As I said under the post Piano Arrangement of The Sleeping Beauty, I was never a huge fan of big orchestra.
But since I’ve acquired the Tchaikovsky box set by Mikhail Pletnev and Russian National Orchestra from Virgin Classics, I have slowly begun to open myself up to welcome the experience of listening to piano concertos.
Just recently, I’ve purchased two CDs that also feature Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op.23.
Among the three performances (Pletnev’s, Argerich’s, Sudbin’s), I like the one by Argerich the most.
Perhaps because it’s a live recording, there is a sense of spontaneity that makes the piece a bit more outstanding, if not captivating.
In addition, this CD features The Nutcracker - Suite (for two pianos) with Nicolas Economou.
As I love to collect piano transcriptions of ballet music, I was really thrilled when I saw the Suite listed on the CD.
If you’re looking for a slightly more polished interpretation of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1, I would suggest the performance by Yevgeny Sudbin.
A hybrid disc that plays on both CD and SACD players, this performance was recorded in February 2006 in Brazil.
While I am no expert in classical music, I find the interpretation of Sudbin engaging.
Although not as fiery as Argerich’s, Sudbin delivers the piece in a way that somehow suggested to me that he could be trying to convey the possible emotional agony that the composer might have suffered in his life when he became inspired to write the concerto in the 1870s.
To sample Sudbin’s performance, please visit the web site of BIS Records.
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