Customer Reviews

Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1; Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 [Hybrid SACD]

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The sound of this SACD is less impressive than the other Living Stereo DSD remasters I have heard - this is almost certainly due to the fact that the original tapes were not as well done as the others, and not because of poor mastering. In fact, this is probably as good as the sound of this recording can get. It certainly bests any of the regular CD editions that have been produced over the years, and lets not even talk about my ancient mouldering LP!

Preserving the original three channel recording is a grand thing, and defineatly adds to the presentation - the only thing is that YOU have to have a sufficiently large listening room to fully appreciate it (to allow the three speakers to have enough distance between each other to get the most out of it). Without the proper space, the spatial imaging will to some degree be lost.

Regardless of this though, if this recording is important to you, then this is the edition to have beyond a doubt.

As for the performances, they are classics and you certainly can't go wrong with them - though I wouldn't say they are the 'best' for either of the respective pieces. For the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto N.2, my personal favourite is Reiner's other earlier (1956) recording with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra but featuring Artur Rubinstein as the soloist. Now there is a performance that is truly exciting, that really plays out the piece's romantic core to the fullest - both orchestra and soloist producing a rich passionate sound, bringing out the innate russianness of the music, truly bringing alive its inner meaning.

I literally grew up on this recording (the Cliburn Tchaikovsky). I have easily played it over a 100 times if not closer to 200. I am very happy to report the SACD version is the best that will ever be available for this recording. The original master tapes were 3 channel, so that is how it is presented here...left, center, right...but no surrounds. This anchors the piano in the middle (the piano is not all from the center however). This release is much better than the previous CD release. Having that center channel to anchor the piano makes a big difference. There is hardly any tape hiss either. My only reason for 4 stars instead of 5, is because this is a 1958 recording, the low end is not quite there....but the quality of the piano for this year is quite good.

In years past, I had never been able to embrace Van Cliburn's famed Tchaikovsky Piano Conerto #1. Poor sound reproduction on previous cd releases just did not allow the power of this incredible performance to shine through. All that has changed with this RCA Living Stereo Hybrid SACD edition. The brillantly improved sound and the enhanced spatial seperation on this version makes Cliburn's Tchaikovsky #1 a whole new listening experience. This is how this recording was meant to sound; this is the definitive edition of this monumental performance. Do not hesitate to add this release to your classical library, even if you own any previous incarnations of this record. This is one for the history books & a sure must have!

What a treasure! Both Cliburn and his lyrical, but intense interpretation of this classic will bring back memories for those of us who lived through the Cold War. Cliburn's music is as thrilling and emotional as it was when we first heard it 50 years ago.

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!!

This afternoon I played this SACD recording on my multi-channel music system. I was disappointed with the sound on the Tchaikovsky but pleased with the sound on the Rachmaninoff. Van Cliburn turns in spirited performances in both concertos but the sound from Carnegie Hall on the Tchaikovsky sounds rather dry and remote. The piano sound is in some ways superior to the orchestral sound and has a fairly exciting piano presence.

When the Rachmaninoff starts it's as if the door to the concert hall has been opened and the sound floods out; a rather dramatic contrast. Admittedly the Rachmaninoff was recorded almost 4 years later at Orchestra Hall in Chicago but it sounds more than 4 years better.

I gave this recording five stars wishing I could divide the rating by selection; should I have been able to do that the Tchaikovsky would have done no better than four stars whereas the Rachmaninoff would rate five stars in my opinion.

I have the CD version of Van Cliburn's Tchaikovsky and I will agree that this SACD version is certainly superior. It would be interesting to hear what the RCA engineers would have to say about the difference.

Would I buy it again, yes, I would.

When I was young, Van Cliburn (1934- ) came to Middletown High School and played his heart out; the audience response was remarkable and passionate as if huge jolts of electricity had filled the music hall! No wonder, too--when you hear this recording, there is nothing lacking in the performance. Cliburn clearly knew when to hold back just a little, showing some restraint--and when not to--and along with his faultless playing, Cliburn breathed new life into these piano concertos by Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) and Rachmaninoff (1983-1943).The marriage of the piano with the rest of the orchestra remains sublime even all these years later.

In addition, the remastering of these recordings enhances the sound and takes it to new heights. This is very well done by RCA Living Stereo in their Hybrid SACD edition of these recordings. With three sources of sound (left, center and right) I can enjoy these recordings as if I were actually there to enjoy it! I would agree, however, with other reviewers who write that the full enhancement of the sound will be somewhat lost unless you listen to this in a room as large as possible instead of a portable CD player or a CD player in a small room.

In sum, this exquisite recording is truly a must for any discerning lover of music by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff and even classical music in general. Naturally, fans of the great Van Cliburn would do well to add this to their collections.

There are many performances of Tchaikovsky No. 1 but this is the one
I identify with. Having this cd is a must for any collection. One must
remember that this performance goes back to 1958 when Cliburn won the
Tchaikovsky competition in Russia. As a result, his name is etched in
classical music history.

One of my favorite pianists, Mr. Van Cliburn, did the most moving and beautiful playing of these two piano gems. I have to even forget the other great, Byron Janis, while listening to Maestro Cliburn and wonder the lofty heights of art that man is capable of (instead of all these wars and brutality and greed). Recommended, joyfully!

I was looking for some recordings for my son who lives in Australia. He composes and plays music of a more country genre and wanted to start hearing and learning something about classical music. I chose this as one because it contained selections by both Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff that I had loved many years ago and hadn't listened to recently. I still loved them; hope my son will, too!