Beethoven Piano Concerto One 1st Mov Pt 1 Cortot Rec 1947

Part Two:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS9jbeEPk5Q
Because of his early first recordings of complete works composed by Chopin, Cortot became, in the publics mind, a Chopin specialist. (This also was the case, to a lesser extent, with Rubinstein) This was unfortunate because Cortot had, during his younger years, a large repertoire. His Beethoven was highly regarded. However as he aged, Cortot dropped many composers from his live performing repertoire. The public expected Chopin and that (with a few exceptions such as Schumann, Debussy etc. ) is what he gave them.
When Anton Rubinstein visited the Paris Conservatoire during the early 1890's, student Alfred Cortot did not play Chopin for him. He played Beethoven. Harold C Schonberg describes this incident in the following excerpt taken from the author's "Great Pianists."




The outstanding exponent of the French school after Pugno was

Alfred Cortot, a remarkable and unusual pianist. Born in Switzer-

land of French pianists, he was first taught by his sisters. When he

went to Paris in 1886, he failed the Conservatoire examination. He

attended the classes of Emile Descombes on an unofficial basis and

then studied with Diemer, in whose class he received the premier

prix in 1898. Among his friends were Risler and the brilliant young

violinist Jacques Thibaud. When Anton Rubinstein visited Paris,

Cortot played for him the first movement of the Beethoven Appas-

sionata. Silence. Finally Rubinstein said, "My boy, don't you ever

forget what I am going to tell you. Beethoven's music must not be

studied. It must be reincarnated." Cortot never did forget those

words. He also almost played for Saint-Saens, who used to wander

through the Conservatoire to see how the solfege and harmony

classes were going. He would ask each student what his instrument

was. Stopping in front of Cortot, he asked, "And you, my little one,

what do you play?" Said Cortot, "I am a pianist." Lisped Saint-

Saens, "Oh, do not let us exaggerate, my little one." Andre Benoist,

later to be an important accompanist, was one of Cortot's classmates

and remembered him as not the most gifted in the class, but cer-

tainly the most determined and the hardest worker. Benoist did not

admire Cortot and said that he "would use any means to arrive at his

ends, which in his case were fame and power." Cortot, said Benoist,

also had a good opinion of himself. "How he strutted!"

This is the only complete recording of a Beethoven work performed by Cortot that has ever been made available. There are some dropped and wrong notes. Nonetheless, this performance gives evidence as to why Cortots Beethoven was so highly regarded.

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[genomos90]

where is the 3rd movement? can you please upload it? cortot is one of the greatest pianists i've ever heard of!! marvellous!! 

[secretpaco]

Thank you for this incredible video, and your exciting comments about cortot. You really made my day.

[man13preet]

!!! I love music !!!