Live recording. Radio. 1935. A restored copy of this recording, along with many other treasures, is now available on Marston records. www.marstonrecords.com/produc...
@@pianofan1000I will say this, Rachmaninoff’s prime was when he was older. He noticed how he was lacking compared to the pianistic likes of lhevinne, and composition of Scriabin. He then went through a heavy ordeal of practicing piano and composition like crazy. Even at an age where most pianists would slow down there practice rach kept practicing. He himself then earned a great redemption. Through the recordings we have now of him, we can tell that he is a whole other being compared to lhevinne or Scriabin. Rachmaninoff, Hofmann, lhevinne, were and still are the greatest pianists that walked this earth!
Masterful playing! The spotlight is focused upon the melody with the filigree properly placed in the background. Full of drama and sweep, something that is sadly missing in most modern-day mechanical interpretations.
I think this performance ranks among the best ever captured on record. He really demonstrated a great emotional intensity, overlaid atop the sheer technical wizardry, and he even added an extra octave to the concluding a minor melodic scale -- a magnificent flourish that placed a great exclamation point! Yes, Lhevinne *owned* this piece! 🤩👍🎼🎶🎹💝
Nice catch on the scale extension! Makes me feel better for the notes that I have added to Rach's famous G-minor Prelude (full double octaves descending) and his Paganini Rhapsody (full double 2-handed ascending glissandi).
I think he has the highest concentration of SDC approved recorded rep of all pianists. Phenomenal technique here, much more impressive than the Tchaikovsky concerto.
I have a 1930's broadcast (WNYC?) recording of Lhevinne playing this etude, the Terces Etude, and the Ab Polonaise that was released by Appian in an anthology about 25 years ago. But there was no announcer and the background noise was very pronounced. This is clean. I'm wondering if this is another broadcast, or another tape of the same broadcast, or the same tape cleaned up?
No pianist had as much physical ease of execution and depth and intensity of expression as Lhevinne. He made two recordings of Liszt's Liebestraume; one of them, from the ampico piano roll lp is sensational, even for Lhevinne. The other is just ok. Alas the good one is not available here. Maybe someone could fix that...Lhevinne made three recordings of la Campanella, 5mins, 4:21 and 4:04. The third is the superbowl of piano playing, the ultimate in elegance and finish
