This album is two re-releases in one: the live recording of Gerald Moore's retirement "party" in 1967 (which was actually a live recital in London's Festival Hall) and the tribute LP EMI released in 1969. Both are worthy celebrations of the famous collaborative pianist, made even better by being combined into one package. That this album even exists is a testament to Moore, who elevated the status of the accompanist to that of artist. Disc one features Moore in concert with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, ...
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This album is two re-releases in one: the live recording of Gerald Moore's retirement "party" in 1967 (which was actually a live recital in London's Festival Hall) and the tribute LP EMI released in 1969. Both are worthy celebrations of the famous collaborative pianist, made even better by being combined into one package. That this album even exists is a testament to Moore, who elevated the status of the accompanist to that of artist. Disc one features Moore in concert with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, and Victoria de los Angeles. Each of them delivers an outstanding group of solo selections (though de los Angeles' Brahms is vocally tenuous), but in keeping with the evening's collaborative spirit, they also perform trios of Mozart and Haydn, and duets of Schumann, Rossini, and Mendelssohn. Hearing these singular personalities invest themselves so well in ensemble singing reveals a great deal about their respect for the man at the keyboard. The Rossini efforts, in particular, are...
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