Joseph Villa Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1

A concert performance by the late great American pianist Joseph Villa of Rachmaninoff s Piano Concerto No. 1 given on January 20, 1980 with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra conducted by Lawrence Smith. The source is a cassette that Villa gave me in 1992, and though it is an amateur recording made from the audience, it captures Villa s thrilling playing, with stunning runs, massive dynamic range, and impassioned phrasing. Villa was delighted with this particular performance and fortunately technology now allow