Samson Francois The Unreleased Swiss Recordings (2 LP)

As soon as one hears the first notes of Schumann's "Papillons", recorded in 1961 at the RTS studios in Geneva, one understands why François's fluid interpretation creates a synthesis between two theories of music: that of Jean-Philippe Rameau, who saw in music only rhythm and order, and that of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, for whom music was the purest expression of feeling. François highlights the concentrated essence of the piece and presents us with a particularly captivating interpretation of the young Schumann's work, inspired by a masked ball.
The next pieces, the two "Songs without Words" by Mendelssohn, were recorded at the same time. Having succumbed to the hypnotic effect of the pianist's sound with its unfathomable subtlety, one can only wonder if there are any more captivating representations of these miniatures than these.
The team at The Lost Recordings came across these special recordings through a private collector and invested a lot of time in restoring this treasure and making it accessible to the music world. The first edition is hand-numbered and limited to 2,000 copies.

Selections:

Side A
Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
1. Papillons Op.2
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
2. Songs without Words in B Minor, Op.67, No.5
3. Songs without Words in A Major, Op.62, No.6
Alexander Alyabyev (1787-1851)/Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
4. The Nightingale, p. 250*
Side B
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
1. Sonetto 123 del Petrarch, P.161, No.6
2. Valse-Impromptu, P.213
3. Transcendental Étude No.8 "Wild Hunt", P.139*
4. Transcendental Étude No.7 "Eroica", P.139*
Side C
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Piano Concerto in E-flat Major, No.1, P.124**
1. I. Allegro Maestoso
2. II. Quasi Adagio
3. III. Allegretto Vivace
4. IV. Allegro Marziale Animato
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
5. Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op.64, No.2***
Side D
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
1. Hungarian Rhapsody in D-flat Major, P.244, No.6
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
2. Nocturne in G minor, Op.15, No.3*
3. Étude in G-flat Major, Op.10, No.5*
4. Étude in C Minor, Op.10, No.12*
5. Grande valse brillante in E-flat Major, Op.18*