Kiril Kondrashin – Concerto No. 1

Really sounds excellent! Some living stereo’s don’t live up to the height but I’d say this one does AND Van Cliburn plays the hell out of it, worth it.

my copy has J2 RY 3997 - 67S etched on the run out side 1 and J2 RY 3998 - 84S etched on run out side 2. the front of the cover has gold trim with LSC-2252 (black letters/#'S) on the top left corner and "living stereo" (black letters) on top right corner a little underneath that is a rectangle with the words "rca victor red seal" and the dog logo. the rectangle is filled in gold and the letters black.. underneath the rectangle is "A new orthophonic high fidelity recording". any info on this?

A man I actually had the distinct pleasure of meeting the year before he ed, the best pianist there likely ever will be on this planet for all time. As a review of this or any vinyl he ever put out, it really doesn't even matter what the pressing quality is. It could pop or have surface noise or any other thing one might endeavor to complain about. Who cares. It's Cliburn and we're done here. I mean...let's face it...I have no less than 4 copies of just this version.

Wonderful recording, of an amazing pianist. Love Tchaikovsky and Van Cliburn!

"Stereo-Orthophonic High Fidelity Recording" on front sleeve cover. Also on front cover: "Saturday Review Poll, Critics' Choice - Best Concerto Recording of 1958" (in oval shaped seal).

Really a very fine performance, well captured. Lots of drama and flow and extreme dynamic range. Really outstanding playing from Cliburn and the orchestra. I have a reissue (ARP1-4441) and no complaints about the engineering or surfaces.

I bought a Japanese pressing of the "Victor Living Stereo" edition in a junk store for 200 yen — let's say $2. It's totally beaten-up, marred from miss-tracking and scratches. Still, it was a treat to listen. The balance and realistic tones of the instruments and orchestral sections, a piano that really sounds like a piano bear witness to this famous, much vaunted series. "Living Presence" is not just a shill. If only more modern recordings could sound like this!

The best