Vladimir Horowitz - Brahms, Tchaikovsky: Piano Concertos (1992) CD-Rip

For interpretation, I prefer the live concert performance that Vladimir Horowitz and Arturo Toscanini gave of the Tchaikovsky first piano concerto in 1943. That performance has also been digitally remastered by RCA Victor and it is very exciting, even including the applause at the end of both the first and third movements. That event took place in Carnegie Hall, as did the 1941 recording session included on this CD.

For many music lovers the 1941 recording, long available on 78-rpm discs and later on vinyl LPs, was the benchmark for interpretation of the Tchaikovsky concerto. It has been digitally remastered and remains an exciting, dramatic performance. Yes, there is some surface noise from the original sources (presumably 78-rpm disks since relatively few of RCA Victor's metal masters still remain from that era), but the performance more than makes up for any scratches or blemishes. This is one of the very Romantic interpretations of the concerto and it is an absolute treasure. It certainly shows how well Toscanini and Horowitz worked together.

The Brahms second piano concerto was recorded in 1940, also in Carnegie Hall, and this, too, is the epitome of Romantic performances. This is another extremely difficult work for the soloist and Horowitz was more than equal to the tasks. It is a wonderful recording of one of the longer piano concertos from the Romantic Era, a virtual symphony since it is in four movements rather than the usual three.

These are performances to enjoy over and over from two exceptional musicians, working with the top-notch orchestra that David Sarnoff assembled in 1937 for Toscanini.