The Late Piano Sonatas of George Antheil

In December 1970, Charles Amirkhanian visited Böske Antheil (widow of the late composer, George Antheil) at her home in Los Angeles. During a search of the family archives two acetate, private recordings of the Third (1947) and Fifth Piano Sonatas (1950) were discovered. The performances were by the pianist Frederick Marvin. In this program you can hear those two rare recordings as well an early recording of the Antheil’s Fourth Sonata (1948) also played by Frederick Marvin. The program begins with a performance of the Second Sonata, often referred to as the “Airplane Sonata” composed in 1922. This contrasting work, written in the mechanistic style that characterized Antheil’s early compositions, is played by Vladimir Pleshakov.