William Murdoch (1888 - 1942)

Most of Murdoch’s records were made for Columbia. He began to record in the acoustic era: encore pieces, movements from trios with Squire and Catterall; also the first commercial recording of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 Op. 37 with Hamilton Harty. Murdoch did not like the recording studio and many of his electrical recordings were made in an empty Wigmore Hall. He felt that one of his best records was of Chopin’s Ballade in A flat Op. 47 and at the time of its release (1928) his touch was compared to that of Vladimir de Pachmann. Murdoch disliked Liszt’s music but admired the man; he did, however, record Liszt’s La Campanella. He regarded Busoni as the greatest Liszt performer of his day and Rachmaninov as one of the greatest pianists. The major works he recorded for solo piano are by Beethoven, his ‘Pathétique’ and ‘Appassionata’ Sonatas. Murdoch’s performances have fast tempi and tight rhythms and a clarity that he also displays in his Chopin playing. He said that although Beethoven performances needed iron, they should not be merely rugged or rough.

Murdoch is represented on disc by much chamber music and he is perhaps remembered more in this field rather than as a soloist. Successful recordings of the Elgar Violin Sonata and Beethoven’s ‘Kreutzer’ Sonata Op. 47 (with Catterall), the Tchaikovsky Trio, and an adaptation of the Mendelssohn C minor Trio all show his sensitivity and affinity for chamber music. In the ‘Archduke’ Trio, where he is joined by Sammons and Squire, we are treated to a genial gathering of friends playing some of their favourite music. Also of note are six ten-inch discs he made of test pieces for the Daily Express National Piano Playing Contests in 1927. Not only does he perform works by John Ireland, York Bowen and Alec Rowley, but he also comments on them.

Courtesy of Jonathan Summers