Search - Dvorak, Laszlo Somogyi, Vienna State Opera Orchestra :: Dvorak: Piano Concerto

Fabulous Firkusny

Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 07/16/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It has been enjoyable to witness the return over the last few years of some of the classic recordings from the Westminster label to the DG/Universal catalog. This CD finds the great pianist Rudolf Firkusny with Laszlo Somogyi conducting the Vienna State Opera Orchestra in Dvorak's Concerto in G Minor, op. 33. Firkusny had unique insight into this work, having been a pupil of Janacek's who was in turn a good friend of Dvorak's. Firkusny has made several recordings of the Dvorak Piano Concerto (see my reviews), but this stereo performance from 1963 sounds the best by far. Somogyi's recordings of the two Overtures and Rhapsody from 1964 are also wonderful and compare nicely to Kubelik's legendary accounts. A most welcome return all in all."