Search - Horowitz :: In London

Not Horowitz' Best Work

Hank Drake | Cleveland, OH United States | 04/25/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Vladimir Horowitz was in ill health and was heavily medicated when this recital was taped in May of 1982. Comparison with the videotape of the concert reveals that large portions of the recital have been edited for the CD. As Prince Charles was in attendance, Horowitz begins with "God Save the Queen" which brings mummured amusement from the audience.Chopin's Polonaise-Fantasy was a Horowitz specialty for many years. He was playing this piece as far back as the 1920s, when few pianists dared to touch such a structurally complex work. His best recording of this piece remains the 1966 version taped lived in Carnegie Hall. This can be found on Volume 3 of Sony's complete Horowitz issue. The 1982 version is among the most mannered playing Horowitz ever approved for commercial release. The phrasing and metric pulse sag, and the piece fails to cohere. Chopin's Ballade in g minor was a piece Horowitz played constantly. Again, the best version of this work can be found elsewhere, including Vomumes 3 (1965) and 4 (1968) of the Sony set. The aforementioned problems are also in evidence here. In addition, Horowitz playing is technically sub-par, with an awkward coda that sounds banged. Schumann's Kinderszenen was performed in honor of the impending birth of Prince William. The playing is technically up to snuff here, but musically, the phrasing and drawn out ritardandos border on the bizarre. The piece ends up sounding fragmented and incomprehensible. Horowitz returned to this work during the 1987 season, and the live recording from Vienna is his best achievement in this piece. It can be found on the DG label. Horowitz saved his best playing for last and his encore, Scriabin's d-sharp minor Etude resurrects the "divine madness" that was part of his allure. The sound on this disc is metallic and clattery, reflecting the accoustics of London's Royal Festival Hall. Incidentally, this was not the last time Horowitz played in London, he returned there in 1986 a few weeks after his famed Moscow concert. Recommended for die-hard Horowitz fans like myself."

Marvellous

Hank Drake | 02/13/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a recording of an extraordinary concert held in London in which Horowitz played at the invitation of Prince Charles. The first time he had come to London for many years and, as it proved to be the case, the last time. A concert with a great atmosphere despite some technical imperfections in the playing. For those who were privileged to be there, a wonderful disk."