Vladimir Horowitz donated these live mono recordings, made at his behest for his personal archive, to Yale University in 1986. Originally contained on 12 and 16 inch acetate discs, they have been impeccably remastered for this release, with the sound carefully restored, based on new transfers made from the archival masters in the Yale collection.
The critically acclaimed series Vladimir Horowitz – The Private Colleftion continues with the third release of never-before-available live recordings of Horowitz in recital in Carnegie Hall during the prime of his career, between 1945 and 1948. This third release takes the listener into a fascinating, often overlooked corner of Horowitz’s repertoire – the Classical keyboard sonatas of Haydn and Beethoven. The pianist had recorded Haydn’s Sonata No. 52 in E-flat Major in 1932, when the work was virtually unknown; when he returned to it for this 1948 performance, he brought a grander, more orchestral sound to the piece, adding to it with the interpretive detail and dazzling technique that were his calling cards. The two Beethoven masterpieces – the “Waldstein” and “Moonlight” – are instantly recognizable and Horowitz makes them quite special in these live performances, filled with compelling insights and flashes of performing genius.
