Search - Shura Cherassky :: The Complete HMV Stereo Recordings

14 YEARS ON

DAVID BRYSON | Glossop Derbyshire England | 08/11/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This very welcome reissue marks the centenary of Cherkassky's birth, but he is not all that long gone from among us. He died only 14 years ago, he was still performing until very near the end, and another of his recitals that I own is the formidable and demanding programme that he gave to mark his 80th birthday.



Cherkassky was a pupil of Hofmann, but from what little of Hofmann's work there is in my collection I would not say that Cherkassky's playing resembles his to any marked extent. Indeed it is not easy to find a close parallel for Cherkassky at all. His choice of repertory was distinctive, based in the 19th century but featuring a good deal of music that we used to call avant-garde as well as works on (or beyond) the outer fringes of what passes for classical. I don't know him in any 18th century music - this is the second performance I have from him of the Bach/Busoni Chaconne, but that is a piece that I file under Busoni and not under Bach. Listening to Cherkassky in this work might be expected to invite comparisons with Michelangeli, but again the approach is too dissimilar for comparisons to mean much to me. Similarly with the Rachmaninov B flat prelude, of which there is a legendary account by Richter. Cherkassky certainly does not displace Richter, but he is not trying to, and I find the contrast delightful and feel no need to rank them. Perhaps Cziffra comes closer, and there are a couple of Liszt numbers here, but I think I would still know this is not Cziffra even if I would find it hard to pinpoint the detailed difference.



What gets this 2-disc set a 5-star rating from me is the special service it provides to me as a music lover. It brings me more of the playing of the unique and irreplaceable Cherkassky. He was diminutive in stature but big in personality, and I cannot hear playing like this elsewhere. I hope it is not dereliction of my duty as a reviewer if I say that I have not even troubled to assess these performances in any kind of league tables. Most of them stand a good chance of being some people's favourites, and indeed the second of the two accounts here of Chopin's A flat ballade may be mine, or at least first equal with the extraordinary performance of that underestimated composition by Guiomar Novaes. What I should stress is that nothing here is routine, and, really, nothing is quirky or wilful either. All of this playing is marked by both passion and intellect, and the formidable technical command is too obvious to need much comment.



All the recordings here date from the later 1950's, and in the famous Litolff scherzo Cherkassky in partnered by the BBC SO under Sargent. The recorded quality strikes me as quite good, although perhaps a touch too close-to and resonant here and there. Details of the recording process are provided for the technically minded in the liner note, and I should really say that this liner note is better than average in several ways, of which the very small print is not one, although one understands the reasons for that, and I at least appreciate its succinctness and informativeness.



For all these reasons I salute this issue. I am sure many older music lovers will welcome it as much as I do, but in the nature of the case Cherkassky may be unknown to the new generation, and I commend it to these with especial fervour."

Various Reviews from UK Press

Pianorama | UK | 09/11/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

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INTERNATIONAL PIANO MAGAZINE

This is a remarkable release. A small company, only formed in 2007, has licensed previously unissued early stereo tapes from EMI. Cherkassky recorded these tracks for HMV/EMI in 1956 and 1958 and they were issued at the time only in mono on LP and EP, but at the recording sessions experimental stereo recordings were also made. The excellent transfers, made by Ian Jones at Abbey Road Studios, have deliberately left the sound as close to the original as possible, retaining a very slight amount of tape hiss in order to faithfully present Cherkassky's unique palate of tone colours. Indeed, the sound quality is extraordinary - just sample A Shanghai Tragedy by Abram Chasins to hear the full spectrum of Cherkassky's glorious sound world. Of particular note are Preludes by Rachmaninov and Gershwin that have not been legitimately reissued since their appearance on 45rpm EP discs. Rachmaninov's Op. 23 No. 2 is a little underplayed, but the famous G minor Prelude, particularly the central section, finds Cherkassky in top form. The most substantial work comes in the form of Busoni's monumental reworking of Bach's violin Chaconne, and one orchestral work, the once immensely popular Scherzo by Litolff with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Malcolm Sargent (not the later recording with Boult) is given a riotous performance injected with Cherkassky's irresistible humour. Other highlights include Saint-Saens's Le Cygne in the labyrinthine arrangement by Godowsky where Cherkassky's control of sound is breath-taking, and some wonderfully controlled Liszt.



There are short encore pieces by Beethoven, Schubert and Poulenc and, of course, there is Chopin - a composer with whom Cherkassky has always been strongly associated. Superlative performances of a Mazurka, Waltz and Nocturne are followed by the second and third Ballades, the third being particularly memorable for its parlando opening and relaxed tempo, similar to the recording by Rachmaninov. If all this was not enough, First Hand add an appendix of alternate takes of the Gershwin Preludes and the Ballade No. 3 of Chopin. This is an excellently produced and fitting centenary tribute to one of the most extraordinary pianists of the twentieth century.

(Reviewed by: Jonathan Summers)



MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL:

This two CD set arrives from a rather unexpected quarter, a new company called First Hand Records. If this is a marker, and if it reflects the general level of comprehensiveness and commitment, then I think we can expect some good things from them because this is a really first class contribution to Cherkassky on disc.



This is doubly the case since, to celebrate the centenary of the pianist's birth in 2009, First Hand has had access to the stereo tapes of Cherkassky's EMI sessions in 1956 and 1958, not the issued monos. These experimental stereos therefore make their first appearance in a coup well worth celebrating. There are also alternative takes, of the third Chopin Ballade and the Gershwin Preludes. In addition a significant number of performances are making their first ever CD appearance. These are reason enough on their own to consider the set essential listening even before we get to the performances themselves, which are imbued with so powerful a sense of drama that listening has been, and continues to be, a charismatic pleasure.



The Bach-Busoni Chaconne is enriched with colour and expression, rather more strictly rhythmic than some may have anticipated but without Michelangeli's chilly hauteur and command. Cherkassy's more personalised romanticism finds a powerful ally in Busoni, and the performance registers as both selfless and also richly voiced. There are two Chopin Ballades and they offer inspiring playing, richly textured and keeping us on our toes, cutting off pedal (in the A flat major) and responding, occasionally impishly, to the rhythmic dictates of the music. His Chopin is always alive and invigorating, the D flat major Nocturne dreamily reflective without being indulgent.



His Liszt has bravura control, whilst the Saint-Saëns-Godowsky The Swan has kaleidoscopic colouristic eloquence, its voicings beautifully profuse and persuasive. The Liadov is a Golden Age performance, redolent of the pianistic lions of the past, of whom Cherkassky was one. The Rachmaninoff Preludes offer a contrast. The G minor is played with grand seigniorial authority, control of texture, dynamism and sporting a languorously romantic B section. The B flat major meanwhile is curiously unconvincing and perhaps needed more rehearsal time. This weakness is really an isolated event in the set, with the possible exception of some of the playing in the Gershwin which, for all its technical aplomb, is a stylistic mismatch. The Chasins meanwhile is full of brilliantly insouciant control but can also cut expressively deep as well - in the first of the three There's also the glittering Litolff Scherzo with the BBC Orchestra and Malcolm Sargent - not the more familiar and later taping with Adrian Boult.



Some of these performances are available on Testament (SBT1033) but obviously in mono. The stereos are good, and capture Cherkassky's tone well. The alternative tapes are valuable, rewarding and important. Notes are helpful and well written. Really, as I said earlier, this is a most impressive issue with quality transfers to match. High standards are set here.

(reviewed by Jonathan Woolf)



MUSICAL OPINION MAGAZINE****

Hats off to First Hand Records here collecting all of Shura Cherkassky's HMV stereo recordings and for presenting them with excellent annotation and data. Full marks, too, for lan Jones's re-mastering, which presents the recordings with immediacy, freshness and tonal fidelity. The solo tapings were set down in London in 1956 and 1958 in Abbey Road Studio No. 3. The first disc opens with a magisterial and searching account of the Bach/Busoni Chaconne and continues with a delightful Beethoven Bagatelle and then a rippling, rather restless, Schubert Impromptu. Several Chopin pieces give the feeling that Cherkasskv just sat down and played; yet there is real artistry in his shading and touch, and soulful passion in tempestuous passages. The one real disappointment is Litolff's Scherzo (with the BBCSO and Sargent, Kingsway Hall, 1958) which lacks humour and elfin tread, and is also rather loud. Saint-Saëns's The Swan, in Godowsky's elaboration, gives particular pleasure, as do other showpieces - by Liszt (not least his transcription of the Waltz from Gounod's Faust, which will have you smiling), Liadov, Gershwin (rather aggressive), Rachmaninov (two Preludes played with Slavic depth), Poulenc and Chasins's Three Chinese Dances. Also included are alternative takes of the Gershwin Preludes and Chopin A flat Ballade. This is a feast for Cherkassky fans and for admirers of distinctive pianism.

(Reviewed by Colin Anderson)



GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE

First Hand's classily presented two-disc set of the complete HMV stereo recordings made in 1956 and 1958 is a treasure trove of Cherkassky rarities. Of the twenty works here, all released for the first time in stereo, twelve have never previously appeared on CD, among them the five Chopin titles and the Bach-Busoni Chaconne. While he was generally at his best in front of an audience, these studio recordings have the same vitality and spontaneity as a live performance. The Litolff Scherzo is a delicious musical soufflé (better, I think, than the more familiar recording with Boult) while the Hungarian Rhapsody No.13 and the Faust Waltz (especially the stunning coda) are examples of pure pianistic joie de vivre. But above all - and this applies to both discs - are the sheer beauty of sound, individuality of conception and musical imagination that Cherkassky brings to whatever takes his fancy. Required listening for all students of the piano.

(reviewed by Jeremy Nicholas)



BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE*****

The centenary of Shura Cherkassky's birth is an excellent excuse for the archives to dig up some buried treasure. Both these releases [reviewed with BBC Legends] involve performances that have never been heard on CD before: gems for pianophiles, they preserve the great pianist's idiosyncratic and poetic artistry in all its glory.

Born in Odessa in 1909, Cherkassky moved to America with his family in 1922 and made his debut there aged 14, creating an instant sensation. He was much influenced by his main teacher, Josef Hofmann, but in both life and art he was a law unto himself. Diminutive and unassuming, he had immense charisma on stage. His performances sound utterly spontaneous, with no piece ever emerging in quite the same way twice; yet at the piano he was the epitome of poise and control. Famously footloose, yet obsessive about detail, he lived for decades in a London hotel, more at home on the road or in the concert hall than anywhere else...

The HMV studio recordings are older, dating from 1956 and '58, many here in stereo for the first time. A plethora of Romanticism, this, with occasional forays beyond including two different recordings each of Gershwin Preludes and the Chopin Third Ballade, illustrating the way that Cherkassky would vary his interpretations, enhancing inner voices, shades of colouring and deliciously singer-like melodic shaping. The recording seems warm, rounded and if a tad muffly, nevertheless very immediate.

(Reviwed by Jessica Duchen)



INTERNATIONAL RECORD REVIEW

During the 1950s Shura Cherkassky recorded fairly extensively for HMV, and the original LPs, long out of print, have been eagerly sought after by collectors. Only a few selections from Cherkassky's HMV repertoire have reappeared on CD: most notably a single disc from Testament (SBT1033) and another from Medici Arts (MM013-2). (Cherkassky's Chopin Etudes from 1953-55 were at one time licensed for inclusion in the Philips Great Pianists series).

Now, in observance of the centenary of Cherkassky's birth, a new label called First Hand Records has unearthed stereo master tapes from his 1956 and 1958 sessions containing material that had previously been known only in mono format. These represent HMV's earliest attempts to record in stereo and seem to have been experimental in nature. The present two-CD set offers 14 works not released before now on CD, plus nine pieces that remain available in mono on the Testament and Medici Arts discs. In addition, we are given alternative takes, previously unpublished, of Chopin Ballade No. 3 and the three Gershwin Preludes.

Sonically, these stereo tapings - all but the Litolff done in Abbey Road No. 3 - actually provide closer, brighter perspective of Cherkassky's Steinway in contrast to the more mellow and slightly plumy aspect of their mono equivalents. The differences are certainly noticeable but not of major consequence: this will undoubtedly be a matter for the individual listener's taste. Fortunately everything here has come up clean and well focused, with only mild, unobtrusive level of tape hiss. There is, however, a bit of flutter in Liadov's Musical Snuffbox that is not as apparent in the mono version.

In the studio Cherkassky often retained a good deal of the spontaneity and unpredictability, but not always consistent. Of the selections here, the one disappointment is the Rachmaninov Prelude in B flat, where Cherkassky sounds uncomfortable, is less than totally accurate and unable to rise to big moments. On the other hand, the Saint-Saëns/Godowsky `Swan', long a speciality of the pianist, is truly ravishing in its kaleidoscopic array of colour. The six Chopin works, full of subtle details, similarly reflect Cherkassky's unceasing imagination. Each one offers unexpected turns of phrase or a novel application of rubato that throws fresh light on the music. For the Bach/Busoni Chaconne he adopts a stricter approach to rhythm and tempo while cultivating a wide range of dynamics and voicing. The quirkier aspects of Cherkassky's personality, however, come to the fore in his slightly eccentric Prelude No. 2 of Gershwin. He pecks at the middle and closing sections, and for unknown reasons he omits the concluding `Blue note' B that Gershwin inserts into the final chord. (Arthur Rubinstein did the same thing in his 1946 recording of the piece!)

First Hand is to be commended for its efforts in making this material readily available, and its booklet provides full background and documentation on everything include. There is no question that all Cherkassky enthusiasts, and connoisseurs of fine pianism, will welcome this release. That said, one cannot help but observe that some 40 minutes of this package remain blank and thus represent a missed opportunity. I refer to all the additional Cherkassky HMV material that still awaits proper reissue, including the Liszt B minor Sonata, Hindemith's Third Sonata, Stravinsky's three scenes from Petrushka, a half-dozen further Chopin pieces and Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Admittedly none of these items exists in stereo, but any mono versus stereo distinction is insignificant in relation to the desirability of having these performances available again. Let us hope First Hand, or another enterprising label, will now seize the initiative and continue to honour this great, unique musician in his centenary.

(reviewed by Donald Manildi)



IRISH TIMES*****

What made the pianism of Shura Cherkassky (1909-95) so special? It certainly wasn't anything on the lines of faithfulness to the letter of the score. It was, rather, his unerring dedication to clarity of line, the inevitable flash of inspiration, the unlikely gesture made plausible. Cherkassky liked to show how far out of bounds he could go, technically and musically, and still take his listeners with him. The Bach/Busoni Chaconne which opens this collection of fine HMV recordings from 1956 and 1958 makes all these points and more. The lion's share goes to Chopin and Liszt, but the most astonishing gems are Godowsky's arrangement of Saint-Saëns's The Swan (the added filigree done with miraculous liquidity) and Liadov's Musical Snuffbox .

(reviewed by Michael Dervan)



CLASSICAL SOURCE

Shura Cherkassky was born in Odessa in 1909. Like many others he fled from what became Soviet Russia and settled in the USA. For many years he studied with Josef Hoffman and was an inveterate traveller, giving recitals all over the world until two months before his death in 1995. During the 1950s he made a series of recordings for the HMV label, the stereo ones of which form the basis of these discs. Some of them were first issued in mono on either LP or EP and all the tracks here appear for the first time in stereo on compact disc.

Cherkassky had a reputation for being quixotic, a real old-world pianist and these performances are about as far from the boring facelessness of most the pianists born in the last fifty years, as you can get.

Busoni's arrangement of Bach Chaconne (from the D minor Partita for unaccompanied violin) seems to bring out the best in every performer. Cherkassky is magnificent! From the first bar each of the variations is vividly characterised, the rhythms dance and sometimes become jazz-like. The sudden change to Adagio for the central section is perfectly judged, as well as ethereally beautiful, and the final pages are massively triumphant. The classical period is not much associated with Cherkassky and yet in the Beethoven every mood is perfectly - if very romantically - captured and the Schubert is fleet and full of totally convincing fluctuations of tempo - the work really lives and breathes.

Which brings us to Chopin and some very, very great performances. Given the generation that Cherkassky belonged to you take for granted his command of every expressive device, including mellifluous rubato. But in no age can such insight and seemingly endless re-invention of these masterworks be so taken for granted. The Mazurka is beguilingly phrased with subtle rhythmic variation; the Waltz bounces along with crisp and occasionally, almost flippant fingerwork and pointing, and the Nocturne is the audio equivalent to crushed velvet: this really is pure poetry.

At the start of the F major Ballade the mood of the Nocturne seems to continue, with a measured tempo, quiet introspection and a sense of underlying tension. When the music explodes the command is absolute. In the A flat Ballade there is a sense of authoritative understatement, beautiful syncopation in the second section and every phrase sounds spontaneously fresh and yet everything coheres. At the end of the second disc there is an alternative performance of the Third Ballade, from the same session, which is marginally slower and perhaps lacks the coherence of the `official' one. However, First Hand producers should have placed these two performances together to allow side-by-side comparison.

As you would expect the Liszt pieces are a tour de force of hugely entertaining virtuosity. The highlight though has to be the transcription of the `Waltz' from "Faust". Forget elegant couples and think athletic pantomime-horse and you will get the picture! This really is wonderful and entirely intentional - Cherkassky was a great, thinking, pianist who knew exactly what he was doing.

The second disc offers a huge range of compositional styles. It opens with the once-very-popular Litolff Scherzo, which receives a dynamite performance, with Malcolm Sargent doing what he did best - accompanying with attack and precision. Godowsky's Saint-Saëns arrangement and the piece by Liadov receive well-nigh-perfect performances; both are real delights. Rachmaninov's G minor Prelude is despatched with real power and a very soulful central section, but the B flat example brings the only disappointing performance, tired and laboured. Gershwin's great Preludes are also presented in two different versions, the `approved' one preferable with faster tempos in the outer pieces bringing greater life and articulation and the slower tempo in the central piece even greater lyricism. Abram Chasins's Chinese Pieces are ghastly as music - with sad attempts at `local colour' - but you won't hear them played better, whereas the Chinese influences in Poulenc's marvellous Toccata are rather more effective and receive a powerhouse performance.

Sound-wise everything is fine regarding the re-mastering - although the mono sound was very good and the orchestra in the Litolff had greater warmth and presence - and the piano sound is superior to any direct digital recording. This is a very valuable addition to the piano catalogue.

(reviewed by Rob Pennock)



AUDIOPHILE AUDITION**** (USA)

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Shura Cherkassky (1909-1995), First Hand issues all of the willful pianist's HMV records in stereo, those made between 1956 and 1958. Cherkassky often played familiar repertory in novel ways, occasionally twisting the music to suit his own ego. Perhaps a legacy from his own teacher Josef Hofmann, Cherkassky's exploitation of the musical values to produce an idiosyncratic effect made him among the last of the true Romantics: his ability to make gorgeous tone of the keyboard itself justifies admission into his magic circle. We hear vivid color touches in Beethoven's G Minor Bagatelle, certainly; but several of the variants in the Bach Chaconne already point to a grand, sustained line and the capacity to shade any number of dynamic indications. The fluid rendering of the A-flat Schubert Impromptu, with its lovely "cello" melody and running figures, its agitated middle section, and its liquid da capo enjoy all the earmarks of a Cherkassky incursion into poetry.



The Chopin group comes by way of Cherkassky's Odessa training, and the inflections ring with zal and pompous éclat. The Mazurka has a heavy tread, yes, but it is no less sensual for that. The E-flat Waltz marks Chopin's love affair with Vienna, a suave moment of whirling brilliance on light, salon feet reminiscent of those sported by Dinu Lipatti. For gorgeous pearly-play, easily bearing the comparison with Lipatti, the D-flat Nocturne purrs evanescent magic, though I always thought Cherkassky's true forte the F Minor, Op. 55, No. 1. After soft opening sequence in folkish figures, the big theme of the F Major Ballade bursts forth then resides in the composer's rarified polyphony. The stretti at the coda rock with poetic violence as ripe with fury as anything from Jorge Bolet. Delicate tracery for the Ballade in A-flat, its three-register theme singing with affectionate ardor into its rocking motif, a schoolgirl's gallop and trill, as Huneker might have quipped. Liszt's A Minor Rhapsody, a longtime favorite of diverse personalities like Levitzky and Dichter, has Cherkassky alternately imitating the sultry cimbalom and the gypsy fiddle, the repeated notes florid with seamless mastery. The 1861 Valse from Faust (rec. 22 March 1956) has Cherkassky competitive with Georgy Cziffra for bold fioritura in Liszt, with the middle section's evocation of "O nuit d'amour" displaying Cherkassky's facility in blatantly romantic rhetoric that echoes the Jeux d`eau a la Villa d`Este or the St. Paul Bird Sermon Legend.



The exciting ticket on disc two is the 27 May 1958 nuanced inscription of the Litolff Scherzo from the London Proms with Malcolm Sargent, a perennial show-stopper for keyboard and the triangle, obviously influenced by Liszt's E-flat Concerto. The Musical Snuffbox by Lyadov (1893) features Cherkassky's slowing down the chimed last page as the little mechanical toy loses power. Of Abram Chasins' Three Chinese Pieces, collectors recall the Rush Hour in Hong Kong remained in Cherkassky's repertory as his calling-card encore. So, too, Saint-Saens' The Swan, one of the few Godowsky transcriptions Cherkassky felt had not been overly ornamented as to obscure the melodic tissue. The blazing, tempestuous B-flat Prelude of Rachmnaninov (17 March 1958) makes us wish Cherkassky had committed a fuller group to recorded posterity. The middle section of the G Minor Prelude drips with intimations of Cherkassky's teacher Josef Hofmann. American composition figured heavily in Cherkassky's repertory, and the Three Preludes (1926) align Cherkassky with Levant and Wild as chief classical arbiters of the Gershwin syncopated-blues style.



An appendix adds alternate (stereo) takes of the Gershwin Preludes and the Chopin A-flat Ballade, both from 1958. A solid set dedicated to a wonderfully impish and singular keyboard artist. But may I inquire of that most elusive of Cherkassky HMV records, his mono Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with Herbert Menges--might not its 23-minute length have accommodated itself to this second disc? Maybe next time.

(reviwed by Gary Lemco)

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