Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 / Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2

Original Recording 2004 Remastered Orchestre de Paris （1-3） Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra （4-6） Conductor：Herbert von Karajan By D. R. Schryer （2004-12, Amazon） Alexis Weissenberg, athough not as well known as some celebrity pianists, was one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century -- perhaps THE greatest in performing music from the Romantic era, such as these two deservedly popular concertos. It is notable that the renowned conductor, Herbert von Karajan -- who respected Weissenberg greatly -- agreed to conduct the accompaniment on both these works, and many other Weissenberg recordings as well. Weissenbergs performance of the Tchaikovsky concerto is staggering in both its intensity and its artistry. Only Van Cliburns legendary interpretation, with which he won the first Tchaikovsky piano competition, is in a class with Weissenbergs. But Weissenberg stands alone in the second work, Rachmaninovs 2nd piano concerto. This is my favorite piano concerto and I have heard numerous performances of it by both famous and obscure pianists, but no performance compares with Weissenbergs. Each of the three movements is superbly played but Weissenbergs performance of the gorgeous slow movement (the second movement) is simply sublime.