This week's episode of the ASCAP Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomsom Award winning program Between the Keys features performances by the iconic pianist Walter Gieseking (1895-1956).
Although Gieseking primarily was known as a unique interpreter of Debussy and Ravel, his repertoire embraced a wide range of composers, from the Austro/German classics to the contemporary music of his own time.
"Back in 2016 I presented an episode devoted to Gieseking," says Jed Distler, the Classical Network's Artist-in-Residence, as well as Between the Keys' creator, producer and host. "Because this pianist's recorded output is so vast, one program is hardly enough even to scratch the surface of his legacy. So although it's taken me a while, I'm finally getting around to a Gieseking sequel."
What partly inspired Jed to do so was a relatively recent box set that Warner Classic issued with 48 CDs that contain the majority of Gieseking's commercial recordings. "I reviewed this release for Gramophone last December. Revisiting many recordings I hadn't heard in years got me to reconsider Gieseking's artistry. I also will include some significant broadcast and concert material that I think shows Gieseking at his most inspired."
Tune in to Between the Keys this Tuesday at 10:00 PM and Wednesday at noon to hear Walter Gieseking in works by Bach, Beethoven, Debussy, Chopin, Strauss, Brahms, Castelnuovo-Tedesco and Mozart, exclusively on The Classical Network and WWFM.org.
