Claudio Arrau

Claudio Arrau León (Chillán, Chile, February 6, 1903 - Mürzzuschlag, Austria, June 9, 1991) was a Chilean pianist known worldwide for his profound interpretations of a repertoire that spanned from baroque music to works of contemporary music. He is considered one of the most outstanding pianists of the XX century, thanks to his performances praised by the public and critics of the time. His 1982 audio CD Chopin Waltzes was the first classical music CD in history.

Arrau's teacher was the German pianist Martin Krause —at the same time a student of Franz Liszt—, who said: «This child must be my masterpiece». Thus, Arrau's piano lineage is, others, illustrious: Beethoven: Czerny, Liszt, Krause, Arrau. He also comes from the lineage of Mozart, who was the teacher of Johann Nepomuk Hummel, who in turn was another of Czerny's teachers along with Muzio Clementi.

Biography

Arrau during her childhood

He was the son of Carlos Arrau Ojeda, an ophthalmologist from Chillana, and Lucrecia León Bravo de Villalba, a pianist from Quirihu, who taught Claudio the art of the piano. The couple married in Quirihue. The Arrau family descended from Lorenzo de Arrau, a Spanish engineer from the Colonial era.

When Claudio was barely one year old, his father died as a result of an equestrian accident; the Arrau family was left in a situation of serious indebtedness. This motivated his mother to dedicate herself full time to her trade, teaching piano playing. A child prodigy, thanks to the talent and dedication of his mother, at the age of three he was already reading sheet music and at the age of five he offered his first recital at the Municipal Theater of Chillán. After a piano session before President Pedro Montt and the National Congress, He was awarded a scholarship to continue his studies in Berlin at the Stern Conservatory, together with the prominent professor Martin Krause, one of the last disciples of Franz Liszt. The children's magazine El Peneca placed his photo on the cover, with the words A musical prodigy , after that concert.

During that period he won several prizes, including First Prize in the Rudolph Ibach House Competition and the Gustav Holländer Medal. In 1914 he gave his first recital in Berlin and then began an extensive tour of Germany and Scandinavia, while in 1918 he toured all of Europe. At that time, he performed with major orchestras under conductors such as Nikisch, Muck, Mengelberg, and Furtwängler.

Artistic Life

Arrau in 1929

Martin Krause died in 1918, a fact that plunged Arrau into a depression. Such was the respect he owed to his teacher that, after this fact, he gave his musical training completely, not having any other teacher later. He knew how to recover and continued to give concerts, until, in 1920, he received the Liszt Prize for two years. consecutive.

During his tours of Europe he performed the complete Well-Tempered Harpsichord from memory, composed of forty-eight preludes and forty-eight fugues, a feat that Beethoven had attempted: but could never achieve in public.

In 1925 he was appointed Professor at the Stern Conservatory.

The film Sueño de amor in which Arrau starred, is a film by José Bohr filmed in 1935 in Mexico City, where Arrau appears representing the composer Franz Liszt.

This audiovisual record is one of the oldest surviving of the master and is one of the first sound films spoken entirely in Spanish in the world. After being exhibited in the 1930s, it was lost, until Luis Horta carried out an extensive investigation that led him to the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) where the only 16 mm copy of the mythical film was found. When it was found, the Cineteca of the University of Chile in conjunction with the UNAM and financed by the current National Council of Cultures, began a process of restoration and digitization to repatriate the film. Its restoration took about 10 years. Around 1933, Arrau separated from his first wife, the Latvian mezzo-soprano Erika Burkewitch. With her he had a son, Klaudio, in 1929, who would die in a German prison —under power Soviet—in 1949.

In 1937, he married mezzo-soprano Ruth Schneider, with whom he had three children: Carmen, Mario, and Christopher.

Arrau always recognized Pablo Neruda as a non plus ultra artist and author, and said that it would have been an honor for him if the poet considered him his friend.

In 1941 Arrau moved to the United States due to the consolidation of Nazism. The decision was motivated by the murder of one of his disciples accused of being anti-Nazi, together with the persecution in which his wife, of Jewish origin, was involved. Installed in New York, he founded the Claudio Arrau Academy in 1943 with Rafael de Silva.

On June 17, 1957, while on tour in Australia, Arrau was arrested and fined £5 for "improper conduct" in Lang Park, Sydney; The police officers pointed out that Arrau was following a man towards some public toilets and winked at one of them, which was denied by the pianist. The situation occurred in the context of a hunt for homosexuals carried out by the local police in the 1950s, and finally the charges against Arrau were dropped in February 1958 as a result of a clause that benefited defendants without a record.

In 1980 the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra awarded him the Hans von Bülow Medal.

He recorded the audio CD Chopin Waltzes with the complete collection of Frédéric Chopin's waltzes. Then the president of the Philips company visited him at his home with a high-frequency radio transmitter and asked him to press a button when New York time was 10:00. The signal emitted by the device started the chain production of CDs in Hannover, Germany. On August 17, 1982, it was the first to go on sale together with The Visitors by the group ABBA and the Alpine Symphony by Richard Strauss, conducted by Herbert von Karajan.

In 1983 he received the National Art Award of Chile, a fact that according to the pianist was his definitive consecration, noting:

To be recognized by the people and the land where one was born is for me the definitive consecration. One can be distinguished by friends, admirers and critics, but if the recognition of one's own family is lacking, honor and fame are incomplete. Now the Chilean family has decided to grant it to me and my feelings are a mixture of great humility and excited satisfaction.

Claudio Arrau.

In the framework of the 1988 plebiscite, the supporters of the “No” option exhibited Claudio Arrau playing the piano in their campaign. One of Arrau's sons indicated that said video was used without consulting his father, which led to a bitter dispute and that the "Yes" used that fact as part of their campaign, pointing out that the "No" had mocked the people.^{[citation required]}

Tomb of Claudio Arrau in the Municipal Cemetery of Chillán

Claudio Arrau died at the age of 88 in Mürzzuschlag, Austria, on June 9, 1991. In his will, he requested that the executor of his assets in the United States be his nephew Agustín Arrau, who died in 2009, deriving his fortune from pianist to the Claudio Arrau Foundation. of the holy field.

To commemorate the centenary of his birth, the year 2003 was declared "Claudio Arrau Year" in Chile by decree 178 of 2002 of the Chilean Ministry of Education. Likewise, that year, his former residence in Chillán was converted into the Claudio Arrau León Interactive Museum and declared a Historical Conservation Property.

Interpretations

Claudio Arrau in 1974.

He gained a special reputation for his interpretations of Bach, Brahms, Chopin, Debussy, Liszt, Mozart, Schöenberg, Schumann: Schubert and, above all, Beethoven: a reputation reflected in a large number of recordings. He had an extraordinary technique and a unique virtuosity. His timing was unusually slow at times, but his consideration of detail and rich sonority carried exceptional intellectual power and depth of feeling. Arrau achieved this by a careful study of the history in which the musical pieces he performed had been written; he knew history like few others, he was a great student of it. The vast cultural knowledge of him was one of the most prominent features of him.

He received numerous awards and distinctions during his career, including the French Legion of Honor, the Unesco Music Prize, the Beethoven Medal of New York, the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Oxford, and the Chilean National Art Award in 1983.

Throughout his career he maintained a neatness in his interpretations. This neatness refers to a logical sense only given by the maturation of the works. As a child prodigy, he developed a solid technique from an early age, which allowed him to later concentrate on acting and develop a maturity in that regard. Arrau's tempos and rubatos are unusual and make his playing exceptional. His vast repertoire is manifested, though not fully, in his extensive discography. Particularly noteworthy are his recordings of Franz Liszt's Transcendental Studies, the most important works for piano by Robert Schumann: Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas: as well as dozens of works with orchestra.

His extensive repertoire included the complete keyboard works of Johann Sebastian Bach, which were performed during a marathon cycle in Germany in the 1930s. But unfortunately no recording of the event exists and Arrau only agreed to record a few pieces of Bach at the end of his career. The reason that Arrau himself used for having eliminated Bach from his usual repertoire was that he did not believe in the piano as an adequate instrument to interpret the music of that time.

Repertoire of recordings

Detail of the repertoire of his studio recordings (countless live recordings not included):

• Bach: Goldberg variations; chromatic fantasy and leakage; Parts 1, 2, 3 and 5; Inventions and symphonies.

• Mozart: 19 Sonatas; Rondó al el mayor; Adagio en si menor; Rondó en re mayor; Fantasía en re menor.

• Beethoven: 32 Sonatas (various cycles)10 Sonatas for violin and piano (J. Szigeti complete cycle, A. Grumiaux 6 sonatas)5 Concerts for piano (various cycles); Triple Concert; Sundrop; Eroic Variations; Variations in Fa mayor; Variations in do menor; Diabelli Variations.

• Schubert: Fantasy Wanderer; Sonatas Op. 120, D.894, D.958, D.959 & D.960; Impromptus Op. 90; Impromptus Op. 142; Klavierstücke D.946; Musical Moments D.780; Allegretto en do menor D.915

• Chopin: Preludes Op. 28, Prelude Op. 45, Prelude Op posth.; Studies Op 10 and Op 25, 3 Nouvelles Etudes; 14 Valses; 21 Nocturnos; 4 Baladas; 4 Scherzos; 4 Impromptus; Allegro de concert; Sonata n.o 3; Barcarola; Fantasía en fa menor; Polonesa-Fantasía; Complete work for piano and orchestra.

• Liszt: Sonata en si menor; 12 Transcendental Studies; 3 Concert Studies; 2 Concert Studies; Blessing of God in Loneliness; 2 Sonetos de Petrarca; Après une lectura du Dante; Funerals; Balada en si menor; Valle d’Oberman; Jeux d’eaux a la Villa d’Este; Mephisto Valse; Valse oubliee; La chapel piano Conume (Complete)4 Polish songs (Chopin-Liszt)

• R. Schumann: Variations Abbeg Op. 1; Papillons Op. 2; Davidsbündlertänze Op. 6; Carnival Op. 9; Sonatas n.o 1 Op. 11 and n.o 2 Op. 22; Fantasiestücke, Op. 12; Symphonic Studies Op. 13; Children ' s Scenes Op. 15; Kreisleriana Op. 16; Fantasy en do mayor Op. 17; Arabeske Op. 18; Blumenstück Op. 19; Humoreske Op. 20; Novelletten Op. 21; Nachtstücke Op. 23; Vienna Carnival Op. 26; Three Romances Op. 28; Waldszenen Op. 82; Drei Fantasiestücke Op. 111; Concert for piano and orchestra Op 54.

• C. M. von Weber: Konzertstück; Sonata n° 1.

• Brahms: Concerts No. 1 and 2 (various versions); Sonatas n. 2 and 3; 4 bullets; Variations on a topic of Paganini; Handel Variations; Scherzo Op. 4.

• Grieg: Concert for piano in the minor Op 16.

• Chaikovski: Concert for piano n.o 1 in if bemol menor.

• Debussy: Preludes (Books 1 and 2)Prints; Images (Books 1 and 2); Bergamasque Suite; Pour le piano; Valse romantique; The plus that lens.

• Ravel: Gaspard de la nuit; Jeux d’eau.

• Isaác Albéniz: Iberia (Books 1 and 2).

• Balakirev: Islamey.

Discography

• Claudio Arrau, Birth of a Legend, Columbia Recordings, USA 1946-1950. Beethoven: Sonatas n° 21 & 26Schubert: Allegretto; Chopin: 24 PréludesSchumann: Kreisleriana, ArabeskeDebussy: Pour le piano, Estampes, Images I ' II; Ravel: Gaspard de la nuit (without Scarbo); Iberia I " II. (United Archives).
• Claudio Arrau in Germany: Pre-War Recordings from the collection of the Rundfukarchiv (Chopin, Beethoven: Mozart, Haydn, Liszt) (Music " Arts)
• Claudio Arrau, The Early Years, Complete Pre-War Recordings: Balakirev, Busoni, Stravinski, Liszt, Schubert: Chopin, Debussy, Schumann (1921-1939) (Marston)
• Recital in Ascona, 9 Sept. 1959. Beethoven: Sonata n° 23Schumann: Fantasy op. 17Debussy: Pour le piano; Chopin: Study op. 10/4 (Ermitage)
• Recitals in London, BBC Studios, 1959-1960. Beethoven: Sonata n° 13Schumann: Fantasy op. 17Schoenberg: 3 Klavierstücke op. 11 (BBC Legends)
• Recital in Lugano, 20 May 1963. Brahms: Variations Haendel; Ravel: Gaspard de la nuitLiszt: Gnomenreigen, Mephisto Waltz n° 1; Chopin: Month Joies (Ermitage)
• Claudio Arrau in Recital 1969-1977. Beethoven: Sonatas No. 7, 13, 23, 30, 32; Variations EroicaSchumann: Sonata n° 1Brahms: Sonata n° 3 (en vivo, Brescia & Turku, 1969-1977) (Music & Arts, 2012)
• Recital in Ascona, 17 Sept. 1971. Beethoven: Sonata n° 13Liszt: Sonata in case less; Chopin: Balada n° 4, Nocturno op. 62/1, Scherzo n° 1 (Ermitage)
• Recitals in Schwetzingen, 26 May 1963 and 20 May 1973. Beethoven: Sonatas n° 7, 23 > 28, Rondo op. 51 n° 2Brahms: Variationes Haendel (SWR/Hänssler)
• Recital in Salzburg, 15 August 1982. Beethoven: Sonata n° 23Liszt: Sonata en si menor, Après une lecture de Dante (Orpheus)
• Albéniz: Iberia, books I & II (1946-47, US Columbia)
• Bach: Variationes Goldberg (1942); chromatic fantasy and escape; inventions and symphonies (1945) (RCA)
• Bach: Parts No. 1, 2, 3, 5 (1991, Philips)
• Beethoven: Sonatas for piano n° 21 & 26 (1947, US Columbia)
• Beethoven: Sonatas for piano n° 8, 14, 23, 26, 29 (American Decca, 1954; chest The Liszt Legacy, Deutsche Grammophon, 2011)
• Beethoven: Sonatas for piano n° 7, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 28, 31, 32; 32 Variations WoO 80 (1956-1960, EMI)
• Beethoven: Sonatas for piano n° 23, 31, 32 (live, Stockholm, 1960)
• Beethoven: Sonatas for piano (integral, 1962-66), Rondo op. 51/2 (1963), 32 WoO 80 variations, Heroic variations op. 35, Variations op. 34 (1968) (Philips)
• Beethoven: Sonata for piano n° 32 (en vivo, Paris, Télévision française, 1970) (DVD EMI)
• Beethoven: Sonatas for piano n° 30, 31, 32 (live, New York, 1975) (APR)
• Beethoven: Sonatas for piano (almost integral, 1984-1990, no 14 and 29), 32 WoO 80 Variations, Favorite Andante WoO 57 (1984-1985) (Philips)
• Beethoven: Variations op. 34, Variations Heroica op. 35 (1941) (Naxos)
• Beethoven: Diabelli variations (1952, American Decca)
• Beethoven: Diabelli variations (1985, Philips)
• Beethoven: The ten sonatas for piano and violin. With Joseph Szigeti (live, Washington, Library of Congress, 1944) (Vanguard)
• Beethoven: Sonatas for piano and violin n° 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8. With Arthur Grumiaux (1975-76, Philips)
• Beethoven: The five piano concerts. Philharmonia Orchestra, say. Alceo Galliera (1955-58, EMI)
• Beethoven: The five piano concerts. Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink (1964, Philips)
• Beethoven: The five piano concerts. Staatskapelle Dresde, say. Colin Davis (1984-87, Philips)
• Beethoven: Concert for piano n° 1. New York Philharmonic, say. George Szell (live, New York, Carnegie Hall, 1945) (WHRA)
• Beethoven: Concert for piano n° 3. Philadelphia orchestra, dir. Eugene Ormandy (1947) (Naxos)
• Beethoven: Concerts for piano n° 3, 4, 5. Philharmonia Orchestra, say. Otto Klemperer (live, London, 1957) (Testament)
• Beethoven: Concert for piano n° 4. Symphony Orchestra of Bavarian Broadcasting, dir. Leonard Bernstein (en vivo, The Amnesty International Concert, 1976, Deutsche Grammophon)
• Beethoven: Concert for piano n° 4. Symphony Orchestra of the Broadcasting of Cologne, dir. Christoph von Dohnányi (live, Cologne, 1959)
• Beethoven: Concert for piano n° 4. Philadelphia orchestra, dir. Riccardo Muti (en vivo, 1983, DVD Philips "The Golden Age of the Piano")
• Beethoven: Concert for piano n° 4 say. Charles Munch, piano concert n° 5, dir. Pierre Monteux, Boston Symphony Orchestra (en vivo, Tanglewood, 1961 et 1960) (WHRA)
• Beethoven: Triple concert. With Henryk Szeryng, Janos Starker, New Philharmonia Orchestra, dir. Eliahu Inbal (1970, Philips)
• Brahms: Baladas op. 10, Sonatas n° 2 et 3, Scherzo op. 4, Variations Haendel, Variations Paganini (1971-78, Philips)
• Brahms: Sonata piano n° 3 op. 5 (live, New York, 1978) - Beethoven: Sonata piano n° 3 op. 2/3 (live, Prague, 1976) (APR)
• Brahms: Liebeslieder Waltzes for piano at 4 hands and vocal quartet op. 52. With Benjamin Britten (piano), Heather Harper, Janet Baker, Peter Pears and Thomas Hemsley (1968, BBC)
• Brahms: Concerts for piano n° 1 & 2. Philharmonia Orchestra, say. Carlo Maria Giulini (1960-62, EMI)
• Brahms: Concerts for piano n° 1 & 2. NDR Sinfonieorchester, dir. Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt (1963-66, EMI)
• Brahms: Concerts for piano n° 1 & 2. Great Symphony Orchestra of Television & Broadcasting of the USSR, dir. Guennadi Rojdestvenski (live, Moscou, 1968) (Doremi)
• Brahms: Concerts for piano n° 1 & 2. Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink (1969, Philips)
• Brahms: Concert for piano n° 1. Philharmonia Orchestra, say. Basil Cameron (1947) - Chopin, Andante spianato and Grand Polonesa (1947) (Dante)
• Brahms: Concert for piano n° 1. Symphony Orchestra of Bavarian Broadcasting, dir. Rafael Kubelik (live, Munich, 1964) (Orpheus)
• Brahms: Concert for piano n° 2. Scottish National Orchestra, dir. Alexander Gibson (live, Glasgow, 1963) (BBC Legends)
• Brahms: Concert for piano n° 2. Orquesta Nacional de Francia, dir. Igor Markevitch (live, Paris, 1976) (INA Mémoire lives)
• Chopin: 4 Baladas, 4 Scherzos, 3 Impromptus, Barcarola (1953, American Decca)
• Chopin: 24 Preludes (1950, US Columbia)
• Chopin: 24 Preludes (live, Prague 1960) (APR)
• Chopin: Studies op. 10 & 25, Allegro de concert (1956), Sonata n.° 3 en si menor, Fantasía (1960) (EMI)
• Chopin: 24 Preludes, Prelude op. 45, Prelude op. posth., 4 Baladas, 4 Scherzos, 21 Nocturnos, 19 Valses, 3 Impromptus, Barcarola, Fantasy, Polonesa-Fantasy, Fantasy on Polish Airs (1971-84, Philips)
• Chopin: Concert for piano n° 1. Symphony Orchestra of the Broadcasting of Cologne, dir. Otto Klemperer (live, Cologne, 1954) (Music ' Arts)
• Chopin: Concert for piano n° 2. New York Philharmonic, say. Fritz Busch (live, New York, Metropolitan Opera, 1950) (Music ' Arts)
• Chopin: Concert for piano n° 2. New York Philharmonic, say. George Szell (live, New York, Carnegie Hall, 1955) (WHRA)
• Chopin: Concerts for piano n° 1 " 2, Krakowiak, Andante spianato and Great Brilliant Polonesa, Variations sobe "Là ci darm la mano". London Philharmonic Orchestra, dir. Eliahu Inbal (1970-71, Philips)
• Debussy: Pour le piano, Estampes, Images I ' II (1949, US Columbia)
• Debussy: Préludes I ' II, Images I ' II, Prints (1979-80), Suite bergamasque, Sarabande (Pour le piano), La plus que lente, Valse romantique (1991) (Philips)
• Grieg: Concert for piano. Philharmonia Orchestra, say. Alceo Galliera (1956, EMI)
• Grieg: Concert for piano. Orquesta Real del Concertgebouw, dir. Christoph von Dohnanyi (1963, Philips)
• Grieg: Concert for piano. Boston Symphony Orchestra, dir. Colin Davis (1980, Philips)
• Liszt: Sonata in case less (1970), Sonata in case less (1985), Funérailles (1982), 12 transcendent execution studies (1974-76), Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude (1970), Balada n° 2 (1969), Verdi Paráfrasis (1971), Mephisto-Waltz n° 1 (1990), Liebestraum n° 3 (1989), Six blacks polonais Chopin (1982), Concert studios (1970-76), Jeux d'eau à la Villa d'Este, Vallée d'Obermann, Sonnets de Pétrarque 104 & 123 (1969), Sonata "Après une lecture de Dante" (1982), Chapelle de Guillaume Tell (1989) (Philips)
• Liszt: Sonata in case less (live, Ascona, 1971) (Ermitage)
• Liszt: Sonata en si menor, Après une lecture de Dante (live, Salzbourg, 1982)
• Liszt: Sonate en si menor, Après une lecture de Dante, Balada n° 2, Jeux d'eau à la Villa d'Este, Estudio de ejecución transcendente n° 10 (live, New York & San Francisco, 1970-81)Claudio Arrau plays Liszt, Public Performances, Music & Arts)
• Liszt: Hungarian Rapsodia n° 8, 9, 10, 11 & 13 (1951) (Sony)
• Liszt: Concert for piano n° 1. Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, dir. Hans Rosbaud (1935) (Music ' Arts)
• Liszt: Concert for piano n° 1; Fantasy in my minor on Hungarian folk songs. Philadelphia orchestra, dir. Eugene Ormandy (1952) (Sony)
• Liszt: Concert for piano n° 2. New York Philharmonic, say. Dimitri Mitropoulos (live, 1943) (Music ' Arts)
• Liszt: Concert for piano n° 2. New York Philharmonic, say. George Szell (live, New York, Carnegie Hall, 1946) (WHRA)
• Liszt: Concerts for piano n° 1 & 2. London Symphony Orchestra, dir. Colin Davis (1979, Philips)
• Mendelssohn: Introduction and Rondo Caprichoso op. 14 (1951, EMI)
• Mozart: Sounds for piano K.283 & K.576 (1941) (Naxos)
• Mozart: Piano Sonatas K.310, K.332, K.457, K.576, Fantasy K.475 (live, Salzburg, 1956) (Orpheus)
• Mozart: Piano Sonata K.283, K.310, K.457, K.570, K.576, Fantasy K.475 (live, Tanglewood, 1964) (Music ' Arts)
• Mozart: Sonatas for piano (integral), Rondos K.485 & K.511, Fantasías K.397 & K.475, Adagio K.540 (1973-88, Philips)
• Ravel: Gaspard de la nuit (without Scarbo) (1949, US Columbia)
• Ravel: Gaspard de la nuit (live, Lugano, 1963) (Ermitage)
• Schoenberg: 3 Klavierstücke op. 11 (1959, BBC Legends)
• Schubert: Fantasy Wanderer D.760, Klavierstücke D.946, Musical Moments D.780, Allegretto D.915, March D.606 (1956-59, EMI)
• Schubert: Klavierstücke D.946 (1959, BBC Legends)
• Schubert: Sonatas D.664, D.894, D.958, D.959 " D.960; Impromptus D.899 " D.935; Klavierstücke D.946, Musical Moments D.780; Allegretto D.915 (1978-90, Philips)
• Schubert: Fifth "La Trucha" D.667Franck: FifthDvorak: Fifth op. 81Mozart: Threesome K.548. With the Juilliard Quartet (live, Washington, Library of Congress, 1963-64) (Doremi)
• Schumann: Kreisleriana, Arabeske (1946-47, US Columbia)
• Schumann: Fantasy op. 17 (live, 1959, Ascona)
• Schumann: Fantasy op. 17 (1960, BBC Legends)
• Schumann: Carnival op. 9 (London, 1961) (DVD EMI)
• Schumann: Symphonic studies (live, Prague, 1976) (APR)
• Schumann: Fantasy op. 17, Carnival op. 9, Vienna Carnival, Sonatas n° 1 & 2, Kreisleriana, Kinderszenen, Waldszenen, Nachstücke, Symphonic Studies, Arabeske, Humoreske, Davidsbündlertänze, Novelletten, Blumenstück, Variations Abegg, Papillons. 111, Tres Romanzas op. 28 (1966-76, Philips)
• Schumann: Concert for piano. Detroit Symphony Orchestra, dir. Karl Krueger (1944), Carnival op. 9 (1939) (Naxos)
• Schumann: Concert for piano. New York Philharmonic, say. Victor de Sabata (live, New York, Carnegie Hall, 1951) (Music ' Arts)
• Schumann: Concert for piano. Philharmonia Orchestra, say. Alceo Galliera (1957, EMI)
• Schumann: Concert for piano. Orquesta Real del Concertgebouw, dir. Christoph von Dohnanyi (1963, Philips)
• Schumann: Concert for piano. Boston Symphony Orchestra, dir. Colin Davis (1980, Philips)
• Richard Strauss: Burlesque for piano and orchestra. New York Philharmonic, say. George Szell (live, New York, Carnegie Hall, 1945) (WHRA)
• Richard Strauss: Burlesque for piano and orchestra. Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Dir. Désiré Defauw (live, 1946) (Naxos)
• Chaïkovski: Concert for piano n° 1. Philharmonia Orchestra, say. Alceo Galliera (1960, EMI)
• Chaïkovski: Concert for piano n° 1. Boston Symphony Orchestra, dir. Colin Davis (1979, Philips)
• Weber: Konzertstück en fa menor. New York Philharmonic, say. George Szell (live, New York, Carnegie Hall, 1945) (WHRA)
• Weber: Konzertstück en fa menor. Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Dir. Désiré Defauw (1946), Sonate pour piano n.° 1 (1941) (Naxos)
• Weber: Konzertstück en fa menor. NBC Symphony Orchestra, dir. Erich Kleiber (live, New York, 1947) (Music ' Arts)
• Weber: Konzertstück en fa menor. Philharmonia Orchestra, say. Alceo Galliera (1960, EMI)

Filmography

Books

• Liszt: A Listener's Guide to His Piano Works (with John Bell Young)
• Leben mit der Musik (with Joseph Horowitz), 1984
• Arrau parle: conversations avec Joseph Horowitz (with Joseph Horowitz), 1985

Awards and recognitions

Bust of Arrau in the Chilean commune of Quinta Normal, in the city of Santiago.

Arrau Memorial Plate in the German district of Tempelhof-Schöneberg in Berlin.

Bust of Arrau in his hometown, Chillán.

List of his main awards and distinctions:

• 1911 - Scholarship of the Chilean Congress to study in Europe
• 1915-1918:
  • Ibach-Schulhoff Award
  • Medal Gustav Holländer for young artists (Berlin).
  • Medalla Sachsen-Gothaische
• 1919 - Franz Liszt Prize
• 1920 - Franz Liszt Prize
• First prize in the competition of Rudolph Ibach (was the only participating child).
• 1927 - Grand prix International de Pianistes, Switzerland
• 1944 - Gold Medal of the National Congress of Chile
• 1949 - Doctor Honoris Causa, Universidad de Chile
• 1949 - Iluster Son of Mexico
• Gold Medal of the City of Concepción
• 1954 - Iluster Son of James
• 1958 - Gold Medal of the Royal Philharmonic Society of London
• 1959 - Benemerite Son of Chillán
• 1965 - Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, France
• 1965 - The Chopin Mask is delivered to you, Poland
• 1970 - Das Bundesverdienstkreuz (La Cruz del Mérito), Germany
• 1980 - Medalla Hans von Bülow
• 1981 - Honorary Member of the Pan American Society of New England, USA. U.S.
• 1982 - Doctor of Humane Letters - Honoris Causa, Vermont, USA. U.S.
• 1982 - Order of the Aztec Eagle, Mexico
• 1983 - World Music Prize, awarded by UNESCO
• 1983 - The Philadelphia Bowl, Philadelphia, USA. U.S.
• 1983 - National Art Award of Chile
• 1983 - First Honorary Member of Düsseldorf Robert Schumann-Gesellschaft, Germany
• 1983 - Commander of the Legion of Honor, France
• 1983 - Commander of the National Academy of Santa Cecilia, Italy
• 1983 - Beethoven Medal: New York, USA U.S.
• 1983 - Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Oxford, England
• 1984 - Doctor Honoris Causa de la Universidad de Concepción, Chile
• 1984 - Professor Honoris Causa of the University of Bío Bío, Chile
• 1984 - The "Highest Distinction Award" of the Inter-American Music Council and the Organization of American States
• 1988 - Medalla Teresa Carreño, Venezuela
• 1988 Honorary Member The Royal Philharmonic SocietyLondon, England
• 1990 - Gold Medal The Royal Philharmonic SocietyLondon, England
• 1991 - Medalla Arrau instituted by Düsseldorf Robert Schumann-Gesellschaft, Germany

Data

• Arrau was the favorite disciple of Martin Krause, this of Franz Liszt, in turn Liszt was a disciple of Carl Czerny, who was a pupil of Ludwig van Beethoven: Antonio Salieri and Johann Hummel.
• Claudio Arrau was an artist Blüthner.