INU LIPATTI being one of my favorite pianists, I sought out his recording of the Chopin E Minor Concerto as soon as I learned about it (circa 1997), only to find out the recording was inauthentic. In other words, what was said to be a recording by Lipatti from the 1950s was actually recorded by a Cortot-student named Halina Czerny-Stefanska.
Well, it turns out that somebody has since found a true recording of Lipatti playing that Chopin Concerto. You can read the fascinating story here:
* * “The Chopin Concerto Scandal” (Ainley)
I hope you take the time to read it. Here are a couple things that jumped out at me:
1. I love how a listener wrote to the BBC about the Stefanska recording: talk about good ears!
2. I love the story about the transfer with a “hand-held microphone.”
I thought the quote (“One more reason to hate Wagner!”) was cute . . . apologies to Wagner lovers, like the great Canon Jules Van Nuffel and Fr. Jules Vyverman.
P.S.
There are many fascinating stories about what I have called “attic recordings” — here’s another:
* * Liszt’s First Piano Concerto & Dinu Lipatti
