Search - Prokofiev, Boston Symphony Orch, Koussevitsky :: Piano Concerto 3 / Symphony 5

These Prokofiev performances in Dutton's new budget line still pack punch. Prokofiev's 1932 recording of his Third Concerto, somewhat muddy in this transfer, can't replace the version by Martha Argerich, but it's a rare opportunity to hear the composer playing one of his major works. Prokofiev's playing bristles with spiky energy, and he sails through the virtuoso piano part with panache, though the orchestra hangs on for dear life in places. Even better is Koussevitsky's 1946 recording of the Fifth Symphony, made only a year after its Moscow premiere. Koussevitsky's Bostonians play with tremendous verve, the strings especially notable for their silky smoothness and deep, rich warmth. Their spontaneity and emotional force make it one of the best recordings of the work, alongside stereo peers by von Karajan, Bernstein, and Szell. --Dan Davis