Three other great recordings
Martha Argerich (piano)
Martha’s Argerich’s third recording of the concerto, with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Claudio Abbado in 1994, has the edge on her previous version with Kirill Kondrashin. There’s no messing about with the big tunes, those early chords are perfectly placed, the second movement is subtle and luxurious, and the final Allegro is spun like silk. Without imposing her personality, Argerich manages to make it seem like Tchaikovsky intended this piece for her all along. (Deutsche Grammophon 449 8162)
Daniil Trifonov (piano)
Daniil Trifonov won the Tchaikovsky Competition in 2011 and the Concerto was recorded as part of a compilation album shortly after. Joined for the occasion by the Mariinsky Orchestra and Valery Gergiev, Trifonov gives a sublime performance that earns him a place in the top division. The second movement is beautifully paced, zipping towards a colourful patchwork Allegro and a ravishing finale. The piano has a bright-but-rounded tone, particularly noticeable in the build-up to the Allegro con spirito, which may not suit all tastes. (Mariinsky MAR0530)
Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano)
Recorded at the Walthamstow Assembly Hall in 1963, this evenhanded account has a vintage fuzziness to the sound quality that suits Ashkenazy’s pianism. Although the solo part itself isn’t in highdefinition, the balance works well, with beautiful ensemble playing and curiously sharp brass from the London Symphony Orchestra. Ashkenazy takes a reserved approach to the cadenza at the end of the first movement, unbuttoning somewhat in a second movement that is pure Romanticism, before running wild in a free-flowing finale – conductor Lorin Maazel just about manages to keep those unison rhythms under control. (Decca 483 2584)
And one to avoid…
The 1989 Deutsche Grammophon recording by the then wunderkind Yevgeny Kissin and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra with Herbert von Karajan is discombobulating. The slow speeds and ample rubato were doubtless intended to be meaningful introspection, but feel mannered. The Andantino semplice in particular is far too drawn out – the flute and strings sound as though they are about to fall asleep – and the outer movements lack the wit other pianists permit the piece.