These classic performances require no additional accolades from me. They were great; they remain great. Alfred Cortot recorded the Schumann concerto twice electrically, and this disc contains his second (and better) of the two performances. Anyone interested in the earlier one can find it on Biddulph. Both concertos find this sometimes frustratingly careless artist at his best. Every note matters: Cortot fills the music with characteristic nuances of touch and phrasing while never losing sight of the long line. In particular, the highly ornamented melodies of the slow movement of the Chopin concerto offer a positive clinic on the poetic use of rubato for maximum expressive effect. Sonically, these mid-1930s recordings balance the piano nicely against orchestral accompaniments that are clear but not lacking in body, even if typically restricted in dynamic range. Mark Obert-Thorn’s transfers retain the warmth and clarity, while minimizing surface noise (more so than Pearl’s otherwise fine transfer of the Chopin). If you haven’t heard these seminal performances, now’s the time. [1/14/2001]
