Tchaikovsky: Piano Concertos, etc
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Label: EMI
Magazine Review Date: 2/1991
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 127
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: 763658-2
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 |
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Peter Donohoe, Piano Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer Rudolf Barshai, Conductor |
| Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 |
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Peter Donohoe, Piano Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer Rudolf Barshai, Conductor |
| Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3 |
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Peter Donohoe, Piano Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer Rudolf Barshai, Conductor |
| Concert Fantasia |
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Peter Donohoe, Piano Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer Rudolf Barshai, Conductor |
Composer or Director: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Label: EMI
Magazine Review Date: 2/1991
Media Format: Cassette
Media Runtime: 0
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: EX763658-4
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 |
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Peter Donohoe, Piano Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer Rudolf Barshai, Conductor |
| Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 |
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Peter Donohoe, Piano Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer Rudolf Barshai, Conductor |
| Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3 |
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Peter Donohoe, Piano Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer Rudolf Barshai, Conductor |
| Concert Fantasia |
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Peter Donohoe, Piano Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer Rudolf Barshai, Conductor |
Author: Ivan March
Peter Donohoe's recording of Tchaikovsky's Second Piano Concerto deservedly won the Gramophone Concerto Award in 1988. The work had been most often heard in a truncated version provided by its earliest advocate, Siloti, but Donohoe and Barshai between them transformed the reputation of the much longer original version, with its concertante sections in the Andante—helped by fine contributions from Nigel Kennedy and Steven Isserlis. Barshai, also, by setting a sparkling pace for the first movement, counteracted the earlier view that this movement was inflated. With the lovely extended Andante at the heart of an inspirational reading, and the final glittering with bravura, this became one of the most desirable recent records for Tchaikovskians, and the recording, made in the Poole Arts Centre was worthy of it, with a firm, bold piano image realistically balanced against an orchestral sound that satisfyingly combined brilliance with body and warmth.
Donohoe and Barshai returned to Poole to record Tchaikovsky's other two concertos, and most recently the Concert Fantasia, which is here issued for the first time. The performance of the First Concerto is spacious and strong, yet does not match the Second in natural spontaneity. Much thought had obviously gone into the first movement, which has weight and poetry and considerable structural strength, but lacks the thrilling sense of forward momentum (and indeed the high voltage) that characterizes the famous 1943 Horowitz/Toscanini 'live' Carnegie Hall performance on mid-price RCA ((CD) GD87992, 12/89). The Andantino is charmingly done and the finale has all the feeling of a Russian dance. In the coda there are stormy octaves from the soloist, and a broad, strongly moulded representation of the main lyrical tune to match the breadth of the opening movement. The Third Concerto is in a single movement, lasting just over a quarter of an hour. There is no lack of spontaneity here, and soloist and conductor successfully hold together a work that needs cohesion, with a nicely judged balance between lyricism and drama. Again the sound is very good.
The Concert Fantasia is laid out in two substantial movements, together lasting very nearly half an hour. It has a big, rumbustious cadenza at the centre of the first movement, which begins chirpily in the orchestra, sounding very like ballet music. Donohoe plays the cadenza very much in the grand manner. Here the hall resonance brings a degree of muddiness to the climax, and the pedalling contributes to this, so that one feels he is going over the top a bit. But the effect is powerfully commanding. The second movement is called ''Contrasts'' and is a series of chimerical episodes:Andante cantabile — Molto vivace — Vivacissimo — Allegro moderato — Vivacissimo — Molto piu tranquillo — Vivace. The performers take the composer's markings very literally, and the fast music is raced through with exhilarating zest. This certainly provides plenty of contrast with the lyrical interludes (which have an engaging flavour of Russian folk-music) but is at times a little breathless. The music's rhetorical element is emphasized, so that when the penultimate Molto piu tranquillo arrives, after that dash, one is almost relieved.'
Donohoe and Barshai returned to Poole to record Tchaikovsky's other two concertos, and most recently the Concert Fantasia, which is here issued for the first time. The performance of the First Concerto is spacious and strong, yet does not match the Second in natural spontaneity. Much thought had obviously gone into the first movement, which has weight and poetry and considerable structural strength, but lacks the thrilling sense of forward momentum (and indeed the high voltage) that characterizes the famous 1943 Horowitz/Toscanini 'live' Carnegie Hall performance on mid-price RCA ((CD) GD87992, 12/89). The Andantino is charmingly done and the finale has all the feeling of a Russian dance. In the coda there are stormy octaves from the soloist, and a broad, strongly moulded representation of the main lyrical tune to match the breadth of the opening movement. The Third Concerto is in a single movement, lasting just over a quarter of an hour. There is no lack of spontaneity here, and soloist and conductor successfully hold together a work that needs cohesion, with a nicely judged balance between lyricism and drama. Again the sound is very good.
The Concert Fantasia is laid out in two substantial movements, together lasting very nearly half an hour. It has a big, rumbustious cadenza at the centre of the first movement, which begins chirpily in the orchestra, sounding very like ballet music. Donohoe plays the cadenza very much in the grand manner. Here the hall resonance brings a degree of muddiness to the climax, and the pedalling contributes to this, so that one feels he is going over the top a bit. But the effect is powerfully commanding. The second movement is called ''Contrasts'' and is a series of chimerical episodes:
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concertos, etc
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concertos, etc
Discover the world's largest classical music catalogue with Presto Music.
Gramophone Digital Club
- Digital Edition
- Digital Archive
- Reviews Database
- Full website access
From £8.75 / month
Subscribe
Gramophone Full Club
- Print Edition
- Digital Edition
- Digital Archive
- Reviews Database
- Full website access
From £11.00 / month
Subscribe
If you are a library, university or other organisation that would be interested in an institutional subscription to Gramophone please click here for further information.