Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos Nos. 1,2 & 3

Byron Janis (2025 Remastered, Moscow, London & Minneapolis 1960-1962)

2 disc(s) - 11 track(s)
Total length: 01:40:33

Born in 1928 in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, to parents of Russian and Polish descent, Byron Janis showed musical talent at a very early age, taking his first lessons at five before being introduced, two years later, to Josef and Rosina Lhévinne in New-York.

At fifteen, he caused a sensation by performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the NBC Orchestra. This piece, perfectly suited to his temperament, would become his signature work—he performed it again in 1944 with the Pittsburgh Orchestra under the direction of a young 13-year-old conductor: Lorin Maazel. In the audience, Vladimir Horowitz was deeply impressed and offered to take the young Byron as his pupil.

Byron Janis became the first—and one of the few—students of Horowitz. He accompanied him on tour: “I traveled extensively with Horowitz and his wife so that I could study with him regularly. I became like their son.” Those formative years with one of the greatest pianists of the time were truly invaluable.

In 1960, Byron Janis was invited to the USSR as part of a cultural exchange between the two superpowers. In return, Sviatoslav Richter was chosen to perform in the United States. In 1962, Janis returned to the Soviet Union and achieved a remarkable feat by performing, in a single evening, Schumann’s Piano Concerto, Rachmaninoff’s First Piano Concerto, and Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto. The Mercury label seized the opportunity to set up its microphones in Moscow—an audacious move given the Cold War context. Janis then recorded the concertos that had brought him fame, first with conductor Kirill Kondrashin and later with Antal Dorati. Everywhere, audiences are captivated by his playing—marked by impeccable elegance, flawless technique, and great refinement.

The remastering in our edition is simply outstanding. The sound of each orchestral section is even more beautiful and distinct, while enhancing the sense of closeness to the instruments that so defined Mercury’s legendary 1960s recordings.

Enjoy your listening

CD 1
1. Piano Concerto No. 1 in F.sharp minor, Op. 1: I. Vivace (2025 Remastered, Moscow 1962)
2. Piano Concerto No. 1 in F.sharp minor, Op. 1: II. Andante (2025 Remastered, Moscow 1962)
3. Piano Concerto No. 1 in F.sharp minor, Op. 1: III. Allegro vivace (2025 Remastered, Moscow 1962)
4. Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18: I. Moderato (2025 Remastered, Minneapolis 1960)
5. Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18: II. Adagio sostenuto (2025 Remastered, Minneapolis 1960)
6. Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18: III. Allegro scherzando (2025 Remastered, Minneapolis 1960)
 
CD 2
1. Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30: I. Allegro ma non tanto (2025 Remastered, London 1961)
2. Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30: II. Intermezzo: Adagio (2025 Remastered, London 1961)
3. Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30: III. Finale: Alla breve (2025 Remastered, London 1961)
4. Prelude in E-flat Major, Op. 23, No. 6 (2025 Remastered, Minneapolis 1960)
5. Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op. 3, No. 2 (2025 Remastered, Minneapolis 1960)