Is this one of the greatest recordings ever made of one of the most important recitals ever given? No one could reasonably make such a claim, but no one could deny that this recording nevertheless touches the heart. Performed on November 22, 1963 -- the day after the assassination of President Kennedy -- this recital captures American virtuoso
John Browning at the height of his powers, and, more importantly, in the depths of his misery. And, except for the faulty transfer of one piece, this recording does capture the whole recital from
Browning's short introductory remarks to the sound of his footfalls leaving the stage, plus everything in between. That "everything in between" includes
Browning playing Busoni's arrangement of Bach's Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ,
Chopin's Fantasy in F minor, Schubert's A flat major Impromptu, and
Chopin's "Marche funèbre Sonata" with such incredible intensity, overwhelming grief, and overpowering emotion that even now, half a century later, the emotional strength is still palpable. While this disc is valuable because it preserves an extraordinary performance by a pianist who made too few recordings, it is invaluable because it expresses the agony of an especially awful moment in American history. MSR's sound is raw and hard, but honest.