Claudio Arrau

Claudio Arrau (1903-1991) is a pianist fully deserving of the epithet 'legendary'. His rigorous intellect and sense of the sublime found expression in his transcendent technique and sumptuous, yet lucid sonorities. The recordings in the recently released 24CD collection - made for Columbia Graphophone, Electrola, HMV, Parlophone and Telefunken between 1921 and 1962 - represent a significant portion of his legacy and are indispensable to his extensive discography. They can now be heard in their full glory, thanks to a process of restoration and HD remastering using the original tapes (for recordings from the LP era) or the best available source (for 78s). Among them are four world premiere releases: Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 30 op. 109, a Chopin étude, and two pieces by Liszt.