Grand musicianship, beautiful restoration.
Robert Fung | 05/21/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Forget the background hiss, forget the somewhat dry sound quality. This is music as it should be played. There is something so joyous and heartfelt about Alfred Cortot's playing in these two concertos, and the London Philharmonic matches him all the way. The Schumann is a particularly famous piece, and the Chopin deserves more fame than it now has. As much as I like the Chopin performance, I really must say that it is the Schumann concerto that simply enthralls me. This concerto has had many fine recordings (Radu Lupu's 1973 Decca recording is a personal favorite). Yet Cortot's 1934 recording remains as fresh, engaging, and lovely as ever. It is supremely romantic playing of the most romantic of composers. This recording will always have a special place in my collection. Naxos should be congratulated for its line of historical recordings, all with excellent restorations and copious liner notes, all at budget price. To anyone who is worried about the ancient recording quality, I can say unequivocally that after half a minute of listening, you will forget all about the hissing as you fall under the spell of the musicians' spirited playing. Who knows, you may even find the sound quality nostalgic. I did."