Cherkassky: The Analog Recordings

In the early 1980s, pianist Shura Cherkassky was considered one of the "greats" of his generation, whose undisputed king was Vladimir Horowitz. Yet, after a long, remarkable career that began in his youth, his popularity in concert halls and recording studios was in decline. He was introduced to the young label Nimbus, and his first visit lasted four days – from January 31 to February 3, 1981. He stayed at the legendary Wyastone Leys studio, an imposing building. The large Victorian drawing room served as a spectacular performance venue, its floor-to-ceiling windows offering an impressive view of the Wye Valley. Shura was delighted and signed a copy of his LP "Pictures at an Exhibition" with the words 'To everyone at Nimbus, with love and the most wonderful feeling of inspiration'. The recordings made during those four days can all be heard on this release. The featured works are by Felix Mendelssohn, Frédéric Chopin, Robert Schumann, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Claude Debussy, Morton Gould, Igor Stravinsky, and Modest Mussorgsky.