Kirill Kondrashin is one of the few Russian conductors to celebrate an internationalcareer, next to Eugen Mravinsky, Igor Markewisch and Jascha Horenstein. In 1943he became principal conductor at the Bolshoi theatre, an institution so important forSoviet musical life, to which he would belong for 13 years. In 1956 he wasappointed chief conductor of the Moscow Philharmonic. This position opened doorsfor him internationally and Kondrashin was able to accept tour invitations fromwestern countries.One of the milestones in his career certainly was the first international Tchaikovskypiano competition in Moscow in 1958. Kondrashin conducted the competitionconcert of American pianist Van Cliburn, who not only takes home the victory, butalso "his" conductor, with whom he is completing a triumphant tour. Kondrashin isthe first Russian conductor allowed to perform in the United States during the ColdWar, and in return for this musical understanding between the nations, the Russianaudience falls in love with the 23-year-old American Van Cliburn, from then onnicknamed "Vanyushka" in the Soviet Union.In addition to Van Cliburn, whose Tchaikovsky concert is one of the discographichighlights of this 10 CD box set, Russian companions such as MstislavRostropovich, Sviatoslav Richter and David Oistrakh are also documented here withoutstanding recordings. Kondrashin had a special friendship with Shostakovitch, forwhose works he campaigned throughout his career.
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