Dinu Lipatti plays Chopin’s Nocturne in D-Flat Major No.2

A recording from Dinu Lipatti’s first recording session at EMI’s Abbey Road Studio No.3 on February 20, 1947, in which the young Romanian pianist plays Chopin’s Nocturne in D-Flat Major No.2. This transfer was effected from an original 78rpm pressing by Tom Jardine, to whom all thanks. Lipatti had signed a contract with EMI’s sublabel Columbia in January 1946, seemingly unaware of the fact that Decca was inquiring about him at the same time; an ’agent’ in Switzerland suggested to EMI that they sign him immediately before Decca got to him, and that’s what they did. However, Lipatti did not enter a studio until 6 months later, when he set down some works by Chopin and Liszt at the Wolfbach Studio in Zurich early in July 1946. Unfortunately, no usable discs came of his efforts, as the masters warped in transit to London. It would therefore not be until Lipatti went to London more than a year after signing his contract that he would produce his first solo records f