Eugen d'Albert was of course one of the most esteemed Beethoven
interpreters of the turn of the century, and he influenced Fischer,
Backhaus, Schnabel and others.  Unfortunately almost no documents remain.
There is the 1930 recording of the Beethoven 5th concerto 1st movt.
There are also d'Albert biographies etc giving second-hand analysis of his
approach to Beethoven.  I've scoured my book/record shops and libraries
for both but been unsuccessful.  I'd be grateful if someone who knows
could give me the gist either of descriptions of d'A.'s Beethoven in the
literature (specific ones, that is - I'd especially like detailed examples
from individual works, if possible) or even better, of that Beethoven
recording? In particular, I read something about d'A's completely
individual use of accellerandos in this recording, apparently to an
overwhelming musical effect.  *How* does he use those accelerando effects
(at what points in the movement do they occur etc)? Whose playing, if at
all, is it comparable to:  Hofmann's Moonlight sonata (also different to
any modern Beethoven I've heard), Schnabel, Fischer, Backhaus - or anyone
else?

Felix Delbruck
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