Most of the performances gathered in this 6-disc compilation have circulated on myriad labels, as well as in other collections issued by Brilliant Classics. There’s a lot of first-rate piano playing to savor. Though Nikolai Lugansky’s Rachmaninov Third Concerto with Ivan Shpiller features a less sophisticated orchestra than in his Warner Classics remake with Sakari Oramo, it’s equally fleet and forward moving, coupled with Hélène Grimaud’s dapper, incisive Ravel G major under Jesus Lopez-Cobos. Three recordings from the mid-1980s (the Tchaikovsky B-flat minor and the two Chopin concertos) showcase the extraordinary musical instincts and effortless technique Evgeny Kissin commanded in his early teens. By contrast, Rudolf Firkusny’s seasoned authority permeates every bar of Dvorák’s piano concerto with Walter Susskind (licensed from Vox), although the pianist’s later traversal for RCA with Vaclav Neumann is the one to have, if you can find it.
Recorded live in 1976, Emil Gilels’ solo work in Beethoven’s “Emperor” concerto veers between aggressive pounding in the outer movements and hauntingly sustained phrasing in the slow movement. However, the same composer’s C minor concerto finds Gilels on his best form. Klára Würtz’s intelligent and poetic virtuosity impresses in the Rachmaninov Second and Schumann concertos, while Nelson Freire evokes the grand manner’s most positive aspects in both Liszt concertos and the Totentanz. In sum, collectors looking to acquire these works on the cheap and save shelf space can do far worse for the price. [11/11/2004]
