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Ludwig van
Beethoven: 32 Variations in C minor.
"These variations
make me think of the Crucifixion of Christ -- sometimes you hear the knocks of hammered
nails."
A year ago, on the
eve of the hundredth birthday anniversary of Maria Yudina, we
restored a recording of her concert in Kiev on April 4, 1954.
The fate of this recording is rather wondrous. Many years ago
the open reel tape with the only copy of this recording was retrieved
from a trash can. It was discarded because the recording didn't
meet technical standards. Indeed, the recording equipment was
poor . And as a result considerable distortion will be heard.
In fact this is more noticeable than is usual for live recordings
of this period. Nevertheless, in our opinion, it is a great document
featuring Yudina's art in the early 1950s. Until now no other
recordings of the Beethoven 32 variations in C minor, the Sonatas
op. 27 no. 2 and op. 31 no.2, and a few more pieces she played
then, have been released. Most likely recordings do not exist.
Judging from the rather scanty details of programs of her recitals,
we are inclined to assume that she tended to put the most complicated
and impressive pieces in the very beginning , for instance the
Beethoven op. 111, or Mozart sonata and fantasia in C minor.
That concert she started from the 32 variations which she would
call "the last Chaconne".....
Ludwig van
Beethoven: 32 variations in C minor - a fragment (MP3: 578Kb)
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