Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz, the pianist of the century, made his final recordings with Deutsche Grammohon in the last six years of his life.

 They were both artistic and media sensations, especially the historic recital he gave in Moscow in 1986, the first time Horowitz had returned to his homeland in more than 60 years, and an occasion that was uniquely poignant and musically moving.

The 3-CD set is made up of The Studio Recordings of New York 1985, a live recoding of Horowitz in Moscow and Horowitz at Home, featuring music by Mozart, Schubert and Liszt.

In his prime, Horowitz was considered one of the most brilliant pianists of this time. His use of tone colour, technique and the excitement of his playing are thought by many to be unrivaled, and his performances of works as diverse as of Domenico Scarlatti and Alexander Scriabin were equally legendary. For all the aural excitement of his playing, Horowitz rarely raised his hands higher than the piano's fallboard. His body was immobile, and his face seldom reflected anything other than intense concentration. Though sometimes critizised fo being overly mannered, Horowitz has a huge a passionate following.

Horowitz received piano instruction from an early age, initially from his mother, herself, a competent pianist. In 1912 he entered the Kiev Conservatory, where he was taught by Vladimir Puchalsky, Sergei Tarnowsky and Felix Blumenfeld. Horowitz left the conservatory in 1919 and performed Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor at his graduation. He was later to become particularly associated with this concerto, and in 1930 made the premiere recording. His first solo recital followed in 1920.

Horowitz's star rose rapidly, and he soon began to tour Russia where he was often paid with bread, butter and chocolate rather then money, due to the country's economic hardships. During the 1922-1923 season, Horowitz performed 23 concerts of eleven different progams in Leningrad alone. On January 2, 1926, Horowitz made his first appearance outside is home country, in Berlin. He later played in Paris, London and New York City, and it was in the USA that he eventually settled in 1940. He became a USA citizen in 1944.

Vladimir Horowitz gave his USA debut on January 12, 1928, in Carnegie Hall. He played the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 b-flat minor, op. 23, with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Sir Thomas Beecham who made his USA debut as well. Horowitz later commented that he and Beecham had divergent ideas regarding tempos, and that Beecham was conducting the score "from memory and he didn't know" the piece. Horowitz's success with the audience was phenomenal, and a solo recital was quickly scheduled. Olin Downes, writing for the New York Times, was critical about the metric tug of war between conductor and soloist, but Downes credited Horowitz with both a tremendous technique and a beautiful singing tone in the second movement. In this debut performance, Horowitz demonstrated a marked ability to excite his audience, an ability he preserved for his entire career. As Olin Downes commented, "it has been years since a pianist created such a furor with an audience in this city." In his review of the recital, Downes characterized Horowitz's playing as showing "most if not all the traits of a great interpreter." With these performances, Horowitz's USA career was sensationally launched, and he has never since relinquished his place among the greatest pianists of all time.

He passed away November 5, 1989.

Sit back and enjoy an encore broadcast 60 Minutes did of an interview filmed in 1977 with Horowitz. The late Mike Wallace is the  journalist interviewing the legendary pianist.

 

Tune in to Classic 107 throughout the week for music from this 3-CD package and for your chance to win a $25 McNally Robinson Gift Card. You can also purchase your own copy at McNally Robinson Grant Park. Just look for the Classic 107 display in the Music Department.