Great Pianists: Vol. 2

Brailowsky’s tone is a bit brittle in spots, and the finale could fairly be accused of breathlessness. But it’s a fascinating document nonetheless...[The Strauss] has an engagingly rough-and-tumble... — Fanfare, November/December 2011 More…

Release Date: 14th Feb 2011
Catalogue No: GHCD2367
Label: Guild
Series: Historical

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Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K488

Alexander Brailowsky (piano)
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Serge Koussevitsky

Liszt: Réminiscences de "Don Juan" (after Mozart), S. 418

Shura Cherkassky (piano)

Liszt: Réminiscences de "Don Juan" (after Mozart), S. 418

Shura Cherkassky (piano)

Strauss, R: Burleske for Piano and orchestra in D minor, AV85

Rudolf Serkin (piano)
Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra of New York
Dimitri Mitropoulos

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This second release in Guild’s series of Historic ‘Three Great Pianists’ recordings features live performances from Alexander Brailowsky, Shura Cherkassky and Rudolf Serkin, recorded between 1945 and 1958, and intriguingly including two performance of Liszt’s virtuoso ‘Don Giovanni’ Fantasy played by Cherkassky. Throughout this CD, here is pianism of a consistently high quality, from three masters of the keyboard from the latter half of the 20th-century. The conductors – Serge Koussevitsky in the Mozart, and Dmitri Mitropoulos in the Richard Strauss - were themselves amongst the greatest to hold senior positions with two great American orchestras, lending artistry to this release which is quite unique.

Reviews

November/December 2011

Brailowsky’s tone is a bit brittle in spots, and the finale could fairly be accused of breathlessness. But it’s a fascinating document nonetheless...[The Strauss] has an engagingly rough-and-tumble personality with plenty of raw energy...And the two Cherkassky items? Rémiuiscences de Don Juan was a Cherkassky specialty; and as you’d expected, both performances here are full of delights

Audiophile Audition 6th February 2011

The spirited momentum of the sunny A Major Concerto Koussevitzky establishes immediately, and Brailowsky engages us with warm crisp runs and pointed phrasing...The [Strauss's] natural percussive histrionics appeal to Serkin’s strong suits of a steely tone and blazing intensity...Cherkassky blisters and massages in a combustible miracle of sound.

Great Pianists: Vol. 2

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