Both the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto #1 and the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #2 are two of my all-time favorite Romantic piano concertos. Van Cliburn's performance is historic making (he was the 1st American to take the Gold Medal in the first Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958). His playing is absolutely brilliant in musicianship, tone, and in capturing the different moods of the piece. This is my favorite performance of this concerto. My second favorite would be that of Martha Argerich's recording in 1972 w/ Charles Dutoit as the conductor.
Equally outstanding is the Rachmaninoff. From the somber and dramatic beginning of the first movement leading to the climactic build-up at the end, Cliburn captures the different moods and dynamics of the work brilliantly. (It's hard to express this in words). The second movement is very touching and the tone in Cliburn's playing is masterful. Van Cliburn's performance rivals that of any other pianist (Artur Rubinstein, Lang Lang, Garrick Ohlsson, etc.)
For other brilliant recordings of the Tchaikovsky piano concerto, I would recommend the following:
Martha Argerich (Deutsch Grammophon) 1971 w/ Charles Dutoit (conductor)
Barry Douglas (RCA Victor Red Seal) w/ Leonard Slatkin (conductor)
Garrick Ohlsson (Hanssler) 1997 (this is also coupled w/ Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #2)
For another outstanding recording of the Rachmaninoff, I would highly recommend
Jeno Jando's recording (1988, Naxos label)
Garrick Ohlsson (1997, Hanssler label)
One great advantage of this CD is its low price and its excellent sound quality in the SACD format. Highly recommended!! --moviemusicbuff Listen to samples
Equally outstanding is the Rachmaninoff. From the somber and dramatic beginning of the first movement leading to the climactic build-up at the end, Cliburn captures the different moods and dynamics of the work brilliantly. (It's hard to express this in words). The second movement is very touching and the tone in Cliburn's playing is masterful. Van Cliburn's performance rivals that of any other pianist (Artur Rubinstein, Lang Lang, Garrick Ohlsson, etc.)
For other brilliant recordings of the Tchaikovsky piano concerto, I would recommend the following:
Martha Argerich (Deutsch Grammophon) 1971 w/ Charles Dutoit (conductor)
Barry Douglas (RCA Victor Red Seal) w/ Leonard Slatkin (conductor)
Garrick Ohlsson (Hanssler) 1997 (this is also coupled w/ Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #2)
For another outstanding recording of the Rachmaninoff, I would highly recommend
Jeno Jando's recording (1988, Naxos label)
Garrick Ohlsson (1997, Hanssler label)
One great advantage of this CD is its low price and its excellent sound quality in the SACD format. Highly recommended!! --moviemusicbuff Listen to samples
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