Amidst 3rd-hand tennis shoes and vacuum cleaners of the undead, I ran into an old friend today: Horowitz' Rach 3rd

Posted by jdaniel@jps.net on July 26, 2015 at 19:19:46

Was off the beaten track today and needed gas; and spied a hole in the wall thrift store. Would they have records? I went to see.

Sure enough there was a pile in the corner, mostly crap, but there--close to the bottom--was a seal copy of Horowitz' final recording of the Rachmaninoff 3rd Piano Concerto. So bizarre to see cornerstones of Western Civilization like this, strewn across a dusty floor and partially buried under kiddie toys and long-lost golf clubs. I love the vinyl treasure hunt.

If this thrift store score weren't surreal enough, my memory of picking up the Lp the first time around is even more so. I can barely remember the Woolworth's in which I first laid eyes on the cover (in '79, '80?): the store had a basement with all the "cool" stuff: Aquariums, "real" stereos, sporting goods, and their Lp selection. I think I must have been 14-15 years old. My long-gone grandmother used to buy me sundaes at the Woolworth lunch counter. Wonderful times.

I recall being SO disappointed with the piece! Where were the big melodies?? Apart from a few glorious, ecstatic, and unfortunately fleeting Russian-esque outbursts (1/3 of the way thru the 1st mov't, 1/2 way thru the 2nd), it all sounded like note-spinning to me. What a piece of crap compared to the 2nd Piano Concerto, I though to myself. The lyrical melody in the finale was its only saving grace to my young ears.

35 years have passed. I've seen this Lp off and on elsewhere, but have avoided it. I've read the Horowitz misses more than a few notes and--if that weren't bad enough-- who wants a late RCA pressing, let alone recording?

I've since listened to Argerich's (talk about wrong notes!), Ashkenazy's (Previn and Haitink), Wild's (surprisingly lovely, poetic and feverish), Cliburn's (sensitive but strings get a little harsh right in the most exquisite moments) and many more which I can't recall at the moment. All I can tell you is that none (save for Wild) put me in the zone like the Horowitz (eventually) did.

Maybe it's imprinting, but the Horowitz fit like an old glove. The phrasing and ebb and flow just feels so right. The piece was recorded "live" (w/ patches) in Carnegie Hall, and IMHO it's very serviceable, if a bit flat and up front.

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Topic - Amidst 3rd-hand tennis shoes and vacuum cleaners of the undead, I ran into an old friend today: Horowitz' Rach 3rd - jdaniel@jps.net 19:19:46 07/26/15 (12)

I am in the procees of moving and ALL my records are packed; today I decided to listen to a few, so I went... - J. S. Bach 10:42:22 08/01/15 (0)

" My long-gone grandmother used to buy me sundaes at the Woolworth lunch counter. Wonderful times." What I ... - J. S. Bach 08:11:13 07/31/15 (0)

RE: Amidst 3rd-hand tennis shoes and vacuum cleaners of the undead, I ran into an old friend today: Horowitz' Rach 3rd - Crazy Dave 14:58:47 07/27/15 (0)

Ashkenazy does it for me ... he makes it flow - bjh 09:26:16 07/27/15 (0)

RE: Amidst 3rd-hand tennis shoes and vacuum cleaners of the undead, I ran into an old friend today: Horowitz' Rach 3rd - throwback 05:58:05 07/27/15 (5)

Janis belongs in the "other performers I can't remember at the moment" file. : ) - jdaniel@jps.net 07:26:50 07/27/15 (4)

RE: Janis belongs in the "other performers I can't remember at the moment" file. : ) - throwback 09:14:56 07/27/15 (3)

"I hear plenty of soul in Janis" - Chris from Lafayette 11:05:39 07/27/15 (2)

I'm never talking to you again. : ) - jdaniel@jps.net 21:26:47 07/27/15 (1)

Hey - I'm never talking to you either! [nt] ;-) - Chris from Lafayette 00:04:59 07/28/15 (0)

RE: Amidst 3rd-hand tennis shoes and vacuum cleaners of the undead, I ran into an old friend today: Horowitz' Rach 3rd - alc777 04:59:02 07/27/15 (0)

Great post! Thanks. (nt) - Frank_Locke 02:26:09 07/27/15 (0)

Amidst 3rd-hand tennis shoes and vacuum cleaners of the undead, I ran into an old friend today: Horowitz' Rach 3rd

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