Customer Reviews

Van Cliburn in Moscow, Vol. 3- Rachmaninoff Concertos 2, 3

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Many years ago I heard a performance of Van Cliburn playing Rachmaninov's third piano concero live from Moscow in 1958 on WQXR. I greatly admired his live performance from Carnegie Hall recorded in 1958 and issued on RCA, but this peformance was slightly different, seemingly more relaxed. I was able to tape a portion of it at that time and heard it again in its entirety online several years ago. This is that performance, readily available for the first time. The video is reasonably clear, as is the audio; however, the video and audio are frequently out of sync, which is particularly annoying during the first movement cadenza.

The encores are enjoyable-I particularly enjoyed the reaction of the musicians in the Moscow Philharmonic. The Rachmaninov second was filmed in 1972 on a return trip to Russia. The video and the sound are fine for that time period, but Cliburn's performance of Rachmaninov 2 never really enthralled me. Van Cliburn in Moscow, Vol. 3- Rachmaninoff Concertos 2, 3

An outstanding listening/viewing experience. The young Van Cliburn is breathtaking in this performance. Only disc I've seen that brought tears to my eyes.

The video is less than ideal but the performance is outstanding. The sound is also quite satisfactory. A 5 star performance.