Claudio Arrau plays Beethoven Diabelli Variations Op. 120 1952 

I heard the great Melvin Chen play these last night at Morse Recital Hall and now I have some wonderful new music !!!!!

Bravo Maestro, he is the best along time. Unforgetable.

Finally, it is his touch. Arrau has the technique, the power and the poetry, but his touch is almost metaphysical, you can hear it throughout, and especially in Variations 32 & 33, the Largo & the Fugue, and the final return to the theme. It is not even the instrument (which is ideal for his purpose), but his incomparable touch and the space between the notes he hits. There really is no way to explain it other than to point to his instinct, something maybe he didn't even understand. His later Op.120 is very fine too, with maybe even better "sound," but the 1952 recording heard here - if the date is accurate - is beyond brilliant. It is beautiful in the same way that it is instinctively and profoundly human. He plays to the heart of the work; he plumbs Beethoven's genius is all I can say.

Largo, molto espressivo What a miracle!

Thanks.

One of the great interpretations!!

I have the Arrau Diabellis that he recorded for Philips in 1985 and that is one of my two go to sets. Arrau does something that most pianists don't and that is link the variations together giving the impression of an integral whole as each one seems to flow logically on the next. So listening to this set from 1952 will be interesting.

This is a great landscape. It's a great epic poem with so many moods, modes, shades and subtleties. The range of emotions is enormous. Together with Bach's sublime Goldberg Variations, these must be the very greatest in the genre. As for the performance, it's vintage Arrau.

At the time of this recording, 1952 in New York, Arrau was at the height of his powers. His rendering far surpasses in my view the recent Schnabel recording of the Diabelli set. (Schnabel was considered at the time the top Beethoven piano player). Arrau in 1952 was a great pianist, yet he was still part of the glorious German school. Later, he would perhaps develop a more personal, abstract style. If you consider the time of the recording (1952) Arrau gave a very modern interpretation. Gracias amigo John Sandoval for posting.

Thank you!

Truly brilliant interpretation.

Genial !!!

Great interpretation

Triumphant - with Schnabel, the greatest reading ever caught on tape.

Cette variation 33...,c est le dédale a l intérieur du silence...

Really Arau?　So different from the CD I had, like a different person. Is it the difference in recording or sound quality...

N aimant pas du tout le catholicisme , cela m attristé de me sentir transféré dans une eglise en écoutant la variation 24. Quelqu un pourrait il me proposer autre chose a quoi penser ?