I was rather disappointed after listening to this CD for the first time. Evgeny Kissin is great as is the Berlin Philharmonic directed by Mr. Von Karaian, but the tempo is certainly much slower that usual. The first movement is over 23 minutes, about 2-3 minutes longer than usual. However, the more you listen to this CD the better it sounds. You become aware of nuances and details that are not as apparent in other recordings. What's interesting is that the DVD of the same event, the 1988 New Year concert, looks and sound just fine. I strongly recommend getting it in addition to (or instead of) the audio CD because it greatly enhances your perception of the total experience. Of course, if you really love Tchaikovsky's work, you will listen to other recordings of his 1st piano concerto. I suggest Van Cliburn with Mr. Kondrashin, which is also available from Amazon. Enjoy!