Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Frédéric Chopin, Frederick Delius, George Handel, Ferencz Liszt, Franz Schubert, Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Performer: Evlyn Howard-Jones, Edward Isaacs
Number of Discs: 2
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: APR
Release: 2021
Size: 550 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Bach: Prelude & Fugue Book 1 No. 10 in E minor, BWV855
01. I. Prelude
02. II. Fuge
Bach: Prelude & Fugue Book 1 No. 11 in F major, BWV856
03. I. Prelude
04. II. Fuge
Bach: Prelude & Fugue Book 1 No. 12 in F minor, BWV857
05. I. Prelude
06. II. Fugue
Bach: Prelude & Fugue Book 1 No. 13 in F sharp major, BWV858
07. I. Prelude
08. II. Fugue
Bach: Prelude & Fugue Book 1 No. 14 in F sharp minor, BWV859
09. I. Prelude
10. II. Fugue
Bach: Prelude & Fugue Book 1 No. 15 in G major, BWV860
11. I. Prelude
12. II. Fugue
Bach: Prelude & Fugue Book 1 No. 16 in G minor, BWV861
13. I. Prelude
14. II. Fugue
Bach: Prelude & Fugue Book 1 No. 17, BWV862
15. I. Prelude
16. II. Fugue
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 ‘Moonlight’
17. I. Adagio sostenuto
18. II. Allegretto
19. III. Presto agitato
Beethoven: Rondos (2), Op. 51
20. No. 2 in G Major
21. Beethoven: Ecossaises (6) in E flat major, WoO 83
Liszt: Two Concert Studies, S145 / R6: Gnomenreigen; Waldesrauschen
22. No. 1, Waldesrauschen
Liszt: Liebesträume, S541 Nos. 1-3
23. No. 3, Oh Lieb, so lang du lieben kannst (1)
Brahms: Klavierstücke (8), Op. 76
24. No. 2, Capriccio. Allegretto non troppo
25. Delius: Dance for harpsichord
Delius: Five Little Pieces
26. No. 1, Mazurka for a Little Girl
27. No. 2, Waltz for a Little Girl
28. No. 3, Waltz
29. No. 5, Toccata
Delius: Preludes (3) for piano
30. No. 1, Scherzando
31. No. 2, Quick
32. No. 3, Con moto
CD 02
Bach: French Suite No. 5 in G major, BWV816 (excerpts)
01. I. Allemande
02. II. Courante
03. VII. Gigue
04. Handel: Fantaisie in C major, HWV490
Handel: Keyboard Suite, HWV 430 in E major ‘The Harmonious Blacksmith’
05. IV. Air & 5 Variations “The Harmonious Blacksmith”
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 ‘Pathetique’
06. I. Grave – Allegro di molto e con brio
07. II. Adagio cantabile
08. III. Rondo. Allegro
Schubert: Moments Musicaux (6), D780, Op. 94
09. No. 3, Allegro moderato
10. Chopin: Bolero, Op. 19
Chopin: Waltzes (3), Op. 34
11. No. 2 in A Minor, B. 64
Chopin: Waltzes (3), Op. 64
12. No. 1 in D-Flat Major
13. No. 2 in C-Sharp Minor
Chopin: Waltzes (3), Op. 70
14. No. 3 in D-Flat Major, B. 40
15. Chopin: Waltz No. 14 in E minor, Op. post., KKIVa:15, B 56
Liszt: Chants Polonais after Chopin (6), S480
16. No. 5, Moja pieszczotka (After Chopin’s Op. 74)
Liszt: Liebesträume, S541 Nos. 1-3
17. No. 3, Oh Lieb, so lang du lieben kannst (2)
Tchaikovsky: Morceaux (2), Op. 10
18. No. 2, Humoresque
The two pianists featured here were contemporaries, both English. Both made a small number of recordings for Columbia between 1926 and 1930 and today are largely forgotten.
Howard-Jones was of an academic nature whose interpretations were described as having ‘scholarly and fastidious profundity’. He excelled in Bach and Brahms and his Well-Tempered Clavier recordings in particular offer playing of rare spirituality and beauty. As a friend of the composer and dedicatee of five of the piano pieces, his Delius recordings, which comprise the complete meagre published output for solo piano by the composer, have a unique authority.
Edward Isaacs, who revelled in the repertoire of Chopin and Liszt, was described as “a kindly genial companion and a witty charming raconteur”. His recordings radiate brilliance and joie de vivre. This is the first time most of these discs have been reissued since the days of the original 78s. An added bonus is the discovery of a wonderful previously unpublished Howard-Jones recording of Beethoven’s Rondo in G major.