Early and rare Kapell at his best.
robert sorrentino | Cherry hill, New Jersey | 06/05/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Anyone who wants to hear some excellent Kapell rarities, mostly taken from broadcast performances, would do well to buy this. A performance of the last two movements of the Beethoven Third Piano Concerto, recorded when Kapell was only 14 (!), shows remarkable maturity of style. His performance of the Mussorgsky "Pictures," recorded at Connecticut College just a few months before his death, is as good, if not better, than the recently released Frick gallery performance, although the sound is somewhat scratchy. The notes by Kapell's widow, Dr. Anna Lou Kapell DeHavenon, give us some excellent insights into the performances and the man himself. Overall, excellent. The only thing that prevented me from giving the recording five stars was the somewhat variable sound quality, but why quibble when you're dealing with performances of this calibre?"
In memory of an everlasting genius!
Hiram Gomez Pardo | Valencia, Venezuela | 10/05/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Among the terrible disgrace that this irreparable loss meant for it, although more than a half of century has elapsed, the figure, significance and stature of William Kapell seems to be unlimited. Once you listen any single piece of this legendary pianist the most exigent listener or exigent musical newcomers surely will stand mesmerized and engaged by his steeled fingering, passionate lyricism and captivating sound.
Beethoven 's Third Piano Concerto found in Kapell an idiomatic performer. Pitifully only the second and third movement could be preserved, but it was clearly enough the monumentality and the level of commitment immersed in his soul.
The genealogic tree of Kapell literally cracked in this score, galvanized with this Russian mood, so incisive, refulgent, caustic and powerfully percussive. Ormandy was a perfect partner conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra.
The Pictures at exhibition in hands of Kapell acquired immediately another superior level of performance. Incisive, mercurial and somberly played, tinged and hovered by a nocturnal poetry,; these pictures will stand as one the major achievements of this young genius of the keyboard, who definitively did not deserve to leave so early, because the world since that fatidic day - October / 29 / 1953 - became absolutely orphan of him. Many pianist of the future will appear, some of them will be reminded, others simply forgotten, but the egregious figure of Kapell will be enhancing mo and more, no matter the years to come.
In memoriam. !
"
Track Listings (23) - Disc #1