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Horowitz Plays Rach 3 (1943)

The recording I advert to is the one Horowitz performed with the NYPO under the baton of Artur Rodziński. The recording is infamous for cutting off the very beginning of the piece - possibly because the folks in charge of the recording equipment had chosen the wrong time to take a nap. In spite of that, this performance showcases Horowitz at his technical peak. It's executed at breakneck speed, with dazzling virtuosity that reminds one of The Road Runner Show, where the roadrunner leaves trails of fire in his wake, though not at the expense of the music - a feat that few have ever equalled. Certainly not clowns like Valentina Lisitsa, or even - I'm sorry to say - artists like Martha Argerich. This recording is sufficient to silence any latter-day critic and professional snob who dares to claim that Horowitz was overrated or didn't have a good technique. These snobs will meet a fitting end in obscurity soon enough, and Horowitz will continue shining in the firmament of classical pianism like the titan that he was.

Panegyrics aside, a recording surfaced on YouTube lately claiming to offer a restored version of this much-sought-after performance. Mister DakarDave did well to disable comments on the video, because his claim holds very little water. Are we to believe that the two-and-a-half minutes that have been missing for seventy-three years suddenly came into the possession of this unremarkable pseudonym in an obscure corner of YouTube? If I died right now, my corpse would continue laughing till the end of time. Unfortunately, I can't take credit for this colorful line, just as DakarDave can't take credit for weaving time out of thin air. As a matter of fact, I am all but certain that these two-and-a-half minutes are from Horowitz's 1941 recording, which is no longer on YouTube and as a result unavailable for inspection. Happily, I do have the 1941 recording, and can verify that the two-and-a-half minutes that DakarDave offers us, decked and wreathed like an icon of the Lord, is very likely from the 1941 recording, though it has been merged with the 1943 seamlessly. For the editing work alone Mister DakarDave deserves the highest praise. Ultimately, it's just as well that the 1941 was combined with the portions of the 1943 that we are fortunate to have, for a multitude of reasons:
  1. It's only two-and-a-half minutes long.
  2. The first two-and-a-half minutes of the piece are basic enough so that any recording by any except the most useless musicians (and sometimes even those: listen to Lisitsa) is apt to be similar in essence.
  3. Horowitz in 1941 and Horowitz in 1943 are apt to be more similar still.
  4. Horowitz himself spliced and diced in abandon, like a sushi chef who thinks he's alone in the kitchen.
  5. The continuity completes the listening experience.
Well done, DakarDave, old chap, well done. Next, we would all like you to produce from your magic bag a recording of Horowitz and Rachmaninoff playing the reduction for two pianofortes of this concerto. I'm sure, with your talents, you will be able to dazzle us once again with a timeless treasure.

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