Special offer. Great Pianists: Vol. 2
Alexander Brailowsky (piano), Shura Cherkassky (piano), Rudolf Serkin (piano)
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra of New York, Serge Koussevitsky, Dimitri Mitropoulos
Brailowsky’s tone is a bit brittle in spots, and the finale could fairly be accused of breathlessness. But it’s a fascinating document nonetheless...[The Strauss] has an engagingly rough-and-tumble...
Special offer. Great Pianists: Vol. 2
Alexander Brailowsky (piano), Shura Cherkassky (piano), Rudolf Serkin (piano)
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra of New York, Serge Koussevitsky, Dimitri Mitropoulos
Purchase product
Brailowsky’s tone is a bit brittle in spots, and the finale could fairly be accused of breathlessness. But it’s a fascinating document nonetheless...[The Strauss] has an engagingly rough-and-tumble...
About
This second release in Guild’s series of Historic ‘Three Great Pianists’ recordings features live performances from Alexander Brailowsky, Shura Cherkassky and Rudolf Serkin, recorded between 1945 and 1958, and intriguingly including two performance of Liszt’s virtuoso ‘Don Giovanni’ Fantasy played by Cherkassky. Throughout this CD, here is pianism of a consistently high quality, from three masters of the keyboard from the latter half of the 20th-century. The conductors – Serge Koussevitsky in the Mozart, and Dmitri Mitropoulos in the Richard Strauss - were themselves amongst the greatest to hold senior positions with two great American orchestras, lending artistry to this release which is quite unique.
Contents and tracklist
- Alexander Brailowsky (piano)
- Boston Symphony Orchestra
- Serge Koussevitsky
- Shura Cherkassky (piano)
- Shura Cherkassky (piano)
- Rudolf Serkin (piano)
- Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra of New York
- Dimitri Mitropoulos
Awards and reviews
November/December 2011
Brailowsky’s tone is a bit brittle in spots, and the finale could fairly be accused of breathlessness. But it’s a fascinating document nonetheless...[The Strauss] has an engagingly rough-and-tumble personality with plenty of raw energy...And the two Cherkassky items? Rémiuiscences de Don Juan was a Cherkassky specialty; and as you’d expected, both performances here are full of delights
Audiophile Audition 6th February 2011
The spirited momentum of the sunny A Major Concerto Koussevitzky establishes immediately, and Brailowsky engages us with warm crisp runs and pointed phrasing...The [Strauss's] natural percussive histrionics appeal to Serkin’s strong suits of a steely tone and blazing intensity...Cherkassky blisters and massages in a combustible miracle of sound.
