Tschaikowsky: Piano Concertos 1 & 2 / Cherkassky, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

On this CD:

1. Piano Concerto No. 1, for piano & orchestra (or 2 pianos) in B flat minor, Op. 23
Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra with Shura Cherkassky
Conducted by Leopold Ludwig

2. Piano Concerto No. 2, for piano & orchestra (or 2 pianos) in G major, Op. 44
Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra with Shura Cherkassky
Conducted by Leopold Ludwig

Tracks:

Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 1 In B Flat Minor Op. 23: 1. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso - Allegro con spirito
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 1 In B Flat Minor Op. 23: 2. Andantino semplice - Prestissimo
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 1 In B Flat Minor Op. 23: 3. Allegro con fuoco
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 2 In G Major Op. 44: 1. Allegro brillante e molto vivace
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 2 In G Major Op. 44: 2. Andante non troppo
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 2 In G Major Op. 44: 3. Allegro con fuoco

Customer Reviews:

You get what you pay for.......2006-08-11

The music is fantastic--it is Tschaikowsky, after all. I love these 2 concertos and I do listen to them all the time. My only problem with this cd is that it sounds more bassy than it should, which makes some parts difficult to hear. The volume is all over the place; I constantly have to readjust it. You get what you pay for, though, as this is an inexpensive cd.

Classic Mono Tchaikovsky.......2003-10-22

I am delighted that some of the mono treasures in the Deutsche Grammophon vaults have been released in the "DG Originals" series, in spite of the fact that they probably won't sell very well. This CD finds the great pianist Shura Cherkassky performing Tchaikovsky's first two Piano Concertos. Piano Concerto No. 1 is with the Berlin Philharmonic under Leopold Ludwig and dates from 1955, while the 2nd Concerto is from 1951 and also with Berlin, but conducted by Richard Kraus. Both Concertos are recorded in mono, with the 1st sounding as good as most early stereo recordings. It is a fine performance for sure, but I would still have to rank it below my personal favorite accounts by Cliburn/Kondrashin, Pennario/Leinsdorf and Graffman/Szell. The 2nd Concerto is a horse of a different color altogether -- it is quite possibly the worst follow-up in the history of music. This is in no way Cherkassky's fault, he can only play the hand he was dealt, and he does a masterful job with what he has been given. No, this is Tchaikovsky's doing, as the master of memorable melody can't come up with a single ear-catching phrase in the whole Concerto. It is easy to see why all the great pianists record the 1st, yet no one touches the 2nd. At least Cherkassky gave it a try.

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