Today, while going over my modest collection of LP's. I came across one
I had not played in years, a Seraphim recording titled "Iturbi Plays
Favorite Chopin."  The LP contains thirteen Chopin works, etudes, mazurkas,
waltzes and other aimilar  favorites.  It brought to mind my teen age
years when I herd Hose Iturbi play and conduct Liszt's Hungarian Fantaia
for piano and orchestra in the old Lewisohn Stadium in Ne York City some
65 years ago.  At the time I thought he was the greatest pianist in the
world.  Now he is all but forgotten, except as a bit player in some
movies in which he played back in the mid-forties.  Recordings of his
piano work are practically nonexistent.

I am asking my fellow list members with the following question, what is
Jose Iturbi's standing in the long list of concert pianists of the last
century? He was known as a Mozart and a Liszt specialist in his day, but
maybe not good enough for example to make it to the Great Pianists series.
Nut I hardly believe he deserves to have fallen so completely out of
sight and mind.  Perhaps some enterprising recording company will think
of reissuing some CD's of his work.

William C. Valles
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