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Sony Masterworks

Tchaikovsky: The Three Piano Concertos / Gary Graffman

$24.99

Details

Composer
TCHAIKOVSKY, PETER ILYICH
Artist
Gary, Graffman
Format
CD
Label
Sony Masterworks
Released
Mar 17, 2010
Catalog #
SONY94737
UPC
827969473726

About

Benchmark recordings of Tchaikovsky -- many aspiring pianists may think of changing professions after hearing Graffman soar through these iconic works with such dazzling élan.

At last. Gary Graffman's recordings of Tchaikovsky's Second and Third Concertos were the ones which introduced me to these works. They have remained my benchmarks ever since, the admirable couplings by Haas, Douglas, Gilels, Pletnev and others notwithstanding and despite the second movement of the Second being in the truncated Siloti edition. As Graffman makes clear in his entertaining memoir I Really Should Be Practicing (Doubleday: 1981) — among the best of pianists' autobiographies — Ormandy was a prince of accompanists. The two artists had known each other for 20 years and it shows. There are many memorable passages, among them the conclusion of the Second Concerto's volcanic central first-movement cadenza when the orchestra re-enters with the opening subject (15'58"), initially failing to subdue Graffman's ecstatic quasi-trill at the top of the keyboard; and a similar moment in the Third Concerto when Ormandy introduces (11'05") some crunching off-beat cymbal crashes.

Szell also proves a convivial, alert partner in the First Concerto, providing deft touches that lift this account above the ordinary. Listen, for instance, to the syncopated brass figure beneath the apotheosis of the last movement's second subject. If Graffman eschews the demonic brilliance of Horowitz, his reading is all about Tchaikovsky. Horowitz's is more about Horowitz.

To complete this all-Russian programme, there is Graffman's compelling Mussorgsky where once again he creates, well, pictures that live in the memory: 'Bydlo' appears in the misty distance, lumbers by and vanishes again (superb), while the unhatched chicks are played with a rare sense of fun. Finally, there is Islamey. Many aspiring pianists may think of changing professions after hearing Graffman soar through this iconic barnstormer with such dazzling élan.

-- Jeremy Nicholas, Gramophone [1/2006]

Tracklist 23 tracks

  1. Disc 1
  2. 1 I. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso 19:54
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso
    Duration
    19:54
    Composer
    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
    Performer
    Gary Graffman
    Ensemble
    Cleveland Orchestra
    Conductor
    George Szell
  3. 2 II. Andantino semplice 07:07
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Andantino semplice
    Duration
    07:07
    Composer
    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
    Performer
    Gary Graffman
    Ensemble
    Cleveland Orchestra
    Conductor
    George Szell
  4. 3 III. Allegro con fuoco - Allegro vivo 06:48
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Allegro con fuoco - Allegro vivo
    Duration
    06:48
    Composer
    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
    Performer
    Gary Graffman
    Ensemble
    Cleveland Orchestra
    Conductor
    George Szell
  5. 4 I. Allegro brillante e molto vivace 20:52
    Track
    4
    Title
    I. Allegro brillante e molto vivace
    Duration
    20:52
    Composer
    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
    Performer
    Gary Graffman
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eugene Ormandy
  6. 5 II. Andante non troppo 07:46
    Track
    5
    Title
    II. Andante non troppo
    Duration
    07:46
    Composer
    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
    Performer
    Gary Graffman
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eugene Ormandy
  7. 6 III. Allegro con fuoco 07:33
    Track
    6
    Title
    III. Allegro con fuoco
    Duration
    07:33
    Composer
    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
    Performer
    Gary Graffman
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eugene Ormandy
  8. Disc 2
  9. 1 Piano Concerto No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 75: Allegro brillante 15:16
    Track
    1
    Title
    Piano Concerto No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 75: Allegro brillante
    Duration
    15:16
    Composer
    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
    Performer
    Gary Graffman
    Ensemble
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eugene Ormandy
  10. 2 Promenade 01:36
    Track
    2
    Title
    Promenade
    Duration
    01:36
    Composer
    Modest Mussorgsky
    Performer
    Gary Graffman
  11. 3 I. Gnomus 02:47
    Track
    3
    Title
    I. Gnomus
    Duration
    02:47
    Composer
    Modest Mussorgsky
    Performer
    Gary Graffman
  12. 4 Promenade 00:57
    Track
    4
    Title
    Promenade
    Duration
    00:57
    Composer
    Modest Mussorgsky
    Performer
    Gary Graffman
  13. 5 II. Old Castle 04:05
    Track
    5
    Title
    II. Old Castle
    Duration
    04:05
    Composer
    Modest Mussorgsky
    Performer
    Gary Graffman
  14. 6 Promenade 00:29
    Track
    6
    Title
    Promenade
    Duration
    00:29
    Composer
    Modest Mussorgsky
    Performer
    Gary Graffman
  15. 7 III. Tuileries 01:02
    Track
    7
    Title
    III. Tuileries
    Duration
    01:02
    Composer
    Modest Mussorgsky
    Performer
    Gary Graffman
  16. 8 IV. Bydlo 03:20
    Track
    8
    Title
    IV. Bydlo
    Duration
    03:20
    Composer
    Modest Mussorgsky
    Performer
    Gary Graffman
  17. 9 Promenade 00:44
    Track
    9
    Title
    Promenade
    Duration
    00:44
    Composer
    Modest Mussorgsky
    Performer
    Gary Graffman
  18. 10 V. Ballet of the Chickens in their Shells 01:04
    Track
    10
    Title
    V. Ballet of the Chickens in their Shells
    Duration
    01:04
    Composer
    Modest Mussorgsky
    Performer
    Gary Graffman
  19. 11 VI. Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle 02:20
    Track
    11
    Title
    VI. Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle
    Duration
    02:20
    Composer
    Modest Mussorgsky
    Performer
    Gary Graffman
  20. 12 Promenade 01:32
    Track
    12
    Title
    Promenade
    Duration
    01:32
    Composer
    Modest Mussorgsky
    Performer
    Gary Graffman
  21. 13 VII. The Market-Place at Limoges 01:16
    Track
    13
    Title
    VII. The Market-Place at Limoges
    Duration
    01:16
    Composer
    Modest Mussorgsky
    Performer
    Gary Graffman
  22. 14 VIII. Catacombae (Sepulcrum romanum) 03:54
    Track
    14
    Title
    VIII. Catacombae (Sepulcrum romanum)
    Duration
    03:54
    Composer
    Modest Mussorgsky
    Performer
    Gary Graffman
  23. 15 IX. The Hut on Fowl's Legs (Baba-Yaga) 03:03
    Track
    15
    Title
    IX. The Hut on Fowl's Legs (Baba-Yaga)
    Duration
    03:03
    Composer
    Modest Mussorgsky
    Performer
    Gary Graffman
  24. 16 X. The Great Gate at Kiev 05:11
    Track
    16
    Title
    X. The Great Gate at Kiev
    Duration
    05:11
    Composer
    Modest Mussorgsky
    Performer
    Gary Graffman
  25. 17 Islamey 08:17
    Track
    17
    Title
    Islamey
    Duration
    08:17
    Composer
    Mily Alexeyevich Balakirev
    Performer
    Gary Graffman