Byron Janis was at his height in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when these splendid performances were recorded. His coiled virtuosity and imaginative yet never obtrusive rubato bring these chestnuts of the Romantic concerto repertoire to vibrant life. The sizzling, offhanded finale of the Rachmaninov 1st, for instance, is lighter and more idiomatic than Janis’ earlier traversal with Reiner. By contrast, Janis’ aristocratic, balletic Tchaikovsky 1st recalls Cliburn’s quiet fire. Janis and Kondrashin push each other to dazzling heights in the bravura sections of Liszt’s 1st Concerto, without giving short shrift to the “Quasi Adagio” section’s lyric eloquence. The Prokofiev 3rd and Rachmaninov 2nd are almost as good, yet the pianist’s solid and secure work doesn’t quite equal Argerich’s diablerie in the former, and Richter’s transparent individuality in the latter. The solo Prokofiev and Schumann selections, though, come off beautifully, and Mercury’s vintage “Living Presence” engineering belies its age.
