David Buchanan | Highlands Ranch, Colorado | 09/18/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I literally grew up on this recording (the Cliburn Tchaikovsky). I have easily played it over a 100 times if not closer to 200. I am very happy to report the SACD version is the best that will ever be available for this recording. The original master tapes were 3 channel, so that is how it is presented here...left, center, right...but no surrounds. This anchors the piano in the middle (the piano is not all from the center however). This release is much better than the previous CD release. Having that center channel to anchor the piano makes a big difference. There is hardly any tape hiss either. My only reason for 4 stars instead of 5, is because this is a 1958 recording, the low end is not quite there....but the quality of the piano for this year is quite good."
This is probably as good as the recording can get.
Giacomo C. | 11/07/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The sound of this SACD is less impressive than the other Living Stereo DSD remasters I have heard - this is almost certainly due to the fact that the original tapes were not as well done as the others, and not because of poor mastering. In fact, this is probably as good as the sound of this recording can get. It certainly bests any of the regular CD editions that have been produced over the years, and lets not even talk about my ancient mouldering LP!
Preserving the original three channel recording is a grand thing, and defineatly adds to the presentation - the only thing is that YOU have to have a sufficiently large listening room to fully appreciate it (to allow the three speakers to have enough distance between each other to get the most out of it). Without the proper space, the spatial imaging will to some degree be lost.
Regardless of this though, if this recording is important to you, then this is the edition to have beyond a doubt.
As for the performances, they are classics and you certainly can't go wrong with them - though I wouldn't say they are the 'best' for either of the respective pieces. For the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto N.2, my personal favourite is Reiner's other earlier (1956) recording with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra but featuring Artur Rubinstein as the soloist. Now there is a performance that is truly exciting, that really plays out the piece's romantic core to the fullest - both orchestra and soloist producing a rich passionate sound, bringing out the innate russianness of the music, truly bringing alive its inner meaning."
As it should be
Mark Hennicke | A stone's throw from Carnegie Hall | 05/27/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"In years past, I had never been able to embrace Van Cliburn's famed Tchaikovsky Piano Conerto #1. Poor sound reproduction on previous cd releases just did not allow the power of this incredible performance to shine through. All that has changed with this RCA Living Stereo Hybrid SACD edition. The brillantly improved sound and the enhanced spatial seperation on this version makes Cliburn's Tchaikovsky #1 a whole new listening experience. This is how this recording was meant to sound; this is the definitive edition of this monumental performance. Do not hesitate to add this release to your classical library, even if you own any previous incarnations of this record. This is one for the history books & a sure must have!"
Unforgettable Cold War Hero Cliburn
C. Johnson | USA | 08/27/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"What a treasure! Both Cliburn and his lyrical, but intense interpretation of this classic will bring back memories for those of us who lived through the Cold War. Cliburn's music is as thrilling and emotional as it was when we first heard it 50 years ago."
One of the best performances & recordings of these 2 famous
moviemusicbuff | Walnut, CA United States | 10/12/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Both the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto #1 and the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #2 are two of my all-time favorite Romantic piano concertos. Van Cliburn's performance is historic making (he was the 1st American to take the Gold Medal in the first Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958). His playing is absolutely brilliant in musicianship, tone, and in capturing the different moods of the piece. This is my favorite performance of this concerto. My second favorite would be that of Martha Argerich's recording in 1972 w/ Charles Dutoit as the conductor.
Equally outstanding is the Rachmaninoff. From the somber and dramatic beginning of the first movement leading to the climactic build-up at the end, Cliburn captures the different moods and dynamics of the work brilliantly. (It's hard to express this in words). The second movement is very touching and the tone in Cliburn's playing is masterful. Van Cliburn's performance rivals that of any other pianist (Artur Rubinstein, Lang Lang, Garrick Ohlsson, etc.)
For other brilliant recordings of the Tchaikovsky piano concerto, I would recommend the following:
Martha Argerich (Deutsch Grammophon) 1971 w/ Charles Dutoit (conductor)
Barry Douglas (RCA Victor Red Seal) w/ Leonard Slatkin (conductor)
Garrick Ohlsson (Hanssler) 1997 (this is also coupled w/ Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #2)
For another outstanding recording of the Rachmaninoff, I would highly recommend
Jeno Jando's recording (1988, Naxos label)
Garrick Ohlsson (1997, Hanssler label)
One great advantage of this CD is its low price and its excellent sound quality in the SACD format. Highly recommended!!