This week on Exploring Music, help us wish a very happy 90th birthday to the man Pierre Monteux called “the pianistic find of the century.” On the campus of Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, where he has been teaching for fifty years, we sat down with Leon Fleisher who reminisced on his childhood in San Francisco, his studies with Artur Schnabel, his legendary early recordings, his health struggle which for decades robbed him of the full use of his right hand, and his triumphant return to two-handed repertoire. Our journey is accompanied by music of Brahms, Beethoven, Ravel, Schubert, Mozart, Britten, Copland, Kirchner, and a lovely arrangement of Jerome Kern’s “All the Things You Are.”
Fleisher, Leon
Playlist
Episode 4
Godovsky: Symphonic Metamorphoses
of themes from “Schatz-Walzer”
Leon Fleisher
Leon Fleisher Recital – Bach/ Brahms,
Scriabin, Saint-Saens
Sony 48081
11:58
Britten: Diversions for Piano left hand and Orchestra, Op. 21
Variations 1, 2, 10, and 11
Leon Fleisher, Boston Symphony Orchestra; Ozawa
Ravel, Prokofiev: Piano Concertos; Britten/ Fleisher, Ozawa
Sony 47188
8:28
Leon Kirchner: LH for Piano Left Hand
Leon Fleisher
All the Things you are
Bridge 9429
7:19
Ravel: Concerto for Piano Left Hand in D major
Leon Fleisher Boston Symphony Orchestra; Ozawa
Ravel, Prokofiev: Piano Concertos; Britten/ Fleisher, Ozawa
Sony 47188
19:25
Episode 5
Ravel: Miroirs; Alborada del Gracioso
Leon Fleisher
Great Pianists of the 20th Century – Leon Fleisher
Philips 456775
5:53
Mozart: Concerto for 3 Pianos in F major, K 242
I. Allegro
Katherine Jacobson, Leon Fleisher; Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra/ Fleisher
Leon Fleisher/ Mozart/ Piano Concertos
Sony 743505
8:58
Copland: Sonata for Piano
II. Vivace
Leon Fleisher
Copland, Sessions, Kirchner, Rorem/ Leon Fleisher
Sony 57338
4:31
Kern arr. Stephen Prutsman: Very Warm
for May: All the Things You Are
Leon Fleisher
All the Things you are
Bridge 9429
4:49
Schubert: Fantasy for Piano 4 hands
in F minor, D940/ Op. 103
Leon Fleisher, Katherine Jacobson
Four Hands
Sony 506416
5:38
Schubert: Sonata in B Flat
Major, D 960, opus Posthumous
Leon Fleisher
Two Hands; Leon Fleisher
Vanguard Classics ATM CD 1551
20:48
Episode 1
Beethoven: Concerto for Piano No. 2 in B flat, Op. 19
III. Rondo, Molto allegro
Cleveland Orchestra, Szell
Beethoven: The 5 Piano Concertos/ Fleisher, Szell
CBS Masterworks 42445
00:37; 5:37; 2:32
Beethoven: Piano Concerto in C minor,Op.37 No.3
II. Rondo. Allegro
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Monteux
1960 Tanglewood Music Festival
Out of print/private collection
3:00
Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini, Op. 43
Leon Fleisher
Great Pianists of the 20th Century – Leon Fleisher
Philips 456775
22:05
Chopin: Berceuse for Piano in D flat major, B154/ Op. 57
Leon Fleisher
The Journey/ Leon Fleisher
Vanguard 1796
4:53
Episode 2
Brahms: Concerto for Piano No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15
I.Maestoso
Leon Fleisher; Cleveland Orchestra, Szell
Brahms/ Piano Concerto No. 1 & 2, Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Waltzes
Sony Classical Masterworks 63225
21:19
Brahms: Concerto for Piano No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 83
I.Allegro non Troppo
Leon Fleisher; Cleveland Orchestra, Szell
Brahms/ Piano Concerto No. 1 & 2, Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Waltzes
Sony Classical Masterworks 63225
16:59
Brahms: Liebeslieder Waltzes (18) for Piano 4 Hands, Op. 52, No. 17 and 18
Leon Fleisher, Katherine Jacobson
Leon Fleisher/ Four Hands/ Katherine Jacobson
Sony 506416
3:43
Schubert: Ländler, Op. 171
Leon Fleisher
Schubert: Sonata for Piano in B flat major/ Ländler/ Leon Fleisher
Sony 57336
6:54
Episode 3
Mozart: Concerto No. 25 in C Major for Piano and Orchestra, K 503
III. Allegro maestoso
Fleisher, Cleveland Orchestra; Szell
Piano Concerti (Beethoven’s 4th/ Mozart’s 25)
CBS 37762
8:00; 1:31
Beethoven: Concerto for Piano No. 4 in G major, Op. 58
I.Allegro moderato
Leon Fleisher, Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra; Klemperer
Beethoven: Piano Concertos No 2 & 4; Gluck/ Leon Fleisher
Medici Masters 36-2
17:55
Grieg: Concerto for Piano in A minor, Op.16
I,Allegro moderato molto e marcato
Leon Fleisher, Cleveland Orchestra; Szell
Grieg, Schumann: Piano Concertos/ Fleisher, Szell
Sony 92751
12:24
Schumann: Concerto for Piano in A minor, Op. 54
III.Allegro vivace
Leon Fleisher, Cleveland Orchestra; Szell
Grieg, Schumann: Piano Concertos/ Fleisher, Szell
Sony 92751
10:24