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Review by Donald Ellman, |
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Josef Hofmann: The Complete Recordings, Volume 5 Josef Hofmann made his last issued commercial record in 1924 for Brunswick. The post-1924 material that has become available comprises radio broadcasts, test records and private recordings. (Volumes 1-4 have already appeared on the VAI label, transferred and co-produced by Ward Marston, and this fifth volume helps to inaugurate Marston's own label.) Arranged in chronological order, Volume 5 provides a fascinating survey of the development of one of the great pianists of the century. It is a treasure trove for the admirer of Hofmann's artistry and musicianship and for the student of comparative performance. In 1935, when the first of these recordings was made, Hofmann was 59 and at the height of his powers. The first items are two performances of his Berceuse, one solo performance and one in an arrangement with the violinist Efrem Zimbalist. Hofmann's peerless layering of texture and elegant and subtle nuancing of line in his solo version make the violin and piano version seem redundant. There are five complete performances of Chopin's Waltz in A flat, Op. 42 (and one test starter), three each of the Nocturnes Op. 27 No. 2 and Op. 15 No. 2 and the Minute Waltz, as well as single performances including pieces by Liszt, Beethoven, Liadov and Mendelssohn. All the playing is imbued with a sense of classical poise and beauty of tone and there is some stunning finger technique (the cadenza in the second performance of Op. 27 No. 2 is quite breathtaking). The subtle differences between performances and his ease of technical control underline Hofmann's strong sense of spontaneity and improvisation. These features lay at the heart of his playing and that of so many pianists of his generation and Hofmann handed them down to his great pupil Shura Cherkassky, with whose death we now seem to have lost touch with this vital, life-enhancing characteristic. In the late 1930s, owing to personal problems leading to dependence on drink, Hofmann's career went into decline and, though he was not always quite so infallible technically during those years, these CDs show that his playing gained other qualities, including a greater sense of breadth and a more overt tonal palette, which further clarified his position as a great romantic virtuoso. The more you listen to these performances the more you hear. The sound is inevitably variable and dynamic range is sometimes limited, but it is presentable and never obscures the qualities of the playing. These CDs, with informative notes, are a must for the pianophile.
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