On 04/05/2014, Dave Burnham wrote:

> I recently came across a record by Dora Labette with Beecham at the
> piano; never realized he could play the piano.
> 
On the CD issue of the soundtrack of the film of "Tales of Hoffmann"
there is a 15-minute selection of excerpts from a 2-hour tape of Beecham
playing through the whole opera on piano, and singing all the parts
himself. This was a run-through for the producers, Powell and
Pressburger. 

Singing was not Beecham's strong point, but he could use his voice to get
across his idea of how he wanted a passage played.

The dics are SOMM-BEECHAM 13-2.

Regards
-- 
Don Cox
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