Cherkassky, Shura

Cherkassky, Shura

Shura Cherkassky (7 October 1909 – 27 December 1995) was an American classical pianist known for his performances of the romantic repertoire. His playing was characterized by a virtuoso technique and singing piano tone. For much of his later life, Cherkassky resided in Britain.

  • Shura Cherkassky: Saint-Saëns & Liszt

    Shura Cherkassky was born in Odessa, Ukraine in 1909 and died in London in 1995. He was initially taught by his mother who had played for Tchaikovsky, but when the family moved to the US in 1923, he studied with his long-time teacher and mentor, the legendary Josef Hofmann, before auditioning for Rachmaninov. Prior to World War II, he had made his name in the US but from 1945 he extensively toured Europe and settled in London in 1961. The last of the great Romantic tradition of pianists, Cherkassky was described by Bryce Morrison as a 'mercurial genius', a unique personality, blessed with an incredible technique, who delighted in defying convention as no performance was identical. For a musician reluctant to visit the studio, live performances were the showcase for his stunning virtuosity and creativity caught on the wing.
  • Great Pianists Box Set (5 CDs)

    Great Pianists

    MP3 Album:
    EMIL GILELS BEETHOVEN Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 3 – 1967 ICAC 5000 CLAUDIO ARRAU CHOPIN Piano Concerto No.1 • BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No.4 – 1954 & 1959 1954 (Chopin), 1959 (Beethoven) Westdeutscher Rundfunk Köln. ICAC 5045 JULIUS KATCHEN BRAHMS Piano Concerto No.1* • CHOPIN Ballade No.3 • LISZT Mephisto Waltz No.1 SCHUMANN Vogel als Prophet (Waldszenen) • ALBÉNIZ Triana (Ibéria – Book 2) – 1958, 1965 & 1967* ICAC 5048 GEORGES CZIFFRA GRIEG Piano Concerto • LISZT Piano Concerto No.1 • Fantasy on Hungarian Folk Themes LULLY Gavotte en rondeau • D. SCARLATTI Sonata K96 ‘La Chasse’ – 1959 ICAC 5079 SHURA CHERKASSKY CHOPIN Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 – 1981 & 1983 ICAC 5085
  • Shura Cherkassky

    Shura Cherkassky

    MP3 Album:
    CHOPIN Piano Concerto No.1 Piano Concerto No.2 BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra Christopher Adey BBC Symphony Orchestra Richard Hickox Recorded: Studio 1, Broadcasting House, Glasgow, 3 December 1981 (No.1) Royal Albert Hall, London, 30 August 1983 (No.2)
  • Shura Cherkassky

    Shura Cherkassky

    MP3 Album:
    Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini - Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No.7 - Stravinsky: Three Scenes from Petrushka Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester / Zdeněk Mácal

Shura Cherkassky (7 October 1909 – 27 December 1995) was an American classical pianist known for his performances of the romantic repertoire. His playing was characterized by a virtuoso technique and singing piano tone. For much of his later life, Cherkassky resided in Britain.