The Best of Kalkbrenner: Pharaoh of the Piano

This is a compilation of some of the best works of Friedrich Kalkbrenner (1785-1849), the "Pharaoh Pianist" - so-called due to a quote by the poet Heinrich Heine, "on (his) lips there still gleamed that embalmed smile which we recently noticed on those of an Egyptian pharaoh...." A formidable virtuoso of the end of the classical period, he was a major influence on Fryderyk Chopin, who remarked; "...he is a giant, walking over Herz and Czerny and all – and over me." Kalkbrenner's supreme self-confidence, which according to some sources put off some of his luminaries, manifests in the vigor and adventurousness of his output. 25 Grandes Etudes, Op.143 (1840s): Hay No. 24 - Vivo in B flat Major 1:30 No. 13 - Moderato e legato F-Sharp Major 4:35 No. 3 - Presto in B-Flat Minor 6:11 No. 4 - Moderato in B-Flat Major 8:56 Romance et Rondo brilliant, Op. 96 (1829): Ogura 14:43 Les Soupirs, Op. 121 No. 1 - Romance in Ab Major (1834): van Oort 19:00 Grande Fantaisie 'Effusio Musica', op. 68 (1823): Boehm) 41:10 La Solitudine, Op. 46 (c. 1825): van Ouwerkerk Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 61 (1823): Kann w/Hamburg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Beissel 50:24 I. Allegro maestoso 1:03:42 II. Adagio di molto 1:10:55 III. Rondo vivace