
Leon Fleisher:Willy was beyond a doubt the greatest pianistic talent this country [United States] has ever produced.
No small compliment coming from another great pianist.It is a tribute to William Kapell that,although he died at the age of 31, he was already a mature artist.Onedoes not have a sense of unfulfilled potential, ala James Dean, for thereis fulfillment in plenty on each of the nine discs in this boxed set.Iknow of no other pianist who gave so many definitive performances in such ashort time.
The Chopin Sonata in B Minor, Op. 58 is easily the best thislistener has ever heard, either on record or in concert--Kapell outclasseseven Rubinstein.The same can be said for the Mazurkas, which carefullybalance the dance elements of these small jewels with their tone poemqualities.
Both the Rachmaninoff Second Concerto and the PaganiniRhapsody eclipse all other recordings, even those of the composer--whocertainly knew how to play the piano.
Two other Russian concertos, byAram Khachaturian and Sergei Prokofiev, were early staples of Kapell'srepertoire--and the performances are again a perfect balance of poetry andfury, which is exactly what this music requires.
A recording of Kapellin recital from March of 1953 (including another definitive performance:the Copland Sonata) reveals that Kapell's extraordinary technique andmusicianship are not the result of recording engineers and tape splicing--this is the real thing.
Perhaps most welcome of all is a twenty minute interview with Kapell, which reveals a profundity and maturity, bothas man and musician, far beyond his years.
The sound has been superbly restored and the documentation is excellent.This boxed set is a template for how all classical music reissues should be handled.This set isindispensable for all lovers of piano music.
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