This "Lost Recording" is Definitely Worth Finding!
beautifully recorded in stereo by Berlin-Brandenburg Radio in Saal 3 studio (Hall 3) East Berlin
Honestly at this point with the Ward/Johnson team writing for Tracking Angle, I often feel inadequate writing about classical music but I'll do my best. The Spanish concert pianist Alicia De Larrocha (1923-2009) gained fame in America touring in 1954 with The Los Angeles Philharmonic. She left an extensive discography that included many sonically outstanding recordings for Decca/London, highlighting Spanish composers including Granados, Rodrigo, Falla, Albéniz and others, though she also performed and recorded Liszt, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Chopin and others.
The Lost Recordings located these unreleased studio performances recorded in stereo in 1969 and 1970. These were prime years for tape recordings and for middle-aged Larrocha too, and the sound on this double disc set recorded by Berlin-Brandenburg Broadcasting is superb.
The space seems genuinely large and not the result of studio reverb but if that's wrong, the illusion of actual space was perfectly drawn and Larrocha at the piano appears center stage within the confines of a large studio.
Because most of a tapes found by TLR in the vaults of radio stations around the world are old and many not in perfect condition the company digitizes using a meticulous process (watch the video on the site). The files go to Kevin Gray for lacquer cutting and then pressed by Simon Garcia in Marciac, France. Pressing and packaging quality are outstanding. By the time you've paid for shipping, a double LP set like this (limited to 2000 copies) will cost you close to $100.00 ($80 for the records, the rest is shipping). To be clear, I bought this record, it wasn't a promo copy! The sound is "you are there" engrossing.
I wish the package was more complete and provided greater detail about these performances and included studio photos etc. You're left enjoying the music but adrift as to the context.
Larrocha performs pieces by Spanish composers Solar, Granados, Suriñach, Mompou, Albéniz with a short under two minutes long closer by French composer/pianist Francis Poulenc, who was a friend and with whom she performed.
Though under five feet tall, Larrocha was a keyboard giant. I'm glad this lost recording was found! (The video below is not related to this recording).
