Major, K 430
19:47 Con spirito e presto in A Major, K 114
24:03 Gavota (Allegro) in D Minor, K 64
25:43 Andante in A Major, K 279
28:42 Allegro in B-flat Major, K 202
30:52 Allegro assai in F Minor, K 519
32:13 Allegro in D Minor, K 9
33:46 Allegro in D Major, K 119
36:12 Allegro in G Major, K 432
38:14 Presto, quanto sia possibile in G Major, K 427
39:20 Andante e cantabile in E-flat Major, K 474
42:57 Allegrissimo in B Minor, K 377
44:12 Allegrissimo in D Major, K 96
46:26 Sonata in F Minor, K 69
48:41 Presto in F Major, K 17
50:33 Allegro in G Minor, K 8
52:48 Presto in G Major, K 13
54:40 Allegrissimo in G Minor, K 450
57:30 Allegro in B Major, K 245
58:58 Andante e cantabile in D Major, K 478 - Hudba
Some of the greatest pianists are able to make the piano sing; the rendition is so much more than the sum of the individual notes.
Meyer is one of these. So amazingly talented.
Scarlatti amore grandissimo.....meravigliosa..
Phenomenal.
Brava MEYER .nelle sonate in tempo moderato non è mai leziosa o retorica : equilibrio e gioia insieme .Grazie from Italia .
A wonderfully chosen selection of familiar and less familiar Scarlatti played with excellent taste, brilliance and charm.A winning performance.
Great to have these spirited Scarlatti recordings on You Tube. I have had this set on 78s for many years on the DF label and her Couperin and Bach are just as impressive musically.
WOW, quite a rare set on 78s! All original pressings of her discs are highly prized!
I'd never heard of this pianist before. From the very 1st note of this video, I was totally absorbed by her musicality. Thanks for sharing this marvel!
That's a characteristic of her playing. I've linked an article about her that I wrote on my website, including a number of recordings, in the video description above. You have hours of listening ahead of you!
@@ThePianoFiles That's awesome! Thx so much for your dedication and generosity!
0:00 Aria In d minor, K 32
1:12 Allegro In a minor, K 175
4:21 Allegro In b minor, K 27
7:28 Vivo In G major, K 125
8:30 Fuga ("del Gato") In g minor, K 30
11:43 Sonata In b minor, K 87
15:30 Andante commodo ("Cortege") In E major, K 380
18:23 Non presto ma a tempo di ballo In D major, K 430
19:47 Con spirito e presto In A major, K 114
24:03 Gavota (Allegro) In d minor, K 64
25:43 Andante In A major, K 279
28:42 Allegro In B flat major, K 202
30:52 Allegro assai In f minor, K 519
32:13 Allegro In d minor, K 9
33:46 Allegro In D major, K 119
36:12 Allegro In G major, K 432
38:14 Presto, quanto sia possibile In G major, K 427
39:20 Andante e cantabile In E flat major, K 474
42:57 Allegrissimo In b minor, K 377
44:12 Allegrissimo In D major, K 96
46:26 Sonata In f minor, K 69
48:41 Presto In F major, K 17
50:33 Allegro In g minor, K 8
52:48 Presto In G major, K 13
54:40 Allegrissimo In g minor, K 450
57:30 Allegro In B major, K 245
58:58 Andante e cantabile In D major, K 478
Thank you for this!
@@ThePianoFiles You are most welcome, and thank you for posting these precious performances (I think I love her K. 27 most of all !).
It took a while to work out all the timings, but all that time I could hear and be immersed in her wonderful exploration of Domenico's world.
@@ThePianoFiles Could you please paste them in the desc. so the timestamps can be seen (on the play bar)?
@@ericwyness9089 k27 mine too particularly the harmony from4.45-50 later repeated .it is thrilling .thanks for timings
That's really wonderful...
Thank you for posting this!
Meyer is the Siren of the piano... I have always felt this from when I encountered her playing on a pleyel years ago and I always will. It's good that her rare talent is being brought to the ears of new listeners through The Piano Files. It's interesting to compare her renditions of this Scarlatti standard with those of harpsichordist par excellence Wanda Landwoska... both of a similar 'ish' vintage. There you will learn something of the merits and deficiencies of piano versus harpsichord. The endless debate !
She was indeed a 'sirene'... an incredible presence and sensibility! Her Rameau I find to be even more beguiling than her superb Scarlatti too!
And - you might be surprised, as I was, to hear that she recorded on a Steinway: the Discophiles Francais used a Hamburg Steinway that was chosen by Lili Kraus... same piano used by Yves Nat. It absolutely sounds more like a Pleyel or Erard than a Steinway - and Harold C Schonberg thought so too: in the note he sent me after I introduced him to Meyer's playing in 1989, he said how much he loved the light-action piano she used - 'more clarity and singing tone than on Steinways'...
Thanking you for your eloquent and fascinating response sir! I agree with you, re the Rameau. This was the my way into the Meyer miracle some years ago now, when I placed on the platter an old copy of the Rameau and despite the cracks and pops was entranced beyond measure. I was hooked. I looked up the Discophile 78's now3 I know recorded on Steinway chosen by Lili Kraus… and near swooned at the prices… and rarity. Clearly a whole line of wily predator collectors were out there lined up ready to pounce on them. I then secured the contrasting absurdly cheap box set of all her works. Then I procured the reissue gatefold sleeve series which she shares with my other beloved Wanda Landowska… Currently in Brussels I am hoping to visit the Laeken cemetery where indeed Marie Pleyel herself lies in an ornate tomb. Your piano files is a tremendous resource, keep it up… Will @@ThePianoFiles
I also wanted to ask you if you have any further recordings of Nadia Tagrine who I feel does not have enough recognition or recordings… her WF Bach polonaises are extraordinary and reach beyond anyone else's in my view. But I can find no disc of them only the upload here on U tube. Does anything exist on any medium? I found only a handful of cds in existence most elderly, and none include it.
@@willstone7451 thank you for your response - so glad you got a complete box set of Meyer ... something that was only a dream for so long. The originals are indeed pricey!
as for Tagrine... never heard of her! Will look her up!
bellissima!
Thank you so much for this marvellous historical recording.
What do you think of the Federico Colli interpretation of Scarlatti sonatas (especially the second volume released in February 2020)? I'm asking because I found it incredibly modern and elegantly played.
C`E`ancora un`altra pianista in questo spettro, a questo livello che avevo dimenticato: Maria Tipo. Quindi Wanda Landowska, Marcelle Meye e maria Tipo: un trio d`altri tempi.......
I find her Scarlatti the more so remarkable because she didn't tend to display a piano playing as though it were a cembalo. Visionary!
Indeed! Her Rameau is even more remarkable - she makes 'old' music sound fresh, new, ALIVE ... with such vivacity and robustness, but not in a 'detached' way.... she is so engaged and indeed sensual with her nuancing. A true marvel!
If I say she plays these almost as well as Clara Haskil, that is high praise.
The nice thing about composers like Scarlatti is that there's always something new. Unlike Brahms - a great symphonist who sadly only left 4 masterpieces for us to listen to - there always seems to be a Scarlatti sonata that you haven't heard before. They really come alive under Marcelle Meyer's wonderful playing!
Brahms only left 4 masterpieces? Acquaint yourself further with this MASTER !!
@@alexreik424 I didn't want to use a form of the word "symphony" twice in the same sentence. Of course, if you don't think the symphonies are masterpieces...
@@matthewzisi300 The sonatas for cello for.violin, the sSerenades, Alto Rhapsody, German Requiem... Think you misssd a few Matthew.
@@andrewpetersen5272 I was just referring to Brahms's symphonies (which there are only FOUR of) as masterpieces, not suggest that he wrote only 4 masterpieces.