The Decca Legacy

Total timing — 12'49:00 CD1- 57:20 / CD2- 38:36 / CD3- 58:06 / CD4- 70:36 / CD5- 50:57 / CD6- 68:21 / CD7- 70:10 / CD8- 60:35 / CD9- 40:56 / CD10- 62:02 / CD11- 79:40 / CD12- 37:27 / CD13- 74:08 MONO / STEREO § (CD6, CD7, CD13:1–2) Recording Locations: Decca Studios, West Hampstead, London, 25 October 1949 (1-1 to 1-5); 23 March 1950 (10-6 to 10-11, [‡ 10-12, 10-13]), 24 March 1950 ([‡ 1-10, 1-13], 10-1 to 10-5), 10 November 1950 (4-5 to 4-8), 13 November 1950 (8-1 to 8-8), 5 November 1951 (5-1, 5-2, 8-9 to 8-11), 30 March 1953 (CD2), 31 March 1953 (4-1 to 4-4), 23, 26 & 27 November 1953 (CD11, CD12), 23 May 1955 (1-6 to 1-9, 1-11), 24–28 February 1958 § (CD6, CD7); Kingsway Hall, London, 26–27 March 1953 (5-3 to 5-5), 2 & 4 June 1954 (CD9); Victoria Hall, Geneva, Switzerland, September 1953 (CD3); (Alte Jakobstraße, Berlin) Germany, 27 May 1935 (13-7 to 13-9); Alte Jakobstraße – Raum IX, Berlin, 24 July 1936 (13-3 to 13-6); live at Prades Festival, France, July 1961 § (13-1, 13-2) ‡ Previously unpublished ℗ 1935 (13-7 to 13-9), 1936 (13-3 to 13-6) Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin ℗ 1950 (1-1 to 1-5), 1951 (4-5 to 4-8, 8-1 to 8-8, 10-1 to 10-11), 1952 (5-1, 5-2, 8-9 to 8-11), 1953 (CD2, 4-1 to 4-4, 5-3 to 5-5), 1954 (CD3, CD11, CD12), 1955 (1-6 to 1-9, 1-11, CD9), 1958 § (7-5 to 7-8), 1959 § (CD6, 7-1 to 7-4), 2021 [‡ 1-10], 2022 [‡ 1-13, 10-12, 10-13] Decca Music Group Limited ℗ 1962 § (13-1, 13-2) Universal International Music B.V. Made in Australia https://www.eloquenceclassics.com/releases/wilhelm-kempff-the-decca-legacy/ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * RECORDING INFORMATION CD 1 (Tracks 1-5) Recording Producer: unknown Balance Engineer: unknown Recording Location: Decca Studios, West Hampstead, London, UK, 25 October 1949 Audio Restoration: Mark Obert-Thorn Matrix nos.: AR 14217 (BWV 147); AR 14218 (BWV 645); AR 14215 (BWV 659); AR 14222 (BWV 727); AR 14219-21 (BWV 903) Original Decca 78rpm Releases: Decca K 28224 (BWV 147, BWV 645); K 28223 (BWV 659); K 28226 (BWV 727); K 28225-26 (BWV 903): c. September 1950 ℗ 1950 Decca Music Group Limited MONO Kempff’s transcription of the Siciliano from Bach’s Flute Sonata, BWV 1031 (matrix no. AR 14216) was also recorded at the October 1949 sessions and was issued on the reverse side of Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (K 28223), but, if ever published, has not been located. The transfers for BWV 645, 659 and 727 were from a tape transfer in the Decca archive and that for BWV 147 and 645 from a shellac copy of the published recording. (Tracks 6-13) Recording Producer: unknown Balance Engineer: unknown Recording Location: Decca Studios, West Hampstead, London, UK, 24 March 1950 (Rameau: Musette en Rondeau, Brahms), 23 May 1955 (Handel, Couperin, Rameau: Le Rappel des oiseaux, Beethoven) Audio Restoration: Mark Obert-Thorn (Rameau: Musette en Rondeau, Brahms); Brahms digital transfer by Andrew Hallifax Original Decca Releases: 71083 (Couperin, Rameau: Le Rappel des oiseaux): September 1955; LW 5212 (Beethoven, Handel): December 1955 (Beethoven also released as 71091: October 1955) ℗ 1955 (Couperin: Le Carillon de Cythère; Rameau: Le Rappel des oiseaux; Beethoven; Handel), 2021 (Rameau: Musette en Rondeau), 2022 (Brahms) Decca Music Group Limited MONO CD 2 Recording Producer: unknown Balance Engineer: unknown Recording Location: Decca Studios, West Hampstead, London, UK, 30 March 1953 Original Decca Release: LXT 2820: September 1953 ℗ 1953 Decca Music Group Limited MONO CD 3 Recording Producer: Victor Olof Balance Engineer: Gil Went Recording Location: Victoria Hall, Geneva, Switzerland, September 1953 Original Decca Release: LXT 2861: July 1954 ℗ 1954 Decca Music Group Limited MONO CD 4 Recording Producer: unknown Balance Engineer: unknown Recording Location: Decca Studios, West Hampstead, London, UK, 31 March 1953 (D.845), 10 November 1950 (D.960) Original Decca Releases: LXT 2834 (D.845): October 1953; LXT 2577 (D.960): May 1951 ℗ 1951 (D.960), 1953 (D.845) Decca Music Group Limited MONO CD 5 Recording Producers: Victor Olof (Piano Concerto), unknown (Papillons, Arabeske) Balance Engineers: Kenneth Wilkinson (Piano Concerto), unknown (Papillons, Arabeske) Recording Locations: Kingsway Hall, London, UK, 26–27 March 1953 (Piano Concerto); Decca Studios, West Hampstead, London, UK, 5 November 1951 (Papillons, Arabeske) Original Decca Releases: LXT 2806 (Piano Concerto): July 1953; LXT 2670 (Papillons, Arabeske): March 1952 ℗ 1952 (Papillons, Arabeske), 1953 (Piano Concerto) Decca Music Group Limited MONO CD 6 Recording Producers: James Walker, Ray Minshull Balance Engineer: unknown Recording Location: Decca Studio 1, West Hampstead, London, UK, 24–28 February 1958 Original Decca Releases: SXL 2025 (Piano Sonata No. 2): May 1959; SXL 2024 (Impromptus, Fantaisie-Impromptu, Berceuse, Barcarolle, Nocturne, Scherzo): February 1959 ℗ 1959 Decca Music Group Limited STEREO CD 7 Recording Producers: James Walker, Ray Minshull Balance Engineer: unknown Recording Location: Decca Studio 1, West Hampstead, London, UK, 24–28 February 1958 Original Decca Releases: SXL 2025 (Piano Sonata No. 3): May 1959; LXT 5445 (Ballade No. 3, Andante spianato et Grande polonaise brillante, Fantaisie in F minor, Polonaise-Fantaisie): September 1958 (also released on SXL 2081: January 1959) ℗ 1958 (Ballade No. 3, Andante spianato et Grande polonaise brillante, Fantaisie in F minor, Polonaise-Fantaisie), 1959 (Piano Sonata No. 3) Decca Music Group Limited STEREO CD 8 (Tracks 1-8) Recording Producer: unknown Balance Engineer: unknown Recording Location: Decca Studios, West Hampstead, London, UK, 13 November 1950 Original Decca Release: LXT 2572: May 1951 ℗ 1951 Decca Music Group Limited MONO (Tracks 9-11) Recording Producer: unknown Balance Engineer: unknown Recording Location: Decca Studios, West Hampstead, London, UK, 5 November 1951 Original Decca Release: LXT 2670: March 1952 ℗ 1952 Decca Music Group Limited MONO CD 9 Recording Producer: Peter Andry Balance Engineer: Kenneth Wilkinson Recording Location: Kingsway Hall, London, UK, 2 & 4 June 1954 Original Decca Release: LXT 5025: March 1955 ℗ 1955 Decca Music Group Limited MONO CD 10 Recording Producer: unknown Balance Engineer: unknown Recording Location: West Hampstead Studios, London, UK, 23 March 1950 (Op. 118), 24 March 1950 (Op. 79, Op. 117) Original Decca Releases: LX 3033 (Op. 79, Op. 117): March 1951; LX 3032 (Op. 118): March 1951 (Op. 118 Nos. 2 & 3 also released on X363: October 1950) ℗ 1951 (Op. 79, Op. 117, Op. 118), 2022 (Op. 118 No. 6 – alternative takes) Decca Music Group Limited MONO CD 11 Recording Producer: John Culshaw Balance Engineer: unknown Recording Location: Decca Studios, West Hampstead, London, UK, 23 & 26 November 1953 Original Decca Releases: LXT 2914 (Ballades, Klavierstücke Op. 76): March 1954; LX 3134 (Rhapsodies, Intermezzi Op. 117): September 1954 ℗ 1954 Decca Music Group Limited MONO CD 12 Recording Producer: John Culshaw Balance Engineer: unknown Recording Location: West Hampstead Studios, London, UK, 23, 26, 27 May 1953 Original Decca Release: LXT 2935: June 1954 ℗ 1954 Decca Music Group Limited MONO CD 13 (Tracks 1-2) Producer: unknown Balance Engineer: unknown Recording Location: Prades, France, July 1961 Original Philips Release: 835101 ℗ 1962 Universal International Music B.V. LIVE RECORDING – STEREO (Tracks 3-6) Producer: unknown Balance Engineer: unknown Recording Location: Alte Jakobstraße – Raum IX, Berlin, 24 July 1936 Transfers and Mastering: Christophe Hénault (Studio Dante) Matrix Nos: 609–13 gs Original 78rpm Grammophon/Polydor Release: 57035–7 ℗ 1936 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin (Tracks 7-9) Recording Producers: Oskar Blaesche, Hrich Ehrich Recording Location: Germany, 27 May 1935 Transfers: David Lennick Mastering: Christophe Hénault (Studio Dante) Matrix Nos: 505–506 gs Original 78rpm Grammophon/Polydor Release: 35017–20, 67062–65 ℗ 1935 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin