Search - Robert Schumann, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Sergiu Celibidache :: Schumann: Piano Concerto; Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1

These live recordings are from 1991. Barenboim and Celibidache clearly see the Schumann concerto as the lovely, fresh-as-a-daisy work that it is, while never losing sight of the fact that it is a display piece as well. There's a wonderful energy level throughout, and rehearsals must have been plentiful; there's nary a glitch. The second and third movements practically float. The Tchaikovsky begins big, with those familiar horn calls and punctuation marks stating that this will be a very Russian experience indeed. The climaxes in the first movement are exciting and huge, the cadenza by turns lyrical and potent, and always well-articulated. The middle movement has no bombast; it's played and led as the dreamy piece it is, with the weird, fast middle section practically witty. And the last movement shows itself to be a powerful final statement, although Celibidache gets some charming wind playing from the orchestra during quieter moments. These two artists have been called idiosyncratic but there's little of that in evidence here. The Munich Philharmonic plays gloriously. This CD has a sense of occasion about it which makes it very special. Highly recommended. --Robert Levine