Rosina Lhevinne Plays Chopin Piano Concerto No 1+ Schumann Overture Scherzo and Finale for Orchestra op 52 (Vanguard)

Hearing this disc is like time-travel. Rosina Lhévinne made this recording to celebrate her 80th birthday. She was a famous piano teacher (of Van Cliburn, among others), but seldom played in public after the 1940s. She hadn't lost a thing, though. The way she plays Chopin comes from a more gracious era, when people could take the time to say something without hurry. Lhévinne's tone, phrasing, and songful expression produce the type of music we usually hear only on scratchy old recordings, but here it is in excellent stereo. John Barnett and the orchestra support the soloist discreetly, then step out front for a raucous version of the little-known Schumann. --Leslie Gerber