Virtuoso Philosopher of the Piano

Claudio Arrau EMI Icon 9184322(12 CDs)  ****

EMI have chosen what many people might regard as a paradoxical title for these recordings made by the great Chilean pianist Claudio Arrau between 1938 and 1962. Virtuoso and philosopher? The 1930s performances (Schumann's Carnaval, plus a handful of pieces by Chopin and Debussy) show a virtuoso who was never unleashed on disc in Arrau's best-known recordings, made for Philips from the 1960s onwards, years when, in the words of André Tubeuf's sleeve-note, his studio work was "calculated, threatening and admonishing, allowing for something colossal to emerge".

The playing here is still thoughtful, but flows more freely, though still not as freely as in concert. Arrau believed that the style of his live performances would not bear repetition. This bargain box includes the complete Beethoven piano concertos and nine sonatas, plus works by Weber, Schubert, Tchaikovsky and Brahms. See url.ie/57cs