Most collectors, I suspect, will want to know how Julius Katchen’s 1953 mono versions of the Prokofiev and Bartók Third Concertos compare to his better known stereo traversals. Sonically, of course, the later recordings benefit from vividly detailed stereo miking and more secure orchestral execution than Ansermet’s Swiss musicians could muster. Katchen’s exuberant pianism proves more incisive and detailed in the Prokofiev remake, but Ansermet’s quicker basic tempo for the finale prods Katchen’s virtuosity to even more daring heights. By way of contrast, the earlier Bartók performance suffers from a heavy-handed third movement and from Katchen’s suave yet superficial fingerwork. And unlike his deeper, more mature remake, he glosses over Bartók’s accents and stresses, virtually ignoring the music’s speech-like syntax.
Likewise, the selections from Mikrokosmos Volume 6 are technically effortless yet nuanced in a way that smooths over the assymetrical bite of Bartók’s syncopations and uneven meters. Still, it’s good to have these Katchen solo rarities available again, especially since he did not re-record them. Paul Bailey’s terrific remastering renders my old LP copies unecessary to hoard. In sum, this is a release that’s mainly geared toward Katchen mavens. And while we’re on the subject, I hope the pianist’s first stereo Brahms Paganini and Handel Variations coupling plus the mono Beethoven Diabelli Variations (never reissued on CD) are lined up on Testament’s back burner.
