André Watts The Complete Columbia Album Collection

When Leonard Bernstein introduced the 16 year old pianist Andre Watts on his Young People's Concerts program broadcast on CBS in January 1963 (he was chosen to fill in for an ailing Glenn Gould) it was more than a musical gesture. Bernstein's involvement in the civil rights causes of the 1960s made this an unmistakable statement, attempting at least to begin to redress certain wrongs that afflicted even the high-minded classical music world by presenting a hugely gifted young African-American pianist on his influential television program. It was a spectacular debut, one I was privileged to witness first hand as a child seated somewhere in the middle of the orchestra seats. The thunderous applause of a genuine standing ovation (that included the grizzled members of the New York Philharmonic) began seconds before the final notes of the Liszt Piano Concerto no.1 in E-flat resonated through the hall. I remember lowering the flaps of my incredibly dorky-looking hat in a vain attempt to drown out the noise of that thunderous ovation. It was my introduction to a virtuoso performer and the apparent ease with which he played and the approbation it engendered made me practice that much harder.This compilation of all of the recordings that Watts made for Columbia Records begins, appropriately enough, with that same Liszt concerto recorded some two weeks after his broadcast debut. His playing style evolves as one listens to these recordings, from the relative anonymity of his early virtuoso phase to what my ears hear as the more free-flowing style of Schnabel as absorbed from his later studies with Leon Fleisher. Watts was blessed with large hands which gave his playing a deceptive-sounding ease and facility. His playing often has a beautiful "weightless" quality to it that one can hear in the Chopin Concerto no.2 in F minor accompanied by the NYP conducted by the underrated Thomas Schippers in a 1965 recording included on the first disc. It is a lovely performance: lyrical and lilting in the way only Chopin's music can sound when played well. Next, Watts performs solo works by Haydn, Debussy, Liszt and Chopin on his debut recital album and proves that his playing style of lyrical ease and free-flowing expressiveness as evidenced by his first album was no fluke.Watts is more than a mere technician, even at this early stage. His use of keyboard dynamics as an expressive tool is sophisticated and subtle, especially on his next recording. The Brahms Piano Concerto no.2 in B-flat Major (accompanied by the NYP conducted by Bernstein) is a mountain of a work, its four symphonic movements designed to make a pianist sweat. It is filled with drama and pathos, requiring that a musician convey a full palette of emotions without ever going overboard into bathos or melodrama. The concerto can prove to be a minefield or even a trap if not played with a certain non-romantic detachment: the very antithesis of playing Rachmaninoff. This performance of the Brahms evinces an emotional restraint that one doesn't usually associate with Leonard Bernstein. The result is a performance of great poignancy and lyrical beauty, especially in the slow movement. This performance is up there with Richter's accompanied by Leinsdorf on RCA Living Stereo and Geza Anda with the Berlin Philharmonic under Karajan.The Rachmaninoff Third Piano Concerto and the Tchaikovsky First, both accompanied by the NYP conducted by Ozawa and Bernstein, revel in their emotional abandon without going over-the-top. Both concertos are difficult to play without making them sound like movie music, calling-up visions of Paul Henreid lighting Bette Davis' cigarette in the mind's eye. Watts is slightly restrained in his playing, minimizing rubato and emphasizing the lyricism that suffuses both concertos. The result is a pair of excellent performances, not the finest but solid nonetheless. The set also includes several excellent recital performances that are quite enjoyable to listen to after all these years. The collection concludes with a CD containing music by Gershwin recorded in 1976 and Watts' final Columbia recording of a live recital performance in Tokyo made in 1980. He left the label shortly thereafter.As with all of the Sony Complete Columbia Album collections the CDs are housed in reproductions of the album covers AND crucially the informative notes on the back of the LP, which in the old days when record labels were not yet afraid of complexity were a gold mine of musical knowledge. Though the length of the discs are shorter, the per-disc cost tends to be significantly less. These sets are worth the investment. One bit of evidence of that is how they tend to go out-of-print rather quickly, winding up selling for exorbitant rates in the hands of third party sellers. Andre Watts is a pianist who is sui generis in many ways. This collection contains some stellar music-making from a youthful, still-evolving star. If you have an opportunity to audition it, I strongly recommend that you do so.

A virtuosic performance throughout this collection. Watts' appearance, decades ago in Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts, serves as a source of inspiration for me ... to this this day!The lack of the fifth star on this review is only because the Brahms Concerto (despite the jacket insert indicating a Side-2) presents on one CD (Side-1) only two of the four movements of this spectacular piano concerto. It is an omission which is incomprehensible - a heartbreaking omission and an injustice to the creative arc of Brahms' most monumental piano piece.But for the absence of a "Side-2" in the box set, this collection would have (in my judgement) warranted ten stars!Bravo Watts & Bernstein

Wonderful to have all of this music legend's albums in one set!

Stellar playing from one of the great unsung virtuosos of our time. Watts has been criminally under-recorded since the late '70's, so the release of these recordings (most of which have not appeared on CD before) is a cause for celebration. The Gershwin and the Rachmaninoff albums are personal favorites. Highly recommended.

It is wonderful to have these Andre Watts recordings back in circulation! His collaborations with Bernstein / Shippers / Ozawa / New York Philharmonic are superlative!

I have heard many of the "great beyond great" pianists and he is my favorite. Every time I hear him I am astonished.

Truly good compiliation of a great artist. Remember, some are analog base recordings.

The price is fantastic.

Energía motriz, descargas eléctricas, ardor comunicativo y un toque de dureza alimentado por una toma de sonido a la que el reprocesado dota de un toque de metal al piano es lo que escuchará en estos 12 CDs (portada y contraportada originales de los LPs) de corta duración (entre los 30 y 45 minutos). Retratan a un joven pianista de técnica prodigiosa y musicalidad instintiva, poco dado al encanto charmant y a la línea cantábile en Schubert y Chopin ('tight-lipped and driven' según crítico norteamericano, aunque la Fantaisie es de las más potentes y elocuentes) y su Beethoven es intencionalmente áspero y sombrío, pero el pianista impresiona por su fuerza arrolladora en el Liszt a la vez demoníaco e intelectual y de una tensión alta perfectamente controlada. Su Rachmaninov (con los cortes que eran habituales entonces) elevará su pulso en su conquista del final y su Brahms es implacable. En Gershwin abunda la imaginación y el color, aunque sin el swing sensual de Earl Wild o la espontaneidad de Oscar Levant, como si estuviera avergonzado por los momentos de sentimentalismo y melodrama de las partituras. El recital de Tokyo que cierra esta compilación (grabado más tarde en los años ochenta) ya muestra un artista más reposado y más interesado en la sonoridad (Debussy).Acompaña un libreto informativo moderadamente interesante. Watts pasaría luego a grabar para Telarc y EMI y sus grabaciones de Schubert, Beethoven, Brahms y Liszt para ese último sello nos presenta a un artista más interesante musicalmente (soberbio Schubert y Liszt), aunque esa fuerza juvenil que aparece aquí es demoledora e su ardor y motivo de estupefacción.

André Watts tuvo una aparición fulgurante en España en los años 70 desapareciendo de nuestro circuito una década después.Aquí Sony nos ofrece todas las grabaciones que hizo en aquella época. Toda la colección es fantástica y magnífica de sonido, ofreciéndonos versiones ya descatalogadas.Por destacar algo el disco dedicado a Gershwin es absolutamente mágico, probablemente nadie lo tocó así.El CD1 incorpora, además, la grabación del 2º concierto de Chopin con Bernstein, que no figura en el anuncio.El disco dedicado a la sonata y los estudios de Paganini de Liszt es memorable, éstos últimos los grabaría un década para después para EMI, pero estos son muy superiores; increíble La Campanella.La Totenttanz de Liszt y las Variaciones Sinfónicas de Franck son memorables.Música total para disfrutar, 12 CDs a un precio irrenunciable.

da habe ich ewig nach gesucht. Ich glaube das gabs als CD noch garnicht. Bekannt sind mir die CD mit den Paganini Etueden und CD mit Gershwin. Die habe ich auch als Vinyl noch. (siehe Foto).Das ist sozusagen das Erbe aus Ungarn (Mutter) und aus den USA (Vater). Der Gershwin swingt toll und das Klavier bei der Liszt Aufnahme klingt großartig. Ähnlich wie Georges Cziffra. Unbedingt hörenswert.Andre wurde berühmt als er bei einem Leonard Bernstein Konzert für Glenn Gould einsprang. Daher auch die Empfehlung für mich von einem Gould Fan (Michael Frauenlob Bauer) welche Einspielung für den Paganini soll ich nehmen. Das ist jetzt 35 Jahre her.Durch die anderen Sachen muß ich mich noch durcharbeiten. Aber bei dem Preis lohnt es sich schon den Liszt und den Geshwin zu hören. Den Paganini hat er 1985 noch mal eingespielt aber die Aufnahme aus den 60ern hat viel Frische und ist sozusagen das Original.

Questa pubblicazione ci permette, finalmente, di valutare la carriera di un pianista che ha svolto attività principalmente negli USA ma che abbiamo, per fortuna, avuto occasione di apprezzare anche qui da noi (ricordo, personalmente, un concerto con la Sinfonica RAI di Roma). Personalmente lo conoscevo per uno dei dischi che incise per la EMI negli anni '80 e quindi nella fase successiva a quella documentata dal BOX(dal 1963 anno di esordio al 1974). Formidabile pianista-virtuoso e molto raffinato trova in Liszt, Chopin e quindi nella Musica Romantica il suo repertorio prediletto; e in quegli autori, secondo me, è un artista di riferimento. Formidabili gli Studi di Liszt da Paganini ma tutto i resto è di grande valore. Mi permetto di consigliarlo a tutti coloro che vogliono conoscere non un repertorio particolare ma UN GRANDE PIANISTA, oggi settantenne e per quanto ne so dedito solamente all'insegnamento.

Watts was a regular artist in his heyday, but I must confess disappointment with this set. Not there is much wrong with them but they are just not the sort of performances one might expect from a great pianist. Watts emerges as a good pianist rather than a great one. Perfectly acceptable in the concert hall but not really on the level with the best of his contemporaries.