Hardcore fans of either pianist
Shura Cherkassky or conductor
Ferenc Fricsay will enthusiastically welcome this 2008 Audite disc coupling their 1951 studio recording of Tchaikovsky's Second Piano Concerto and 1952 live performance of Liszt's First Piano Concerto. Then at the height of his powers,
Cherkassky's rich tone, virtuoso technique, and nuanced interpretations are all on display in these performances. True, the pianist does drop some notes here and there, but the visceral excitement of his playing and the ravishing beauty of his tone enliven both Liszt's well-known concerto and Tchaikovsky's much less well-known concerto.
Fricsay, then at the beginning of an all-too-brief career, not only supports
Cherkassky but challenges him, pushing him to go beyond surface beauty and into deeper expressivity. Under
Fricsay's direction, the RIAS Symphonie-Orchester performs like a polished and flexible ensemble with suave strings, characterful woodwinds, blended brass, and balanced sonorities. Though the recordings are understandably antique -- that is, dry, hard, gray, and one-dimensional -- the performances will more than likely overcome this sonic impediment for dedicated
Cherkassky and
Fricsay fans.