P. I. Tchaikovsky

Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 3; Andante and Finale

Konstantin Scherbakov, Piano
Russian Philharmonic Orchestra
Dmitri Yablonsky, conductor
Naxos 8.557257

 

 

Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23

Piano Concerto No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 75

Andante and Finale, Op. 79 (orch. S. Taneyev)

 

"...performances of an admirable candour and transparency. The brisk, no-nonsense start to the First Concerto ... sets the tone for a performance that is cool-headed yet rarely detached. Never does Scherbakov allow himself to be submerged in this 'greatest of all battles for piano and orchestra' and he is lyrically attentive in the second subject, gratifyingly dolce e molto expressivo. For all his overall mastery, there is never a hint of display for its own sake; his octaves in the famous roulades (most notably before the finale's coda) are powerful and purposeful rather than merely rhetorical. And there are enough flashes of true brilliance in the judiciously paced central Prestissimo of the Andantino to make it clear who is in charge." Bryce Morrison, Gramophone

 

“The performances on the Naxos disc are clear and accomplished.” BBC Music Magazine

 

"Scherbakov belongs to the Pantheon of great pianists. We need this recording of the concerto in spite of the catalogue being flooded with other versions." Musicweb International

 

"... these are simply fabulous performances. It's good to have the Third Concerto in its conjectural three-movement manifestation (Tchaikovsky completed a first movement, which consigned it to a stand-alone composition, while Tanyev reconstructed a second and third movement from outlines Tchaikovsky had sketched for an ultimately rejected symphony), especially in a reading full of enough sweep and passion to outdistance Peter Donohoe's fine EMI traversal. Konstantin Scherbakov's sparkling, assured fingerwork in the cadenzas alone is a selling point--and the First concerto is a keeper, no doubt about it! It's fast, it's fluid, and it's utterly without airs, mannerisms, and pretentions. Unlike other pianists who milk the lyrical unaccompanied sections out of shape, or dive into the octave sequences as if they were sporting events, Scherbakov's organic feeling for tempo relationships and musicianly virtuosity binds everything together, and the Russian Philharmonic musicians play their hearts out under Dmitry Yablonsky's uplifting direction. ...give this release a try, and don't be surprised if you return to it more often than you've anticipated." Jed Distler, Classics Today