For those tired of Tchaikovsky's PC No. 1...

[Brian]

Give Yevgeny Sudbin's new CD a spin. I'd been reading gobs of praise about it everywhere, and indeed everything is true: I have never heard the music sound even remotely like this before! Perhaps it may even win converts to one of the most divisive of piano concerti...

Even if it doesn't, it's coupled with a Medtner concerto too. 

[George]

Give Yevgeny Sudbin's new CD a spin. I'd been reading gobs of praise about it everywhere, and indeed everything is true: I have never heard the music sound even remotely like this before! Perhaps it may even win converts to one of the most divisive of piano concerti...

Even if it doesn't, it's coupled with a Medtner concerto too. 

How's his Rach PS 2? From the samples, he sounds impressive indeed!

[Haffner]

Tired of it? Maybe tired of certain performances of it. It's hard to get tired of Tchaikovsky's more "serious" music. It's the lighter stuff which can get a bit tiresome for me...but I can say that about even my favorite composer, Mozart.

[hornteacher]

Tired of it? Maybe tired of certain performances of it. It's hard to get tired of Tchaikovsky's more "serious" music. It's the lighter stuff which can get a bit tiresome for me...but I can say that about even my favorite composer, Mozart.

If memory serves, Tchaikovsky hated his own Nutcracker Ballet Music.

[Haffner]

If memory serves, Tchaikovsky hated his own Nutcracker Ballet Music.

Doesn't that seem to happen to alot of composers, when and after penning more accessible music? I guess the eminently estimable Edvard Grieg really despised "Hall of the Mountain King".

[Steve]

Tired of this masterful concerto? Unless I played once a day, I couldn't see how I could grow tired of this piece. That incredible opening, is one of my favourites of all concerti.

[BachQ]

That incredible opening, is one of my favourites of all concerti.

Too bad the remainder of the first movement doesn't support that opening fanfare . . . . . . .

[mahlertitan]

for those tired of Tchaikovsky's PC no.1, congrats! Now you are no longer a beginner!

[Siedler]

If memory serves, Tchaikovsky hated his own Nutcracker Ballet Music.

Too bad, I love it.  And no, I'm not tired of Tchaikovsky's 1st PC, actually I just heard it live for the first time yesterday.

[The new erato]

Even if it doesn't, it's coupled with a Medtner concerto too. 

The one reason I am considering this CD. Any comments on it?

[Wanderer]

it's coupled with a Medtner concerto too. 

...which is also masterfully performed. For me, this performance goes straight to the top along with the out of print Zhukov version.

erato, I assume you asked about the performance and not the concerto itself, which - to put it mildly -  is a towering masterpiece.

[George]

...which is also masterfully performed. For me, this performance goes straight to the top along with the out of print Zhukov version.

erato, I assume you asked about the performance and not the concerto itself, which - to put it mildly -  is a towering masterpiece.

Have you heard Sudbin's Rachmaninov?

[Steve]

Too bad the remainder of the first movement doesn't support that opening fanfare . . . . . . .

Yes, the frantic energy of the first 3-4 minutes disappears dramatically, but that isn't to say that the rest isn't beautiful. Throughout the remainder of the 1st movement, that beautiful opening theme returns in different variations. While the second movement isn't one of my favourite slower concerti movements, the third movement is wonderful. I don't listen to it very often anymore, but when I do, I'm always entertained. It lacks the sort of complexity of other Tchaikovsky works, but I haven't tired of it. This piece was, with Van Cliburn, the first piece of orchestral music to really grab my attention.

[Steve]

for those tired of Tchaikovsky's PC no.1, congrats! Now you are no longer a beginner!

Yes, you've taken a step backward. 

[val]

MahlerTitan

for those tired of Tchaikovsky's PC no.1, congrats! Now you are no longer a beginner!

It is curious. I am not, far from it, a great fan of Tchaikovsky music. But I like the First Piano Concerto. Not because of the fanfare in the beginning but in spite of it. At least the first two movements show a great invention. I heard recently the version of Pogorelich and Abbado, very poetic, almost introverted, refusing all "pathos", and it was nice.

[Larry Rinkel]

Yes, the frantic energy of the first 3-4 minutes disappears dramatically..

I would characterize the introduction more as stately, powerful - "frantic energy" doesn't sound right to me.

Throughout the remainder of the 1st movement, that beautiful opening theme returns in different variations.

Really? Just how and where? I have never heard the main body of the movement as alluding to the introduction in any way.

[Steve]

I would characterize the introduction more as stately, powerful - "frantic energy" doesn't sound right to me.

Really? Just how and where? I have never heard the main body of the movement as alluding to the introduction in any way.

Stately sounds a little polished and mechanical for my liking. I suppose hearing Van Cliburn on that amazing RCA Victor CD might explain it. As for the repitiion of the opening few minutes, the theme is reintroduced near the end. It is not very obvious, and I might be completely wrong, but I detected that Tchaikovsky was alluding to it in the final few minutes. Either way, its more or less trivial to me, as I really meant to demonstrate the merits of that first movement beyond the first few minutes.

[Larry Rinkel]

Stately sounds a little polished and mechanical for my liking. I suppose hearing Van Cliburn on that amazing RCA Victor CD might explain it. As for the repitiion of the opening few minutes, the theme is reintroduced near the end. It is not very obvious, and I might be completely wrong, but I detected that Tchaikovsky was alluding to it in the final few minutes. Either way, its more or less trivial to me, as I really meant to demonstrate the merits of that first movement beyond the first few minutes.

Cliburn notwithstanding, Tchaikovsky's tempo for the introduction is "Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso" - very majestically. The main body, about whose merits I agree with you, is marked "Allegro con spirito," and here "frantic energy" would work just fine.

[Michel]

I was listening to Gilels' earlier; absolutely great. I didn't expect it to be so good!

[AnthonyAthletic]

I never tire of this work, funnily enough am I the only person on the forum who after 20 years of listening has never bought or heard Tchaikovsky's 2nd or 3rd concertos?

Who to get...not a clue