You can tell that Douglas put his heart and soul into this piece. Nothing is taken for granted, while the solo part has been substantially re-thought via a varied and impressive pianistic vocabulary.
The RCA recording of the Tchaikovsky First Concerto is something of an old friend, having first appeared around the time of Barry Douglas's triumph as gold medallist at the Eighth Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow: you can certainly tell that he had put his heart and soul into the piece. Nothing is taken for granted, while the solo part has been substantially re-thought via a varied and impressive pianistic vocabulary (most especially in the first movement). Slatkin's LSO accompaniment is eagerly responsive, particularly from the woodwind department (for example, at 216" into the first movement); but the recording of the orchestra is tonally rather thin and a quiet low B flat appears to have been snipped from 630" into the first movement, a possible editing casualty. But, as Tchaikovsky Firsts go (and there are plenty to choose from), this one is keen, cool, nicely animated and fully deserving of IM's approval.
