Born in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1925, pianist Claude Frank abandoned Nazi Germany in 1937 and went to France, where he studied at the Paris Conservatory. Fleeing France before the advancing German armies in 1940, he went first to Spain, then to Portugal, before ultimately settling in America, where he became a citizen in 1944. He studied piano--interrupted by a term of military service--with Artur Schnabel in New York City, and had his recital debut at Town Hall in 1947. He performed with the NBC Symphony Orchestra in 1948 and had his New York Philharmonic debut under conductor Leonard Bernstein in 1959. He has appeared with most of the world's major orchestras, including the Boston, Chicago, National, and Buenos Aires Symphonies, the New York and Berlin Philharmonics, and the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam.
Frank has participated in major music festivals all over the world: in the Americas and in Europe, in Africa and in Asia. His enduring involvement with the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center in New York is legendary, and in the summer of 2005 he served as a distinguished faculty member at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland. A Beethoven specialist, Mr. Frank has always been admired as a superb chamber musician, from the time of his first performances with the Boston Symphony Chamber Players in the 1960s, to his frequent appearances with various string quartets, the Juilliard and Guarneri Quartets included. He performs regularly with his wife, pianist Lilian Kallir, in duo-piano concerts, and with his daughter, violinist Pamela Frank.
Mr. Frank is an influential teacher, currently serving on the faculties of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and the Yale School of Music in New Haven, Connecticut. His master classes are highly anticipated and sought-after events, and his willingness to sit as a juror at various piano competitions, including the prestigious Leeds International, in England, lends gravitas to those occasions.
Discography
1966
RCA Victor LM / LSC 2864
Saramae Endlich, Florence Kopleff, Seth McCoy, Theodor Uppman, vocal soloists;
Claude Frank & Lilian Kallir, piano - 4 hands.
Brahms, Johannes
Liebesleider Waltzes, Opp. 52 & 65
1970
RCA Victor LSC 3166
Joseph Silverstein, violin; Jules Eskin, violoncello.
Schubert, Franz
Trio for Piano and Strings in B-flat Major, Op. 99 / D. 898
RCA Victrola VICS 9000 - "Beethoven: The 32 Piano Sonatas"
Beethoven, Ludwig van
32 Piano Sonatas
Reissue: Music and Arts Programs of America 4640 (2002)
1973
Library of Congress Concert 1973-04-06
LWO 7259
Juilliard String Quartet.
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Quartet for Violin, Viola, Violoncello and Piano in E-flat Major, K. 493
Bloch, Ernest
Quartet No. 4
Schumann, Robert
Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 44
1974
Library of Congress Concert 1974-04-26
LWO 7805
Juilliard String Quartet; Julius Levine, double bass.
Prokofiev, Sergei
Sonata for Two Violins, Op. 56
Mendelssohn, Felix
Sextet for Violin, Two Violas, Violoncello, Double Bass and Piano, Op. 110
Schubert, Franz
Quintet for Violin, Viola, Violoncello, Double Bass and Piano, Op. 114 / D. 667, "Trout"
1981
Library of Congress Concerts 1981-04-16 & 1981-04-17
RWA 0606-0607, 0640-0641
Juilliard String Quartet.
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Sonata for Violin and Piano in B-flat Major, K. 454
Diamond, David
String Quartet No. 10
Brahms, Johannes
Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 60
1993
MusicMasters Classics 01612-67087 - "Beethoven: Sonatas for Violin and Piano, Volume 1"
Claude Frank, piano.
Beethoven, Ludwig van
Sonata No. 9 for Violin and Piano in A minor, Op. 47, "Kreutzer"
Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano in D Major, Op. 12, No. 1
Reissues: MusicMasters 01612-67197 (1999)
Music & Arts Programs Of America 1143 (2004)
1996
Sony Classical SBK 62638
Lilian Kallir, piano; Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy, conductor.
Saint-Saëns, Camille
Le carnaval des animaux
Recorded in 1968. An earlier issue has not been found.
MusicMasters Classics 01612-67106
Claude Frank, piano.
Beethoven, Ludwig van
Sonata No. 6 for Violin and Piano in A major, Op. 30 No. 1
Sonata No. 7 for Violin and Piano in C minor, Op. 30 No. 2
Sonata No. 8 for Violin and Piano in G major, Op. 30 No. 3
Reissues: MusicMasters 01612-67197 (1999)
Music & Arts Programs Of America 1143 (2004)
1999
MusicMasters 01612-67197
Claude Frank, piano.
Beethoven, Ludwig van
Sonata No. 9 for Violin and Piano in A minor, Op. 47, "Kreutzer"
Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano in D Major, Op. 12, No. 1
Sonata No. 2 for Violin and Piano in A Major, Op. 12, No. 2
Sonata No. 3 for Violin and Piano in E-flat Major, Op. 12, No. 3
Sonata No. 4 for Violin and Piano in A minor, Op. 23
Sonata No. 10 for Violin and Piano in G Major, Op. 96
Sonata No. 5 for Violin and Piano in F major, Op. 24, "Spring"
Sonata No. 6 for Violin and Piano in A major, Op. 30 No. 1
Sonata No. 7 for Violin and Piano in C minor, Op. 30 No. 2
Sonata No. 8 for Violin and Piano in G major, Op. 30 No. 3
Sonatas 1, 9, 6, 7 & 8 previously issued on MusicMasters.
Reissue: Music & Arts Programs Of America 1143 (2004)
2005
Arte Nova 721280
Claude Frank, piano.
Schubert, Franz
Rondo for Violin and Piano in B minor, D. 895 / Op. 70, "Rondo Brilliant"
Fantasy for Violin and Piano in C Major, D. 934 / Op. 159
Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major, D. 574 / Op. 162
DISCLAIMER:
This discography was assembled using available catalog records, internet resources, discographies, and other works. Especially included are the performers' Library of Congress concert appearances, the recordings of which reside in the Library of Congress's Recorded Sound collections. Excluded are the numerous promotional and special market reissues of excerpts of complete recordings.
Although every attempt has been made to be comprehensive, some recordings may have inadvertently been missed. Please send any additions and corrections to https://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/ask-perform.html.
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