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Classical | Label: Marston Records

Sidney Foster, 1917-1977, was undoubtedly one of the greatest pianists of his time, but he is all but unknown today, and made almost no commercial recordings. In 1993, the International Piano Archives at the University of Maryland issued a two-CD set of Foster performances taken from live concerts. This year Marston is celebrating Foster’s centenary by issuing a seven-CD set of solo and concerto performances from live concerts, never before issued. Foster’s breath-taking virtuosity, the volcanic intensity he was capable of unleashing, and his beautiful sound, are immediately apparent, but it is his gift of supreme music-making that places him solidly in the top rank of twentieth century pianists. A line from Harold C. Schonberg’s review for the New York Times of an October 1963 Carnegie Hall Recital offers valuable insight into Foster’s artistry: “He is everything the connoisseurs claim he is: an interesting original pianist, the master of tonal shading, and an artist.” In 1938 Foster won the MacDowell Competition and in 1940 the first Edgar M. Leventritt Prize. His Leventritt award led to his debut with the New York Philharmonic in 1941, playing Beethoven’s C Minor Concerto under John Barbirolli, for which Foster composed his own first movement cadenza for the performance. Fortunately, this performance was recorded off the air and we are pleased to be able to include it in our compilation. From 1952 until his death, Sidney Foster was a tenured professor at Indiana University. This seven-CD set contains carefully chosen performances recorded during this time, from 1952 to 1973.

Tracklist:
CD 1 (81:08)
15 January 1966, Salt Lake City, Utah
TCHAIKOVSKY:
Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, Op. 23 1
1. I. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso—Allegro con spirito 20:24
2. II. Andantino semplice—Prestissimo—Tempo I 6:28
3. III. Allegro con fuoco—Molto meno mosso—Allegro vivo 6:39
23 March 1941, New York City
BEETHOVEN:
Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37
4. Opening announcement 1:00
5. I. Allegro con brio (cadenza by Sidney Foster) 15:21
6. II. Largo 9:44
7. III. Rondo—Allegro 8:12
29 March 1955, Bloomington, Indiana
BACH-LISZT:
8. Fantasia and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 542 11:03
10 October 1965, Bloomington, Indiana
MENDELSSOHN:
9. Songs Without Words, Op. 62, No. 1, “May Breezes” 2:17

CD 2 (77:33)
3 May 1954, Complete Recital, Bloomington, Indiana
MENDELSSOHN:
Fantasy in F-sharp Minor, Op. 28
1. I. Con moto agitato 4:44
2. II. Allegro con moto 3:09
3. III. Presto 4:23
SCHUMANN:
Carnaval, Op. 9
4. I. Préambule 2:11
5. II. Pierrot 0:54
6. III. Arlequin 0:37
7. IV. Valse noble 1:05
8. V. Eusebius 1:39
9. VI. Florestan 0:45
10. VII. Coquette 0:58
11. VIII. Réplique 0:27
12. IX. Papillons 0:34
13. X. A.S.C.H—S.C.H.A. “Lettres dansantes” 0:39
14. XI. Chiarina 0:54
15. XII. Chopin 1:33
16. XIII. Estrella 0:22
17. XIV. Reconnaissance 1:19
18. XV. Pantalon et Colombine 0:52
19. XVI. Valse allemande 0:35
20. XVII. Paganini 1:28
21. XVIII. Aveu 1:03
22. XIX. Promenade 1:52
23. XX. Pause 0:16
24. XXI. Marche des “Davidsbündler” contre les Philistins 3:26
CHOPIN:
Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, Op. 35
25. I. Grave—Doppio movimento 7:14
26. II. Scherzo—Piu lento—Tempo I 5:38
27. III. Marche funèbre: Lento 6:25
28. IV. Finale: Presto 1:39
LISZT:
29. Consolation in D-flat, S. 172, No. 3 3:57
30. Venezia e Napoli, S. 162, No. 3, “Tarantella” 7:19
SCRIABIN:
31. Prelude for the left hand, Op. 9, No. 1 2:45
WEBER:
32. Sonata No. 1 in C, Op. 24: Fourth Movement, “Perpetuum Mobile” 3:40
SCHUMANN:
33. Romance in F-sharp, Op. 28, No. 2 3:12

CD 3 (78:47)
26 November 1973, Bloomington, Indiana
MOZART:
Sonata No. 5 in G, K. 283
1. I. Allegro 4:30
2. II. Andante 3:38
3. III. Presto 3:17
13 November 1971, Bloomington, Indiana
BEETHOVEN:
Sonata No. 21 in C, Op. 53, “Waldstein”
4. I. Allegro con brio 8:05
5. II. Introduzione: Adagio molto 3:16
6. III. Rondo: Allegretto moderato—Prestissimo 9:53
30 October 1966, Bloomington, Indiana
BEETHOVEN:
Sonata No. 31 in A-flat, Op. 110
7. I. Moderato cantabile molto espressivo 6:19
8. II. Allegro molto 1:57
9. III. Adagio ma non troppo—Allegro ma non troppo 9:17
8 February 1968, Bloomington, Indiana
LISZT:
Sonata in B Minor, S. 178
10. Lento assai—Allegro energico 11:09
11. Andante sostenuto 7:09
12. Allegro energico 10:20

CD 4 (79:33)
30 June 1968, Bloomington, Indiana
1. SCHUMANN: Papillons, Op. 2 14:27
3 May 1962, Tokyo
SCHUMANN:
Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54
2. I. Allegro affetuoso 14:38
3. II. Intermezzo 5:05
4. III. Allegro vivace 9:53

19 February 1970, Bloomington, Indiana
BRAHMS:
Sonata No. 3 in F Minor, Op. 5
5. I. Allegro maestoso 7:18
6. II. Andante: Andante espressivo 10:04
7. III. Scherzo: Allegro energico 4:01
8. IV. Intermezzo: Andante molto 3:04
9. V. Finale: Allegro moderato ma rubato 7:11
26 November 1973, Bloomington, Indiana
GRIEG:
10. Nocturne in C, Op. 54, No. 4 3:52

CD 5 (79:08)
27 April 1952, Bloomington, Indiana
FRANCK:
Prelude, Chorale, and Fugue
1. I. Prelude 4:13
2. II. Chorale 5:30
3. III. Fugue 6:30
27 April 1952, Bloomington, Indiana
CHOPIN:
4. Fantasy in F Minor, Op. 49 11:36
27 April 1952, Bloomington, Indiana
CHOPIN:
5. Etude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 10, No. 4 2:01
6. Etude in G-flat, Op. 10, No. 5, “Black Keys” 1:30
7. Etude in E-flat Minor, Op. 10, No. 6 3:25
8. Etude in F, Op. 10, No. 8 2:25
19 February 1970, Bloomington, Indiana
CHOPIN:
Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58
9. I. Allegro maestoso 9:22
10. II. Scherzo: Molto vivace 2:22
11. III. Largo 7:46
12. IV. Finale: Presto non tanto 5:15
1 July 1969, Bloomington, Indiana
CHOPIN:
13. Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52 11:46
19 January 1975, Bloomington, Indiana
CHOPIN-FOSTER:
14. Waltz in D-flat, Op. 64, No. 1, “Minute Waltz” 2:00
30 June 1968, Bloomington, Indiana
MOSZKOWSKI:
15. Guitarre, Op. 45, No. 2 3:27

CD 6 (81:12)
3 November 1974, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
RACHMANINOFF:
Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, Op. 36
1. I. Allegro agitato 8:37
2. II. Non allegro 5:59
3. III. Allegro molto 6:26
2 February 1974, Glassboro, New Jersey
SCRIABIN:
4. Etude in D-flat, Op. 42, No. 1 2:02
5. Etude in F-sharp Minor, Op. 42, No. 2 1:06
6. Etude in F-sharp, Op. 42, No. 4 1:35
7. Etude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 42, No. 5 3:38
8 February 1968, Bloomington, Indiana
SCRIABIN:
8. Sonata No. 9, Op. 68, “Black Mass” 8:17
8 July 1964, Bloomington, Indiana
BARTÓK:
9. Dirge, Op. 9a, No. 4 4:12
2 October 1961, Bloomington, Indiana
PROKOFIEV:
Sonata No. 9 in C, Op. 103
10. I. Allegretto 6:47
11. II. Allegro strepitoso 2:46
12. III. Andante tranquillo 6:39
13. IV. Allegro con brio, ma non troppo presto 5:54
2 October 1961, Bloomington, Indiana
PROKOFIEV:
Visions Fugitives, Op. 22:
14. No. 1 1:03
15. No. 3 1:00
16. No. 10 0:49
17. No. 11 1:08
18. No. 14 1:07
19. No. 15 0:43
20. No. 8 1:14
21. No. 18 1:23
2 October 1961, Bloomington, Indiana
PROKOFIEV:
22. Gavotte, Op. 32, No. 3 1:47
8 February 1968, Bloomington, Indiana
PADEREWSKI:
23. Cracovienne Fantastique, Op. 14, No. 6 3:18
27 April 1952, Bloomington, Indiana
HUMMEL:
24. Rondo in E-flat, Op. 11 3:44

CD 7 (81:08)
19 May 1957, Bloomington, Indiana
BACH-LISZT:
1. Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, BWV. 543 9:37
27 April 1952, Bloomington, Indiana
MOZART:
2. Variations on a Minuet of Duport, K. 573 7:20
29 March 1955, Bloomington, Indiana
BRAHMS:
Four Ballades, Op. 10
3. No. 1 in D Minor 4:20
4. No. 2 in D Major 5:30
5. No. 3 in B Minor 2:36
6. No. 4 in B Major 7:18
27 April 1952, Bloomington, Indiana
DEBUSSY:
7. La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune, Preludes Book II, No. 7 3:52
8. Le vent dans la plaine, Preludes Book I, No. 3 2:26
27 April 1952, Bloomington, Indiana
DELLO JOIO:
Sonata No. 3 in G
9. I. Theme and Five Variations 5:20
10. II. Presto e leggiero 1:17
11. III. Adagio 4:06
12. IV. Allegro vivo e ritmico 2:38
9-10 April 1965 Boston, Massachusetts
BARTÓK:
Concerto No. 3
13. I. Allegretto 7:23
14. II. Adagio religioso 10:42
15. III. Allegro vivace 6:39