Horowitz, Barbirolli: Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov – Piano Concertos (APE)

Composer: Sergey Rachmaninov, Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Performer: Vladimir Horowitz
Orchestra: New York Philharmonic
Conductor: John Barbirolli
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: APE (image+cue)
Label: Apr UK
Size: 230 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: no

01. Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23: Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso – Allegro con spirito
02. Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23: Andantino simplice – Prestissimo
03. Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23: Allegro con fuoco

04. Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30: No. 1, Allegro ma non tanto
05. Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30: No. 2, Intermezzo: Adagio – attaca subito
06. Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30: No. 3, Finale: Alla breve

Best ever Rach 3 cadenza

Concerning the Rachmaninoff 3rd Concerto with Horowitz and Barbirolli…

The reviewer who said this is a recording for Horowitz fanatics who want to punish themselves is clearly not a pianist. They also never made it to the cadenza (wow!).

However, because of the aged audio quality, I do not recommend this CD for someone who does not appreciate music for its own sake. If your recordings have to be perfectly clear, then you might try the very good recordings by Byron Janis or Martha Argerich. There are also some minor cuts made here which are somewhat irksome when you know and enjoy the entire piece.

It is the difference between fast piano playing without a strong sense of purpose (e.g. Argerich) and fast piano playing with great power that makes this recording worth listening to. Horowitz does not give us a senseless reading of virtuosity here. He pours out his heart in much the same way Rachmaninoff did in his own recording of his first concerto (which I also highly recommend, noise and all). It is almost like the soloist and the music became one, a rare occurrance in a multitude of recordings.