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7 of 10 found the following review helpful:
 The best Rach 3 I've ever heard May 03, 1999
As a lifelong Rachmaninov worshipper, I was always puzzled by my lukewarm response to his Third Concerto. Too often the "big tune" at the end sounded tacked on, the first movement cadenza merely some nightmarish etude, the whole without any musical significance. In search of enlightenment, I listened to most of the generally recommended recordings: Horowitz, Argerich, Ashkenazy, Janis. But it was not until I heard Van Cliburn's recording that this music's greatness came through to me. Why is that? Probably because Cliburn plays the music first and the piano second. He brings out the dark Russianness of this music like no one else. The original first movement cadenza has the necessary weight to make musical sense and the ending truly sounds "earned". Only one other recording comes close to Cliburn's: that of Rachmaninov himself. Finally, I suggest that you buy, not this CD, but Van Cliburn's entry in Philips' "Great Pianists of the 20th Century" series, where the Rach 3 is available with Cliburn's other truly great recording: of Rachmaninov's Second Sonata.
11 of 14 found the following review helpful:
This is a historic, and musically profound recording. Jan 27, 1999
As any lover of the piano must know, this live performance marked Mr Cliburn's victory concert after winning the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1959. What is less well known is that he was able to win this contest by more than just his mastery of the Russian repertoire, as his playing of a Mozart Sonata was what initially captivated the judges. Be that as it may, Mr Cliburn captured the Russian Soul as no other performer was able to, certainly at that particular competition, and perhaps as well for all the future Tchaikovsky competitions to the present. This piece was the vehicle that allowed Mr Cliburn to so enrapture himself to the Russian people. For this reason alone, this performance deserves more than a casual listening. I will grant that this recording is not technically perfect, though the sound does not detract from one's ability to capture the import of what is going on musically. In terms of the pure spirituality of the performance, and the emotional impact of the final movement, I have not yet heard better. Other performances, in particular the much vaunted Horowitz recording, do not elicit the same emotional response from me. When I first met Mr Cliburn in April of 1967, he indicated to me that of all the recordings he had made to that date, this was the one that he was most able to pour his emotions into. Thus whatever one may say about Mr Cliburn's follow-up career, one can also view this piece, and in particular this recording, as his musical imprimatur. I would also recommend Mr Cliburn's recording of the Prokofieff 7th Sonata, a piece he was more hesitant to release, yet which also captures what must lie at the heart of the Russian Soul.
5 of 11 found the following review helpful:
 Not Van Cliburn's best Dec 27, 1998
While the Van Cliburn recording of the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 (coupled with either Beethoven No. 5 or Tchaikovsky No. 1) is a classic performance of that piece, this disc falls short. The live recording is muddled and poorly mixed, and the piano is lost among the rest of the orchestra in parts. In addition, Cliburn is not at his best, missing notes and seemingly off in his pacing. The Prokofiev is a decent enough recording, but there are better versions of the Rachmaninoff No. 3 available (e.g. Ashkenazy, complete set of 1-4 on the Decca double) to make this disc no better than a supplemental recording for an otherwise complete collection.
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