Amazon.com has is for $29.xx USD and it is SACD; the one on eBay looks to be legit but no telling where that seller is located & when you'd receive it.
The audio on the second LP (Sonata No.14 and 23) is not nearly as good as the first--quite a bit more distantly mic'd, especially No.14. The performances on the 3 LPs were recorded at six different venues over a 10 year period, so some variation in sound is to be expected. Still, his playing is magnificent.
I bought this LP today. Stunning playing and sound, (It derives from a 30 ips master tape), but my copy has nearly constant surface noise. I’m hopeful that a second cleaning will help—don’t really want to drive 65 miles to return it!
Picked up this first set of Sonatas—great playing and pretty good sound—perhaps a bit clangorous in the loud passages but not nearly as emaciated as the CD version!
I'm not sure that Pletnev's reorchestrated chamber orchestra version of the Concertos improves upon the originals, but Trifonov certainly plays them and the other pieces beautifully. Good sound. (Yes, I'm playing a CD--it was a "thank you" gift from my local NPR station for supporting them.)
Yeah, that Kantorow has some hair-raising playing on it, especially "The Firebird" transcription. Trifonov has at least two live performances of it on YouTube.
A 50 minute 12-tone Piano Concerto— what’s not to love? Actually, I like it very much. Its forbidding difficulties for musicians and audience alike prevent it from being played much, which is a shame since it is such a powerful piece.
I received this iconic LP yesterday, but it has far too many loud ticks and pops despite 2 thorough cleanings. I’m returning it and will search for another copy that is truly “near mint.” Has anyone heard the DG reissue? Does the derivation from a digital copy hurt the sound?
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