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Rating: - A Missing Link
This set is revelatory, not only for those who honor the name of William Kapell, but for any listener who yearns for truly probing interpretations of the repertoire. It was always assumed that the Australian broadcasts were recorded, and now, thanks to those committed to making these performances publicly available, the world can now hear the last artistic utterances of a great genius who was literally days from his death. Kapell had forceably enlarged his repertoire to include probing interpretations of J.S. Bach, Schubert, Chopin Mazurkas, and Mozart, in a way that seemingly indicated he knew he had a limited amount of time to create his lasting artistic credo. On the other hand, he was ... Read More

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Rating: - A Journey Back in Time
When I first heard that these recording by William Kapell were available I thought they might have been part of an archive found by an Australian Broadcast Corporation. The reality was a bit disappointing in that Kapell's final performances were preserved in an off-the-air recording made by a music enthusiast. I had to conclude that the quality of the recordings could only be abysmal, despite that we owe a debt of gratitude that these performances were preserved.

I was curious, however, and purchased the records and, yes, the sound played over our stereo system reminded me of the worst recordings from the 1930's. I did find that listening through headphones made the sound more ... Read More

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Rating: - William Capell newly issued recordings
After listening to a recording of one of William Capell's performances on the radio and being enchanted by it, I was excited to read that a CD of his Australian concerts performed shortly before he died was available. There is no doubt that the playing is extraordinary, and perhaps he is indeed, to quote a radio commentator, the best pianist of the 20th Century. But the recording itself is difficult to listen to because of the background noise and hiss, which has not been cleaned up. But if you are an ardent William Capell fan, you probably will want to have this added to your collection. I plan to send this CD to the radio commentator who admires him so much. I just can't listen to it again. ... Read More

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Rating: - Glorious Pianism!!!
I have been an ardent admirer of William Kapell for years and thought that it was time for me to put my "two cents" in.I have collected all
I could get my hands on.Not just Kapell recordings but newspaper clippings,and even publications featuring his letters and work diaries.
Now to the recording at hand.I could easily become an "arm chair" sound
engineer like some of the other reviewers,but I wont.I am just so grateful
and full of joy that these recordings are available at all.I am also grateful to William Kapell for how he suffered for his art with all of his hard work.The great ones make it look and sound so easy.I continually
gain so much from hearing these interpretations,and ... Read More

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Rating: - Wonderful musician, terrible presentation
It was with great anticipation that I awaited the release of this latest Kapell recording. Certainly, I would suggest that any Kapell fan purchase this set immediately, due to the pianist's outstanding qualities.
2 major criticisms, however. First, the packaging is terrible. A cardboard exterior glued to thin plastic cases simply becomes tattered and worn in a very short space of time. Also, the liner notes are glued to the inside of the case. The case must be fully open in two directions in order to read the notes. It would seem that the company which designed the case is more familiar with designing cases for 'pop' albums.
Secondly, why splice and insert totally disparate recordings into these ... Read More