JONAH PIERCE, pianist
Released in 2015 by MSR Classics MS 1464
The Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23, was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky between November 1874 and February 1875. It was revised in the summer of 1879 and again in December 1888. The first version received heavy criticism from Nikolai Rubinstein, Tchaikovsky's desired pianist. Rubinstein later repudiated his previous accusations and became a fervent champion of the work. It is one of the most popular of Tchaikovsky's compositions and among the best known of all piano concerto. WIKIPEDIA
“What a find this is! Joshua Pierce recorded five of the six Russian piano concertos in this 2-CD set in Eastern Europe between 1988 and 1991... Their reissue in superb remasterings on MSR gives them a fair chance to be heard by a wider audience. This is a treasure trove of the best of Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, and Khachaturian... From the opening of the ever-popular Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor by Tchaikovsky, we feel we are in for an exalted musical experience as both Pierce and conductor Paul Freeman are right on the money with its smartly-paced excitement... Pierce’s solid pianism includes a beautiful tone that stays amazingly limpid throughout the work’s wide dynamic range. This performance unflaggingly holds our interest... We’ve noted Joshua Pierce’s dynamic artistry in numerous places in the course of this review. His high-profile intensity in the fast, trenchant, and stunningly rhythmical passages speaks for itself, and he is just as keenly attuned to the warm, deeply felt moments in the slow movements of all these works.” Phil Muse, Audiophile Audition
VIDEO: Martha Argerich, piano - Charles Dutoit, conductor Orchestre de la Suisse Romande 1975
