Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No. 1; Nutcracker Excerpts (Emil Gilels; Fritz Reiner)

Information

Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

• (01-03) Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23
• (04-19) Excerpts from The Nutcracker, Op. 71

Emil Gilels, piano (1-3)
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Fritz Reiner, conductor

Date: 1955 (1-3), 1959
Label: RCA

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Review

PERFORMANCE: ***** / SOUND: ****

Of his six recordings of the Tchaikovsky B flat minor, Gilels’s first stereo version, taped in Chicago’s Orchestra Hall at the end of his politically charged 1955 US debut tour, was the most sensational. Dazzling in stratospheric Russian pianism, it’s an untrammelled powerhouse performance of visceral theatre, leonine attack and flying fingers, Gilels plunging deep into the keyboard, Reiner (as in his filmic, larger-than-life Nutcracker) alchemising an iron-willed orchestral chemistry of blood-coursing passion. Forget the crude analogue edits and the page turns, here’s a chance to eavesdrop on 33 minutes of history.

-- Ates Orga, BBC Music Magazine

---------------------------

You gotta have at least one recording of this most Russian of piano concertos played by a Russian pianist, right? The fact is, most of the greatest ones have not been by Russians, perhaps reflecting the history of the concerto itself, which was rejected by Anton Rubinstein, its Russian dedicatee, and premiered by the German conductor/pianist Hans von Bulow--in Boston of all places. Gilels is the exception that proves the rule, however, for here is a super interpretation by one of Russia's best pianists. Having Fritz Reiner and Chicago on hand to handle the accompaniment virtually guarantees the best possible results from all concerned, but let's give Gilels his due. It's a great recording.

-- David Hurwitz, Amazon's Editorial Reviews

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (25 April/7 May 1840 – 25 October/6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the romantic period who wrote some of the most popular music in the classical repertoire. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote many works that are popular with the classical music public, including his Romeo and Juliet, the 1812 Overture, three ballets, last three symphonies, the 1st Piano Concerto and the Violin Concerto. Despite his many popular successes, Tchaikovsky's life was punctuated by personal crises and depression.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyotr_Ilyich_Tchaikovsky

***

Emil Gilels (October 19, 1916 – October 14, 1985) was a Soviet pianist, widely regarded one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century. Gilels studied at the Odessa Conservatory with Bertha Reingbald, whom he regarded as his true teacher, mentor and lifelong friend. Gilels is universally admired for his superb technical control and burnished tone. His interpretations of the German-Austrian classics formed the core of his extensive repertoire, which range from from Baroque to late Romantic and 20th century. He also performed and recorded chamber music with Leonid Kogan, Mstislav Rostropovich and his daughter Elena.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emil_Gilels

***

Fritz Reiner (December 19, 1888 – November 15, 1963) was a prominent conductor of opera and symphonic music in the twentieth century. Hungarian born and trained, he emigrated to the United States in 1922, where he rose to prominence as a conductor with several orchestras. He reached the pinnacle of his career while music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in the 1950s and early 1960s. Despite having a very wide repertory, Reiner was especially noted as an interpreter of Richard Strauss and Bartók. His conducting technique was defined by its precision and economy, in the manner of Arturo Toscanini.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Reiner

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

FLAC, tracks

Links in comment

Enjoy!