Fleisher Debut Album 1956

Thursday, January 31st 2008

The pianistic find of the century." Such were the words of Pierre Monteux when commenting on the young, fifteen-yearold Leon Fleisher. Born in San Francisco in 1928 of Russian Jewish immigrants, Leon Fleisher showed himself as having an exceptional gift for music that his mother, a singing teacher, quickly identified. Artur Schnabel, from whom he received tuition first on the banks of Lake Como, then later in New York, became his principal teacher for a decade as from the end of the 1930s. In 1942 Pierre Monteux, then musical director of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, gave him the opportunity to make his debut. Two years later, Fleisher was invited to perform Brahms’ D-minor concerto, still under Monteux, at Carnegie Hall with none other than the New York Philharmonic. In 1952 he was the first American to win the Queen Elizabeth competition. In 1956, Leon Fleisher recorded his first album for Columbia Records and chose Schubert’s Sonata D.960 that remained to this day one of his preferred works (in fact he recorded it again in 2004). Fleisher’s approach to the Romantic repertoire was mature right from this first album given his interpretative options and his sense of drama that nevertheless remained free of pathos. In the Andante sostenuto, each note of the melody resonates as though it were meant to be the last without ever affecting the clarity of line or the precision of the median voices. As for the Allegro vivace con delicatezza, it is played with an irony that verges on mockery whilst consistently maintaining rhythmical rigour, a rich palette and inventiveness. Finally, and better that most, Fleisher knew how to perform a simple section with simplicity whilst maintaining incredible presence. Even at moments that appear trifling, we are surprised with a feeling of renewed pleasure; the falsely superficial Ländler D.790 intelligently complete the difficult choice of repertoire that this 28 year-old musician had to make. Official biographies overflow with anatomical detail attemp-ting to explain why it was Fleisher lost the use of his right hand in 1965. Gradually returning to the recording studio via the exploration of a left-hand repertoire, let us note how the recording of Brahms’ transcription of Bach’s D-minor Chaconne (BWV 1004) revealed to what extent his musical qualities nevertheless remained intact. Fleisher went on to become a legendary teacher perhaps also for the reason that he also found himself to be an American artist of his time, taught by one of the most prestigious heirs of the Austro-German tradition.

Schubert : Piano Sonata D.960
Schubert : 8 Landler D.790
Leon Fleisher
Recording : 1956(Mono)

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