This re-release of the 1961 Leonard Bernstein and Philippe Entremont collaboration on the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 reminds the listener of how often performances of this work are excessively mannered, substituting grandiose posturing for truly grand sentiment.
The titanic musical temperaments of Bernstein and Entremont come together to project the majesty and heroism that suffuses all three movements of the concerto. Entremont's playing is vital and precise; he executes the most elaborate figurations with daring and panache--his octave playing is thrilling. Sometime piano concerto soloist that he was, Bernstein maintains throughout an impeccable sense of ensemble, one that allows both soloist and orchestra to shimmer.