Clifford Curzon
Clifford Curzon was among the finest English pianists of the twentieth century, known for his clear, ego-less performances of the German Classical and Romantic masterpieces. A quiet intellectual who nevertheless possessed a formidable technique, Curzon played everything from Mozart to Liszt with equal authority. His fans often cite this ability to emphasize the personality of each composer, rather than his own, as his most distinctive quality. Curzon recorded for the Decca label for over 30 years, leaving behind a modestly sized, but musically impressive catalog. His recordings of Mozart and Schubert are considered his best.
Curzon achieved success early, with a scholarship to London's Royal Academy of Music in 1919. His impressive student career earned him every prize available to a pianist at the Academy, and he made his professional debut in 1923 -- playing Bach's Triple Concerto with conductor Henry Wood at a Promenade Concert in Queen's Hall. In 1926, when still just 19 years old, he was invited to join the RAM faculty; he remained on the faculty there until 1932, when he became a full-time performing pianist. During his time teaching at the RAM, Curzon spent several extended periods abroad studying with great pianists: first with Artur Schnabel in Berlin, and then with Wanda Landowska and Nadia Boulanger in Paris. In 1936, Curzon made a recital tour of Europe with violist Lionel Tertis, and in 1939, he made his U.S. debut at New York's Town Hall. By 1941, he was making records for Decca, beginning a relationship that would last almost to the end of his life.
Curzon was an exacting perfectionist, often refusing to allow the release of recordings he felt were imperfect. This included recordings of Mozart concertos with the likes of George Szell, István Kertész, and Benjamin Britten conducting. For this and other reasons, he earned a reputation for being difficult, and at times highly temperamental -- an irony, considering his generally retiring nature, and the restrained elegance of his playing. Curzon was knighted in 1977.
© TiVo
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Schubert: "Trout" Quintet; String Quartet No.14 ("Death and the Maiden")
Clifford Curzon, Octuor Viennois, Wiener Philharmonisches Streichquartett
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart, W.A.: Piano Quartets Nos. 1 and 2 / Schumann, R.: Piano Quintet (Curzon, Arrau, Budapest Quartet) (1943, 1951)
Budapest Quartet, Clifford Curzon, Claudio Arrau
Chamber Music - Released by Music and Arts Programs of America on 1 Apr 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Tragic Overture, Piano Concerto No. 2 & Symphony No. 3 (Live)
Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra, Clifford Curzon, Hans Knappertsbusch
Classical - Released by Orfeo on 5 Jul 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dvorak:String Quartet, Op. 51; Piano Quintet, Op. 81
Clifford Curzon, Vienna Philharmonic Quartet, Boskovsky Quartet
Classical - Released by Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. on 1 Jan 1951
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky: Orchestral Works (Live)
Sir Georg Solti, Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO), Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Clifford Curzon, Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical - Released by Urania Records on 5 Mar 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Clifford Curzon: Decca Recordings 1944-1970 Vol.4
Clifford Curzon, Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra, Hans Knappertsbusch
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1957
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Szell Conducts Brahms
London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Clifford Curzon
Classical - Released by Editions Audiovisuel Beulah on 11 Jun 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Franck: Piano Quintet in F Minor & Fauré: Piano Quintet in C Minor
The Budapest String Quartet, Clifford Curzon, Jesús María Sanromá
Classical - Released by Urania on 5 Feb 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schumann: Piano Quintet Op. 44 - Brahms: Piano Quartet No. 2 - Dvorak: Piano Quintet Op. 81 - Grieg: String Quartet Op. 27
Classical - Released by Urania on 3 Mar 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Grieg: Piano Concerto, Op. 16 (Mono Version)
Clifford Curzon, Anatole Fistoulari, London Symphony Orchestra
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1952
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms: Piano Quintet, Op. 34 - Dvořák: Piano Quintet No. 2, Op. 81
Clifford Curzon, Budapest Vonósnégyes
Chamber Music - Released by Naxos on 29 Aug 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Concerto pour piano No. 4 (Mono Version)
Clifford Curzon, Hans Knappertsbusch, Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1955
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 & Mozart Piano Concerto No. 27
Clifford Curzon, George Szell, London Symphony Orchestra, Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical - Released by Mangora Classical on 23 Jun 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Clifford Curzon - Piano
Clifford Curzon, The Budapest Quartet
Classical - Released by OperaPrima-Carillon on 23 Apr 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
SCHUMANN: Piano Quintet, Op. 44 / BRAHMS: Piano Quartet No. 2 (Curzon, Budapest Quartet) (1951-1952)
Clifford Curzon, Budapest String Quartet
Chamber Music - Released by Naxos on 1 Jan 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Piano Classical Best
World - Released by Classic Music International on 15 Jun 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tribute to Pianist Curzon, Vol. 2
Clifford Curzon, Hans Knappertsbusch, Bruno Walter, Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
Classical - Released by Infinity on 29 Dec 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky: Concerto pour piano No. 1, Op. 23 (Mono Version)
Clifford Curzon, New Symphony Orchestra, George Szell
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1952
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Orchestral Works (Live)
Clifford Curzon, Sir Georg Solti, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Orchestre National de France
Classical - Released by Archipel on 2 Oct 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Piano Concerto NO. 4, OP. 58 - Piano Concerto NO. 5, OP. 73
Clifford Curzon, Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical - Released by Altair on 7 Sep 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bahms & Grieg: Piano Concerto NO. 1, OP. 15 - Piano Concerto OP. 16
Clifford Curzon, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra
Keyboard Concertos - Released by Altair on 2 Sep 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo