Chopi Archive

Shura Cherkassky, piano = Works of HAYDN, CHOPIN, CHASINS, POULENC & RACHMANINOFF – MeloClassic

by Audiophile Audition | Jan 16, 2016 | Classical Reissue Reviews

Cherkassky’s appearances in Germany in the 1950s confirm his status as a master colorist. Shura Cherkassky, piano = HAYDN: Piano Sonata No. 34 in e minor; CHOPIN: Ballade No. 1 in g minor, Op. 23; Impromptu No. 3 in G-flat Major, Op. 51; Fantasie-Impromptu in c-sharp minor, Op. 66; Scherzo No. 1 in b minor, Op. 20; CHASINS: 3 Chinese Pieces, Op. 5; POULENC: Toccata from Trois Pieces; RACHMANINOV: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43 – Shura Cherkassky, p./ Sym. of the SW German Radio/ Hans Mueller-Kray – MeloClassic MC 1033, 74:55 [www.meloclassic.com] *****: The rarified art of pianist Shura Cherkassky (1909-1995) has another important document in these 1952-1958 recital pieces and the Rachmaninov Rhapsody from, respectively, Bremen and Southwest German Radio. From the outset (27 February 1958), with the e minor Haydn Sonata (1778), Cherkassky presents a wide sonic palette, though understated, that reveals Haydn’s demands – Alberti bass figures, legato double-notes, syncopated double-notes, and a constant juxtaposition of major and minor modalities – that unfold in a manner that combines much of Scarlatti with the stile brise of the Bach sons. Besides the use of portato arpeggios in the first movement, the striking Adagio suggests florid, […]