As a follow-up to my post of Elliott Carter's Piano Sonata and Pocahontas Suite, here is the composer's 1948 Cello Sonata and a second version of the piano work. This is from a circa 1952 American Recording Society LP.
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| Bernard Greenhouse |
Carter wrote the cello score for Bernard Greenhouse, then a young soloist. This was several years before the instrumentalist's long and illustrious association with the Beaux Arts Trio. Greenhouse and pianist Anthony Makas gave the premiere of the work in Town Hall in 1950.
On the other side of the LP, Beveridge Webster makes the Piano Sonata his own in a version that I prefer to the Charles Rosen account that appeared here a while back, not that the Rosen isn't a tremendous accomplishment in its own right. But Webster's approach in the stormier passages of the second movement does make the later reading seem deadpan.
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| Beveridge Webster |
Like Rosen, Webster recorded the sonata twice - the second time for Dover, for which he produced seemingly the entire piano literature in low-priced editions that once were commonly found in bookstores.
I am certain this is the first recording of the Cello Sonata; I believe that is true of the piano work as well. The sound is very good.
8 comments:
Links (Apple lossless):
https://mega.co.nz/#!bFtk3JRJ!lUAWeEbHfQ7EvB4mZ2H3DHrkIotYfTpaE-yqXQ89s_k
https://www.mediafire.com/?sw5r84x87bb7rrv
Thanks for this LP transfer, Buster!
Many thanks Buster for that rare and so convincing recording.
And HAPPY Easter !!!
Many thanks Buster for that rare and so convincing recording.
And HAPPY Easter !!!
always great to hear Beveridge Webster do anything.Thanks for this rarity.
DrRay3
Thank you. A rare chance to hear this music.
Thank you for this one, I've heard a live performance of one of Carters early orchestral pieces a few years ago, and I've always been interested in his music since, even if it is fairly hard to find good recordings.
I cannot believe I missed this one, perhaps you need to add an 'American Recording Society' tag. Looking forward to the hearing that other Howard Swanson recording you mentioned back in 2018.
Hi Graham,
I was just reflecting today on two of my weak points: labeling and follow-through! The former was induced by trying to find some of my old posts of industrial musicals; the latter by being reminded of a promise made long ago and not kept!
You are right that an ARS tag would be helpful. I should also transfer more ARS recordings; there are a number of them across the room from me right now. Now I just have to find those Howard Swanson records I touted.
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