Dinorah Varsi

DINORAH VARSI
Uruguayan pianist (1939 - 2013)

Dinorah Varsi's piano studies began under the tutelage of Sarah Bourdillon, a product of Alfred Cortot's Ecole Normale de Musique., in Montevideo. Bourdillon also taught Alberto Reyes, another fine Uruguayan pianist. She was discovered by the renowned conductor Erich Kleiber and completed her studies in the United States with Géza Anda, the great Hungarian pianist, whom she credits as having been her greatest influence.

Dinorah Varsi performed under some of the greatest conductors of the last fifty years. These included Paul Klecki, Rudolf Kempe, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Semyon Bychkov, Charles Dutoit, Bernard Haitink, Witold Rowicki and Lamberto Gardelli, among others

Her Chopin is wonderful. I would like to single out the Mazurkas which are so difficult to play stylistically. And the performances of the Franck Prelude, Chorale and Fugue and the Scriabin etude might be my favorite among all the performances I've heard.

Dinorah Varsi's 1969 Schumann sonata recording is a splendid performance of an oft abused work. Varsi had the soul of every composer whose music she played. One of the all time greats. Doubtless she'd have been more universally known had she worn miniskirts and played as loudly and rapidly as possible. I guess her subtlety and depth of understanding, her stylistic genius, her exquisite touch and perfect phrasing were just not enough. Thanks again, gullivior, for your caring love of these magnificent, and so often under appreciated, pianists.

Judging from her recordings with the great Belgian violinist, Arthur Grumiaux, Dinorah Varsi was also a wonderful chamber musician. The recordings of the Vieuxtemps,Ysaÿe and Lekeu pieces for violin and piano are a delight.

Chopin Piano Concerto in F minor, Op 21
Jan Krenz conducting l'Orchestre National de l'Opera de Montecarlo

i Maestoso

ii Larghetto

iii Allegro vivace

Chopin 24 Études, Op 10 & 25

12 Études, Op 10

1 in C major
02:13 ➢ 2 in A minor
03:52 ➢ 3 in E major
06:46 ➢ 4 in C♯ minor
08:56 ➢ 5 in G♭ major
10:44 ➢ 6 in E♭ minor
13:12 ➢ 7 in C major
14:50 ➢ 8 in F major
17:16 ➢ 9 in F minor
19:21 ➢ 10 in A♭ major
21:29 ➢ 11 in E♭ major
23:45 ➢ 12 in C minor

12 Études, Op 25

26:37 ➢ 1 in A♭ major
28:50 ➢ 2 in F minor
30:23 ➢ 3 in F major
32:15 ➢ 4 in A minor
34:00 ➢ 5 in E minor
37:05 ➢ 6 in G♯ minor
39:17 ➢ 7 in C♯ minor
44:07 ➢ 8 in D♭ major
45:24 ➢ 9 in G♭ major
46:26 ➢ 10 in B minor
50:17 ➢ 11 in A minor
53:50 ➢ 12 in C minor

recorded in 1981

Chopin 3 Nocturnes, Op 9

1 in B♭ minor
04:40 ➢ 2 in E♭ major
08:48 ➢ 3 in B major

recorded in 1986

Chopin 3 Nocturnes, Op 15

4 in F major
04:30 ➢ 5 in F♯ major
07:49 ➢ 6 in G minor

recorded in 1986

Chopin 2 Nocturnes, Op 27

7 in C♯ minor
04:44 ➢ 8 in D♭ major

recorded in 1986

Chopin 2 Nocturnes, Op 32

9 in B major
03:56 ➢ 10 in A♭ major

recorded in 1986

Chopin 4 Mazurkas, Op 24

1 in G minor
02:50 ➢ 2 in C major
05:31 ➢ 3 in A♭ major
05:31 ➢ 4 in B♭ minor

recorded in 1985

Chopin 4 Mazurkas, Op 33

1 in G♯ minor
01:23 ➢ 2 in D major
02:50 ➢ 3 in C major
05:31 ➢ 4 in B minor

recorded in 1985

Chopin 4 Mazurkas, Op 41

2 in E minor
01:57 ➢ 3 in B major
03:12 ➢ 4 in A♭ major
05:31 ➢ 1 in C♯ minor

recorded in 1985

Chopin 3 Mazurkas, Op 50

1 in G major
03:54 ➢ 2 in A♭ major
05:31 ➢ 3 in C major

recorded in 1985

Chopin 3 Mazurkas, Op 56

1 in B major
03:54 ➢ 2 in C major
05:31 ➢ 3 in C minor

recorded in 1985

Chopin Mazurka in F minor (unfinished), Op 68~4

recorded in 1985

Chopin Piano Sonata 1 in C minor, Op 4

i Allegro maestoso
06:48 ➢ ii Menuetto
09:51 ➢ iii Larghetto
13:00 ➢ iv Finale - Presto

recorded in 1989

Chopin Piano Sonata 2 in B♭ minor, Op 35

i Grave. Doppio movimento
05:43 ➢ ii Scherzo
12:12 ➢ iii Marche funèbre - Lento
19:03 ➢ iv Finale - Presto

recorded in 1974

Chopin Piano Sonata 2 in B♭ minor, Op 35

i Grave. Doppio movimento
05:30 ➢ ii Scherzo
11:41 ➢ iii Marche funèbre - Lento
19:11 ➢ iv Finale - Presto

recorded in 1993

Chopin Piano Sonata 3 in B minor, Op 58

i Allegro maestoso
08:42 ➢ ii Scherzo - Molto vivace
11:19 ➢ iii Largo
20:14 ➢ iv Finale - Presto non tanto. Agitato

recorded in 1989

Schumann Piano Sonata 2 in G minor, Op 22

i So rasch wie moglich
06:27 ➢ ii Andantino. Getragen
10:15 ➢ iii Scherzo - Sehr rasch und markiert
11:45 ➢ iv Rondo - Presto

recorded in 1969

Vieuxtemps Ballade et Polonaise, Op 38
with Arthur Grumiaux, violin

Franck Prélude, Chorale et Fugue

Prélude
05:09 ➢ Choral
12:15 ➢ Fugue

recorded in 1995

Brahms Piano Concerto 1 in D minor, Op 15
Petr Altrichter conducting the Prague Symphony Orchestra

recorded live in 1993

i Maestoso

ii Adagio

iii Rondo - Allegro non troppo

Brahms Piano Concerto 2 in B♭ major, Op 83
Petr Altrichter conducting the Prague Symphony Orchestra

i Allegro non troppo

recorded in 1994

Brahms 8 Klavierstücke, Op 76

1 Capriccio in F♯ major
02:55 ➢ 2 Capriccio in B minor
05:41 ➢ 3 Intermezzo in A♭ major
07:12 ➢ 4 Intermezzo in B♭ major
09:26 ➢ 5 Capriccio in C♯ major
12:21 ➢ 6 Intermezzo in A major
15:25 ➢ 7 Intermezzo in A minor
18:05 ➢ 8 Capriccio in C major

Brahms 2 Rhapsodies, Op 79

1 Agitato in B minor
08:58 ➢ 2 Molto passionato, ma non troppo allegro in G minor

Brahms Intermezzo in E♭ major, Op 117~1

recorded live in 1994

Eugène Ysaÿe (1858-1931) Rêve d'Enfant, Op 14
with Arthur Grumiaux, violin

Debussy Préludes, Book I

1 "Danseuses de Delphes" Lent et grave
02:47 ➢ 2 "Voiles" Modéré
06:20 ➢ 3 "Le vent dans la plaine" Animé
08:51 ➢ 4 "Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir" Modéré
12:18 ➢ 5 "Les collines d'Anacapri" Très modéré
15:40 ➢ 6 "Des pas sur la neige" Triste et lent
19:52 ➢ 7 "Ce qu'a vu le vent d'ouest" Animé et tumultueux
23:40 ➢ 8 "La fille aux cheveux de lin" Très calme et doucement expressif
26:22 ➢ 9 "La sérénade interrompue" Modérément animé
29:15 ➢ 10 "La cathédrale engloutie" Profondément calme
35:32 ➢ 11 "La danse de Puck" Capricieux et léger
38:42 ➢ 12 "Minstrels" Modéré