Pachmann: The Mythic Pianist, 1907-1927

Pachmann: The Mythic Pianist, 1907-1927

Pachmann: The Mythic Pianist, 1907-1927
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Category: Music CD
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CD Details

Composer: Frederic Chopin
Composer: Felix [1] Mendelssohn
Composer: Joachim Raff
Composer: Robert Schumann
Composer: Johannes Brahms
Composer: Franz Liszt
Performer: Vladimir de Pachmann
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2001-09-25
Music Label: Arbiter
Soundtracks:
  1. Nocturne for piano in E minor, KK IV/b
  2. Nocturne for piano No. 8 in D flat major, Op. 27/2, CT. 115
  3. Nocturne for piano No. 4 in F major, Op. 15/1, CT. 111
  4. Nocturne for piano No. 12 in G major, Op. 37/2, CT. 119
  5. Waltz for piano No. 7 in C sharp minor, Op. 64/2, CT. 213
  6. Mazurka for piano No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 50/2, CT. 81
  7. Mazurka for piano No. 38 in F sharp minor, Op. 59/3, CT. 88
  8. Mazurka for piano No. 45 in A minor, Op. 67/4. CT. 95
  9. Mazurka for piano No. 24 in C major, Op. 33/3, CT. 74
  10. Impromptu for piano in A flat major, Op. 29, CT. 43
  11. Etude for piano No. 3 in E major, Op. 10/3, CT. 16
  12. Etude for piano No. 5 in G flat major, Op. 10/5, CT. 18
  13. Etude for piano No. 12 in C minor ('Revolutionary'), Op. 10/12, CT. 25
  14. Etude for piano No. 17 in E minor, Op. 25/5, CT.30
  15. Ballade for piano No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52, CT. 5: 2nd half
  16. Prelude for piano No. 15 in D flat major, Op. 28/15, CT. 180
  17. Prelude for piano No. 24 in D minor, Op. 28/24, CT. 189
  18. Prelude & Fugue for piano in E minor/E major, Op. 35/1: Prelude in E minor
  19. Song Without Words for piano No. 12 in F sharp minor ('Venetianisches Gondellied'), Op. 30/6
  20. Song Without Words for piano No. 34 in C major ('Spinnerlied'), Op. 67/4
  21. Etude for piano ('La Fileuse'), Op. 157/2
  22. Novellette for piano in F major, Op. 21/1
  23. Capriccio for piano in C sharp minor, Op. 76/5
  24. Polonaise, for piano No.2 in E major, S. 223/2 (LW A171/2): 2nd half

Music reviews of Pachmann: The Mythic Pianist, 1907-1927

Music Review: Pachmann Revealed
Rating: 5 Stars


The Arbiter de paachman cd is a most valuable contribution, offering in one cd,with excellent sound, well -chosen examples of the art of a much maligned pianist. My view of de paachman has been changed.

Schonberg, in "The Great Pianists" notes, at page 313: "Listening to (his) records,...it is hard to conceive how he could ever have been taken seriously..." Going on, at page 317: "If (his) records are to taken as a guide--it is impossible to take him seriously," noting further,"...his weird and pathetic attempt to play the Godowsky parapharse of Chopin's Revolutionary Etude for the left hand alone."

Well,Schonberg couldn't be more wrong based on what I have heard here. (I'd be more inclined to take Liszt's word, as well as favorable comments by Bauer,Godowsky,Busoni,Rachmaninoff)

Tha Arbiter cd HAS the Godowsky-Chopin Revolutionary. To my ear, Paachman gets as many of the notes as any ( I also have the Hobson and Grante performances),and Paachman does a better job of carrying the melodic line.

An encyclopedia of the time refers to Paachman's nuance,tone,touch,feathery pianissimi,all of which are in abundance on this cd. One is not even aware keys are being touched as the sound simply seems to arise on its own from the instrument.The recording techniques of the day have a hard time catching all the painissimi levels.Paachman's playing brings much of the nuance and color and drama of Sauer,Rosenthal,or Friedman, with an additional touch of elegance,yet maintains line and tempi with little,if any, "romantic" excess or distortion. One is reminded of the young Artur Rubinstein,although Paachman's tone a bit richer, the music a bit more lovingly played. Whether he ever said so or not,I am convinced Rubinstein was influenced by what to my ears is a very "modern" approach to pianism, in general,Chopin in particular. Emotion does not distort line or rythym; in Chopin, the left-hand the rather more strcit time-keeper we might have expected from Paachman,while the right hand ,with restrained rubato, takes flight. I was not expecting such discipline in Paachman's playing.

Edward Steuermann,after hearing Paachman noted:" Despite the intoxication of color which our modern nerves long for,one must remember that it is for the most part one voice, in this art,which speaks to us,no, sings to us;the voice must not stray so far that from a lyic poem comes forth a drama."

Arthur Symons put it thus:" The pianoforte was once a ship with sails,beautiful in the wind;it is now a steamer,with loud propellers and blinding smoke.And it is not only the Busonis and the Mark Hambourgs who sacrifice beauty to noise,but every great executant,with the single exception of Pachmann..."

(The above quotes are taken from the excellent liner notes by Mark Mitchell,copyright 2001.)

Equally impressive is the technical ability revealed here. Chopin Nocturne Op.27,2#; the Godowsky-Chopin Revolutionary; the Op.10,#3 and #5,the 3rd Ballade,Op.25,#5, cant be faked.I find no shortcuts,i find no "pathetic" attempts,but remarkable performances especially in an age of no editing. The Raindrop Prelude is gorgeous;the famous Op.28,#24,if not the slam-bang rendering of most modern performances,is even more disturbing,malevolent in its color,nuance and restraint in his hands. The Mendelssohn Prelude Op.35/1,and the Liszt Polonaise #2 are taken head on with excellent results.

Mitchell suggests that Paachman's "reputation" may have had as much to do with the relief his colorful,atmospheric playing brought to audiences encumbered with Victorian morality as to any alledged "excess" in his palying, plausible given playing that sounds very "modern" to my ears.Whatever confluence of fact or fiction had leads to the prevailing view of Paachman,this cd provides a stark contrast, wonderful colorful,tasteful,imaginative playing,technically well-done, a time-machine which is a must.(1907-1925!!)

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