The notes for this disc inform the reader that this performance of Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto by Artur Rubinstein with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Erich Leinsdorf was recorded on March 5, 1963, in Symphony Hall in Boston. They also inform the reader that "This XRCD-remastering was carried out on September 9, 2004, at JVC Mastering Center, Yokohama [by] JVC-xrcd Producer: Kazuie Sugimoto [and] Mastering Engineer: Hiromichi Takiguchi."
And a superlative technical job they did of it, too. There are moments when the listener would swear that he/she was standing on the same podium as Leinsdorf or sitting on the same piano bench as Rubinstein. While it is true that there are also moments that come very close to blowing the VU meters -- the famous opening theme is an aural juggernaut -- the total effect of the recording is palpably real, a triumph of the art of remastering. Of course, with its mass of missed notes, over-pedaled passages, and over-inflated climaxes Rubinstein's performance remains in appallingly bad taste while Leinsdorf and the BSO's accompaniment is sullen and unresponsive when it is not overbearing and overwhelming. While this disc is well worth hearing for the quality of the sound, it is hard to recommend for the quality of the performance.
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