The late Shura Cherkassky was one of the few champions of Tchaikovsky’s Second piano concerto and his performance here reveals his devotion to the piece. Admittedly not one of the composer’s masterpieces, Cherkassky nonetheless plays this concerto like one of the greats, bringing to it his trademark wit, passion, and imagination. Conductor Walter Susskind shares Cherkassky’s respect for the work; his broad tempo for the first movement allows the music more breathing space and gives it a grander profile than Rudolf Barshai does on his fiery EMI recording with Peter Donohoe. Cherkassky’s big-hearted romanticism gives this far-flung movement a rhapsodic air. This performance utilizes Alexander Siloti’s edition of the score, with its composer-approved cuts–mainly in the second movement– removing the extended chamber music passages of the original. This trimming does make for a tighter movement, but collectors will want either the excellent Donohoe or Mikhail Pletnev (Philips) versions to hear the complete text with its beautiful music for piano trio. Cherkassky makes a spinning top of the finale, bringing the work to a close with an unabashed smile. The well-balanced recording places the piano and orchestra in a natural perspective. Engineer Joanna Nickrenz also provides realistic sound for Cherkassky’s solo offerings, including Mendelssohn’s Scottish Sonata and Lizst’s famous Liebestraum, all performed in a grand, old-world virtuoso style that is fast disappearing today.
