Beethoven Third Piano Concerto & Choral Fantasy - Serkin, Bernstein
The historical context of this collaboration is worth noting. Bernstein, then music director of the New York Philharmonic, was in the midst of his vigorous 1960s Beethoven cycle, intent on stamping the repertoire with his personality and energy. Serkin, already celebrated as one of the leading Beethoven pianists of the century, brought Old World seriousness to the partnership. Their temperaments were different, Bernstein spontaneous and high-voltage, Serkin austere and uncompromising, but here they met on common ground. What results is a fusion of intensity and integrity, a reading that does not smooth out the edges but rather embraces the drama of Beethoven’s vision.
Equally important is how this performance was captured. Produced by John McClure and engineered by Fred Plaut at Manhattan Center, the sound of this recording stands above Columbia’s usual mid-1960s productions. The piano is reproduced with unusual clarity and body, never swallowed by the orchestra, and placed in natural perspective within the hall. The Philharmonic strings have richness and weight, the winds speak with character, and the brass shine with brilliance without turning raw. The acoustic of Manhattan Center adds breadth and warmth, yet without muddying the detail in Beethoven’s denser textures. The Westminster Choir is presented with cohesion and depth, so that even in full cry it blends into the orchestral fabric rather than sitting on top of it. Compared with many contemporaneous Columbia releases, this one offers more depth of field, greater immediacy, and a better balance between power and clarity.
Artist(s): Piano – Rudolf Serkin
Conductor – Leonard Bernstein
Orchestra – New York Philharmonic
Choir – The Westminster Choir
Chorus Master – Warren Martin
Recording Info: Engineer - Fred Plaut
Producer – John McClure
Recorded on Jan. 20, 1964, at the Manhattan Center, NYC (Concerto)
May 1, 1962, at the Manhattan Center, NYC. (Chorale)
Sourced from a 4-track tape
Components used for Transfer: Analog: Transferred using a modified Nagra 4SJ tape deck with Flux Heads
Preamp - Custom Tape Pre-amp designed by Victor Khomenko of Balanced Audio Technology
Digital: Merging Hapi Analog to Digital Converter clocked by an Antelope Audio 10MX Atomic Clock
Software: Merging Pyramix v15
Power Conditioning: Shunyata Research Everest 8000 for all components
All components are grounded to Shunyata ALTAIRA Hubs
Concerto No. 3 In C Minor For Piano and Orchestra, Op. 37
1 Allegro Con Brio 15:38
2 Largo 10:59
3 Rondo: Allegro 9:32
Chorale Fantasy for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra, Op. 80
4 Adagio 2:52
5 Finale: Allegro; Meno Allegro; Allegretto Ma Non Troppo, Quasi Andante Con Moto 15:32
Please note: This release was edited in DXD PCM from a DSD256 Master
Then the DXD edited master was used to generate the final DSD files using
Merging Technologies Album Publishing.
DXD (352.8KHz 24/32 bit PCM) is one of the best and least destructive formats for post-processing DSD originated digital recordings
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