Naxos’ third Benno Moiseiwitsch release features the great pianist’s mid-1940s recordings of Tchaikovsky’s first and second piano concertos, with the reliable George Weldon conducting. Moiseiwitsch fares best in the G major work, tossing off the finale’s grandiose patterns with aristocratic poise and relaxed authority. He also proves willing to accompany when either the orchestra or members of the slow movement’s piano trio have the important tunes. Note that this edition employs Alexander Siloti’s abridgements to the urtext, with additional cuts as well. While no textual hanky-panky occurs in the better-known B-flat minor concerto, the results are a trifle square and literal, with outer movements that lack fire and thrust. Among 78-era versions, I prefer the large-scale poetry and panther-like momentum generated by Rubinstein/Barbirolli or Petri/Goehr, and I sometimes indulge in Horowitz/Toscanini’s sportive drive, despite cramped sound. By contrast, the solo filler, Chanson Triste, shows Moiseiwitsch at his melting, magical best. For collectors torn between APR’s pricier alternative and this Naxos disc, APR’s transfers have ampler bass response, but to my ears Ward Marston’s judicious Naxos equalization sounds better balanced. Although I now veer toward Naxos, those who own Bryan Crimp’s APR transfers need not replace them. Either way, the performances essentially supplement my reference Tchaikovsky concerto recordings listed above.
