Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric François Chopin, Ferencz Liszt, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Charles Camille Saint-Saëns
Performer: Shura Cherkassky, Norman Del Mar
Orchestra: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: ica classics
Catalogue: ICAC5168
Release: 2022
Size: 394 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor Op. 22
01. I. Andante sostenuto
02. II. Allegro scherzando
03. III. Presto
Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-Flat Major, S. 124
04. I. Allegro maestoso
05. II. Quasi adagio – III. Allegro vivace – Allegro animato
06. IV. Allegro marziale animato
Beethoven: Variations and Fugue in E-Flat Major, Op. 35 “Eroica Variations”
07. I. Introduction. Allegretto vivace – Theme
08. II. Variation 1
09. III. Variation 2
10. IV. Variation 3
11. V. Variation 4
12. VI. Variation 5
13. VII. Variation 6
14. VIII. Variation 7
15. IX. Variation 8
16. X. Variation 9
17. XI. Variation 10
18. XII. Variation 11
19. XIII. Variation 12
20. XIV. Variation 13
21. XV. Variation 14
22. XVI. Variation 15. Largo – Coda
23. XVII. Finale. (Alla Fuga). Allegro con brio – Andante con moto
Paderewski: 6 humoresques de concert, Op. 14
24. No. 1, Minuet in G Major
25. Chopin: Waltz in E Minor, B.56
Shura Cherkassky was born in Odessa, Ukraine in 1909 and died in London in 1995. He was initially taught by his mother who had played for Tchaikovsky, but when the family moved to the US in 1923, he studied with his long-time teacher and mentor, the legendary Josef Hofmann, before auditioning for Rachmaninov. Prior to World War II, he had made his name in the US but from 1945 he extensively toured Europe and settled in London in 1961. The last of the great Romantic tradition of pianists, Cherkassky was described by Bryce Morrison as a ‘mercurial genius’, a unique personality, blessed with an incredible technique, who delighted in defying convention as no performance was identical. For a musician reluctant to visit the studio, live performances were the showcase for his stunning virtuosity and creativity caught on the wing.