Search - Dmitry Shostakovich, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Yuri Temirkanov :: Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich: Piano Concertos

Well, the Warped Reviewer strikes again!

Mark Zimmerman | Chicago, IL USA | 05/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In my very first review I mentioned that in my own database I rate all my CDs on a scale of from 1-11 for both sound and performance. So, I'm tailoring my reviews to Amazon's "one track mind scale of from 1-5". By my scale it gets an 11 for both sound and performance. So, it gets a "5" by Amazon'e standards. I need to make a point about Sound: it's for Soundstaging (width & depth of performances in the recording venue), Imaging (can you picture where everyone is along with their instruments or voices within the soundstage) and Tone (do the instruments, whether voical or instrumental sound right or is there a haze or some other impurity to the sound; the worse the sound the worse the performance may seem even if it is very good, as you may not be able to make heads or tails of everything you hear in the performance).



So, here we have wonderfully rich sound; a great soundstage and I love that both the pianist and orchestra can be heard so clearly within the soundstage which makes hearing the performance that much more enjoyable. At first I had some hesitations about this disc as I was more used to some older recordings with a slightly different perspective. But, now that I can hear everything and clearly I can say that both Sound and Performance are a delight. Temirkanov, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic and pianist Denis Matsuev all aquit themselves admirably. And, RCA is to be congragulated on their fine effort in recording these magnificent works. Although I've heard the Tchaikovsky many times on WFMT FM classical radio here in Chicago, I must say that this is probably the finest sound on any Tchaikovsky 1st I've ever heard. I now have two versions of the Shostakovich 1st and both are equally fine, although I admit that since I'd had the Rosenberger on Delos for a long time and loved it, it did take awhile to chip away at my prejudices on its behalf, but this group of fine musicians did just that. So, if you want a feast of great sound and music making then by all means get this cd.



Mark Zimmerman"

Vivid, exciting sound and a soloist to match

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 12/28/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've come to admire pianist Denis Matsuev, born in 1975, who is poised to pull ahead of the many other young and youngish Russian virtuosos that crowd the scene. He has the promise of depth, although here in an early recording of the Tchaikovsky First that promise is less apparent than Matsuev's brilliant technique. The main merit of this CD is that it combines successfully so many different elements -- excellent, clear sound, assured accompaniment, good orchestral execution, and a virtuoso who isn't out to kill the piano or the music. The young Kissin made a far less successful CD of the same work with the aging Karajan, so Matsuev can claim at least one CD that is superior to the flashiest of Russian keyboard superstars.



Temirkanaov makes sure that the orchestral part remains refined, although to tell the truth, I prefer conductors who risk vulgarity for the sake of hair-raising excitement. For that reason my favorite Tchaikovsky Firsts are by Argerich, whose volatility cannot be contained and by Richter, whose unpredictability is always fascinating, even when he undertakes warhorses. Matsuev is at his strongest in the slow movement, where his singing tone and nuanced touch stand out. In the finale he isn't allowed to break free quite enough, but it's a thrill just before the coda when he is permitted a few cannonades a la Horowitz.





The ebullient Shostakovich First Cto. has become ubiquitous in an era when Russian artists export their standard repertoire around the world. I've heard more mischievous recordings, but never one that is this clearly and vividly recorded -- a striking showcase for Matsuev's brilliant fingerwork. The trumpet soloist should have been given more prominence, though. All in all, anyone interested in the future of Russian pianism would do well to pay attention to this CD and its firecracker soloist. Only a certain lack of brio and recklessness keeps me from awarding the fifth star."