This is the recording of the legendary performances that led to Van Cliburn's competition victory, eventual stardom and a lasting position in the annals of musical fame. The recording was made in 1958 and has been re-mastered here by Testament.

As sound, there can be little doubt that this mono disc does not compete with most stereo and mono studio recordings made at the time and certainly falls far behind the remarkable standards achieved by the RCA engineers in the series of SACD issues. It sounds relatively old and that cannot be challenged. However, it also sounds vastly superior to older recordings being issued as archive material from previous periods.

What also cannot be challenged is the quality of the orchestral playing which suggests an orchestra of less than world class. It also preserves a quality of attentive and empathetic conducting by Kondrashin, on the other hand, which is most certainly world class.

The recorded balance is generally good although the rear desks of the orchestra, especially the brass and percussion, are placed at a disadvantage to the strings which are given sonic dominance. The piano is well focused and of good tonal response throughout. This emphasis is in line with much of the orchestral writing of the two compositions and is not as damaging as one might imagine with other works.

However, this re-mastered issue is probably the very best that could possibly be achieved in the circumstances at the time and cannot hide the fact that this is not only just a world class performance but also one of unfailing star quality and inspiration throughout. Within moments of the start, the listener is transported into a completely rare musical world.

It is hard to describe the effect of such a musical experience given the wealth of alternative recordings of tremendous artistic and technical achievement already lining the shelves of seasoned collectors.

All one can say is that this is really a unique musical experience and one that really cannot be found elsewhere on disc. Regardless of other recordings already owned by collectors, this one stands out as a 'must buy.' I would suggest, at the same time, that the music also demands that collectors obtain at least one other recording to experience the full range of orchestral sounds envisaged by the two composers.

Perhaps the sheer specialness of this disc can best be summarised by considering Sviatoslav Richter's response which was to award Van Cliburn 100 marks and all the other competitors 0 marks with the comment that Van Cliburn 'is a pianist, the others are not.'

Buy this for the legendary star quality that absolutely shines through in this re-mastered recording of a remarkable event.

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Gray

"He understood the music"

2011年9月14日にアメリカ合衆国でレビュー済み

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It's difficult to understand the professional life of Van Cliburn. He just seemed to lose interest as he went along, or perhaps the pressure was just too much for him. As he himself said: "I was famous before I was good."

But actually, he was very good, and this CD is the best example of that. This is a live performance with the inherent excitement of that, plus being the final round of the 1958 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow at a time when a Russian pianist was expected to win with all the drama that brings, plus being the favorite of the Russian audience and of some very very good Russian pianists who were judges (Gilels and Richter) driving him on, with the very solid support of conductor Kondrashin. It would be difficult to set the stage better, and Cliburn delivered extraordinarily well.

His Tchaikovsky concerto 1 was good, but I feel that both the Richter/Mravinsky/Leningrad Philharmonic 1959 and the Gilels/Reiner/Chicago Symphony Orchestra 1955 performances were better. Still a very good job.

But it's the Rachmininov concerto 3 which is so impressive. I own the 1951 recording on CD of Horowitz/Reiner which is very good, but this Cliburn performance is better. His sense of timing and rhythm, the flow of the music, subtle tasteful rubato, the mix of power and delicacy -- just excellent. I had the thought as I was listening: "He understood the music." Perhaps that says best what I am trying to communicate. In addition, pianist and conductor appear to have the same sense of the music and how it should be played, which helps the performance a great deal.

The sound is 1958 mono recorded in Moscow (presumably by Melodiya), so not exactly state of the art, even for that era. But Testament has done a superb job, as usual, of expanding dynamic range and eliminating extraneous noise. The orchestra sounds thin at times (although the Moscow Orchestra was not nearly as good as the Leningrad anyway). But generally the sound is clear, with good balance between piano and orchestra, and between bass and treble. All told, very good sound for a live concert with questionable initial recording technology.

One thing to be aware of: It appears that the entire audience was afflicted with the flu, as coughing is endemic and frequent. If that will bother you, then you don't want this CD. But for me, it doesn't matter at all, so good is the performance, and so enchanting is the palpable excitement of the event. In fact, the coughing actually adds something, as it brings the CD to life in a way a studio rendition never could. It reminds me of the RCA/BMG CD of Toscanini conducting Wagner overtures and preludes in Carnegie Hall - you can actually hear buses going by and the sound of car horns blaring on Sixth Avenue intruding into the concert hall during quiet interludes in the music, just wonderful really. You are there, which is an amazing sensation.

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