Byron Janis: The Mercury Masters

The legendary American pianist Byron Janis, who turns 95 in March 2023, was the first pupil of another iconic pianist - Vladimir Horowitz. Horowitz famously told Janis 'I don't want you to be a 'second Horowitz' I want you to be a 'first Janis'.' Janis certainly established himself on the world stage when he made his Carnegie Hall debut recital in October 1948, garnering a rave review from the New York Times' Olin Downes who praised him as a distinctive artist in his own right destined for a major career. Between 1960 and 1964 Janis made a set of remarkable recordings for the Mercury Living Presence label. The Janis-Mercury partnership proved to be a good fit with Mercury's uniquely detailed and exciting sound quality, using three microphones for an entire symphony orchestra and piano. Janis welcomed the opportunity to expand his recorded repertoire with Mercury. These recordings have been lovingly restored from the original master tapes and remastered at 24bit 192kHz by mastering engineer Tom Fine and presented in original sleeves. Included as a bonus CD in this edition is a concert recital from Leningrad (St Petersburg) from a historic 1960 visit to Soviet Union, recorded secretly by his Soviet hosts. Janis was the first American pianist to be sent to the Soviet Union to open the first formal cultural exchange - he would later be hailed as 'an ambassador in breaking down 'cold war' barriers'.

Disc 1
1: 1. Moderato
2: 2. Adagio sostenuto
3: 3. Allegro scherzando
4: Prelude in E Flat Major, Op.23, No.6
5: Prélude in C sharp minor, Op.3, No.2

Disc 2
1: 1. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso - Allegro con spirito
2: 2. Andantino semplice - Prestissimo - Tempo I
3: 3. Allegro con fuoco

Disc 3
1: 1. Allegro ma non tanto
2: 2. Intermezzo (Adagio)
3: 3. Finale (Alla breve)

Disc 4
1: 1. Andante - Allegro
2: 2. Tema con variazione
3: 3. Allegro ma non troppo
4: 1. Vivace
5: 2. Andante
6: 3. Allegro vivace

Disc 5
1: Hungarian Rhapsody No.6 in D flat, S.244
2: Valse oubliée No.1 in F sharp, S.215
3: No. 2 in F sharp (Einfach)
4: The Miller's Dance
5: 5. Sonetto 104 del Petrarca
6: The Harmonica Player
7: Toccata, Op.11
8: No. 1 Andante espressivo in G
9: No.1 in F (Markiert und kräftig)
10: No. 3 in F
11: Waltz No.3 in A Minor, Op.34 No.2
12: 1. Run, Run
13: 2. March
14: 3. Hobby-Horse

Disc 6
1: 1. Allegro maestoso
2: 2a. Quasi adagio
3: 2b. Allegretto vivace - Allegro animato
4: 3. Allegro marziale animato
5: 1a. Adagio sostenuto assai
6: 1b. Allegro agitato assai
7: 2. Allegro moderato
8: 3a. Allegro deciso
9: 3b. Marziale un poco meno allegro
10: 4. Allegro animato

Disc 7
1: 1. Allegro affettuoso
2: 2. Intermezzo (Andantino grazioso)
3: 3. Allegro vivace
4: 3. Quasi variazioni (Variations on a Theme by Clara Wieck)
5: Arabeske in C, Op.18

Disc 8
1: Promenade. Allegro giusto, nel modo rustico, senza allegrezza, ma poco sostenuto - attacca
2: Gnomus.Sempre vivo
3: Promenade.Moderato commodo assai e con delicatezza - attacca
4: The Old Castle
5: Promenade.Moderato non tanto,pesamente - attacca
6: The Tuileries Gardens
7: Bydlo.Sempre moderato,pesante
8: Promenade.Tranquillo - attacca
9: Ballet Of The Chickens In Their Shells
10: Samuel Goldenberg And Schmuyle
11: The Market-Place At Limoges
12: The Catacombs (Sepulchrum romanum).Largo - attacca
13: Con mortuis in lingua mortua.Andante non troppo,con lamento
14: The Hut On Fowl's Legs (Baba-Yaga)
15: The Great Gate Of Kiev

Disc 9
1: I. Allegro
2: II. Andante
3: III. Presto
4: Arabesque in C Major, Op. 18
5: I. Grave - Doppio movimento
6: II. Scherzo - Più lento - Tempo I
7: III. Marche funèbre. Lento
8: IV. Finale. Presto
9: Valse oubliée No. 1 in F-Sharp Major, S. 215
10: 5. Sonetto 104 del Petrarca
11: I. Molto moderato
12: II. Vivace
13: III. Andante sostenuto
14: No. 3 in F Major "The Horseman"
15: No. 5 in G-Flat Major "Black Keys"
16: The Miller's Dance

Disc 10
1: 1. Moderato
2: 2. Adagio sostenuto
3: 3. Allegro scherzando
4: Prélude in C sharp minor, Op.3, No.2
5: Prelude in E Flat Major, Op.23, No.6
6: 1. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso - Allegro con spirito
7: 2. Andantino semplice - Prestissimo - Tempo I
8: 3. Allegro con fuoco
9: 1. Allegro ma non tanto
10: 2. Intermezzo (Adagio)
11: 3. Finale (Alla breve)
12: 1. Andante - Allegro
13: 2. Tema con variazione
14: 3. Allegro ma non troppo
15: 1. Vivace
16: 2. Andante
17: 3. Allegro vivace
18: Hungarian Rhapsody No.6 in D flat, S.244
19: Valse oubliée No.1 in F sharp, S.215
20: No. 2 in F sharp (Einfach)
21: The Miller's Dance
22: 5. Sonetto 104 del Petrarca
23: The Harmonica Player
24: Toccata, Op.11
25: No. 1 Andante espressivo in G
26: No.1 in F (Markiert und kräftig)
27: No. 3 in F
28: Waltz No.3 in A Minor, Op.34 No.2
29: 1. Run, Run
30: 2. March
31: 3. Hobby-Horse
32: 1. Allegro maestoso
33: 2a. Quasi adagio
34: 2b. Allegretto vivace - Allegro animato
35: 3. Allegro marziale animato
36: 1a. Adagio sostenuto assai
37: 1b. Allegro agitato assai
38: 2. Allegro moderato
39: 3a. Allegro deciso
40: 3b. Marziale un poco meno allegro
41: 4. Allegro animato
42: 1. Allegro affettuoso
43: 2. Intermezzo (Andantino grazioso)
44: 3. Allegro vivace
45: 3. Quasi variazioni (Variations on a Theme by Clara Wieck)
46: Arabeske in C, Op.18
47: Promenade. Allegro giusto, nel modo rustico, senza allegrezza, ma poco sostenuto - attacca
48: Gnomus.Sempre vivo
49: Promenade.Moderato commodo assai e con delicatezza - attacca
50: The Old Castle
51: Promenade.Moderato non tanto,pesamente - attacca
52: The Tuileries Gardens
53: Bydlo.Sempre moderato,pesante
54: Promenade.Tranquillo - attacca
55: Ballet Of The Chickens In Their Shells
56: Samuel Goldenberg And Schmuyle
57: The Market-Place At Limoges
58: The Catacombs (Sepulchrum romanum).Largo - attacca
59: Con mortuis in lingua mortua.Andante non troppo,con lamento
60: The Hut On Fowl's Legs (Baba-Yaga)
61: The Great Gate Of Kiev

Number of Discs: 10

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