Julius Katchen II (Great Pianists of the 20th Century series)

Jules Katchen (Artist), Gershwin (Artist), Ravel (Artist), Rachmaninoff (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 13, 1999)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B00000IIYB
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #253,899 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Rhapsody In Blue

2. Piano Concerto In D 'for the left Hand': Piano Concerto In D 'For The Left Hand'

3. Piano Concerto In G: Allegramente

4. Piano Concerto In G: Adagio assai

5. Piano Concerto In G: Presto

6. Rhapsody On A Theme By Paganini, Op.43: Theme & Variation I

7. Rhapsody On A Theme By Paganini, Op.43: Variation II

8. Rhapsody On A Theme By Paganini, Op.43: Variation III

9. Rhapsody On A Theme By Paganini, Op.43: Variation IV

10. Rhapsody On A Theme By Paganini, Op.43: Variation V

See all 29 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Rondo For Piano And Orchestra In B Flat, WoO 6

2. Piano Concerto No. 2 In A: Adagio sostenuto assai- Allegro agitato assai

3. Piano Concerto No. 2 In A: Allegro moderato

4. Piano Concerto No. 2 In A: Allegro deciso - Marziale un poco meno allegro

5. Piano Concerto No. 2 In A: Allegro animato

6. Variations On A Nursery Tune, Op. 25: Introduction

7. Variations On A Nursery Tune, Op. 25: Theme

8. Variations On A Nursery Tune, Op. 25: Variation I

9. Variations On A Nursery Tune, Op. 25: Variation II

10. Variations On A Nursery Tune, Op. 25: Variation III

See all 22 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Legendary Pianist in Mixed Bag of Piano Concertos, April 30, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Richfield, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Julius Katchen II (Great Pianists of the 20th Century series) (Audio CD)

Well, I bought the sampler of this series, and this was the most interesting of the bunch. Most people will have lots of the other released in CD format or LP format. However, many of these performances are not readily availible. Katchen was a fireband, but sometimes he got carried away and could be somewhat cold. These are all masterpieces in one way or another. The Ravel Left Hand, one of my favorites, seems rushed in places. The sound quality is a tad bit distant. His Ravel G Major, is much better, with better sound and a more involved performance. The Dohnanyi and the Rachmaninov Rhapsody are perfectly paced, and no allowance has to be made for the sound, which is very good. The Gershwin Rhapsody is one of Katchen's specialties, and I have always enjoyed this performance, although it is too old to be authentic (although you hear a Banjo in there!). The Beethoven Rondo (a reject from the 2nd piano concerto, but a great piece on its own) is lively, but a slower tempo might have brought on a more suble performance. The Prokofiev 3rd, however is a knock-out and makes this set well worth getting. A virtuoso performance of the Liszt 2nd Concerto rounds out this well-filled set of discs. They will give pleasure, but make sure you have alternate versions of these concertos.