Tah 591 - French Pianistes (#1): Nat, Lazare-Lévy, Meyer

Chopin: Sonata No. 2 (Yves Nat, Paris 1953), Schumann: Fantasiestücke, Debussy: Masques, Lazare-Lévy : Prelude No. 1 (Lazare-Lévy, 1955), Chabrier: 9 pieces for piano (Meyer, 1955)

This CD is the first of a series dedicated to some great pianists of the Twentieth century, and included two previously unissued recordings: the Chopin Second Piano sonata by Yves Nat, from the famous recital that he gave in 1953 at Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, and Chabrier's nine Pièces pour Piano, by Marcelle Meyer, recorded by the Italian Radio in Rome in 1955. The Fantasiestücke by Schumann come from the broadcast of a public recital that Lazare-Lévy gave in Warsaw in February 1955 and existed for a long time only on a very rare Polish "Muza" LP. We have included as a bonus both sides of a very rare 78 Gramophone rpm of 1929, with Lazare-Lévy playing Debussy and a prelude that he composed himself.

Date : May, 2006 - Barre code : 3504129059118

Tah 556/558 - Lazare-Lévy and his pupils Clara Haskil, Solomon, Monique Haas

CD 1 : Lazare-Lévy plays works by Couperin, Mozart (Sonatas K 320 and 331), Beethoven, Chopin (4 Mazurkas), Chabrier and Debussy (1950-1955)

CD 2: Lazare-Lévy plays works by Schumann (Kreisleriana), Dukas et Chopin (Enregistrements 1931-1951
- Clara Haskil plays Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 9 (Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester, Otto Ackermann, 1954)
- Solomon plays works by Debussy, Couperin, Scarlatti, Déodat de Sévérac and Daquin (1946-1948)

CD 3: Solomon plays Brahms' Concerto No. 1 (Berliner Philharmoniker, Eugen Jochum, 1954)
- Monique Haas plays Bartok's Concerto No.3 (Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Eugen Jochum, 1951)

Alongside Alfred Cortot and Marguerite Long, Lazare-Lévy was a renowned pedagogue of the first half of the twentieth century. But since he didn't make a recording career, his name is somewhat forgotten by the musical world today. For the 40th anniversary of his death and with the support of his family, we have decided to release the present tribute including a number of previously unissued radio recordings. On the same occasion we decided to include in this set three of his most famous pupils (Monique Haas, Clara Haskil et Solomon) illustrating thus the so-called "Ecole Lazare-Lévy".

Note : May be partly downloaded on i-tunes

Date : November, 2004 - Barre code : 3504129055615