Rachmaninov Works for Piano and Orchestra
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Sergey Rachmaninov
Label: EMI
Magazine Review Date: 10/1991
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 60
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: 749966-2
Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 |
Sergey Rachmaninov, Composer
Andrei Gavrilov, Piano Philadelphia Orchestra Riccardo Muti, Conductor, Bass Sergey Rachmaninov, Composer |
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini |
Sergey Rachmaninov, Composer
Andrei Gavrilov, Piano Philadelphia Orchestra Riccardo Muti, Conductor, Bass Sergey Rachmaninov, Composer |
Composer or Director: Sergey Rachmaninov
Label: EMI
Magazine Review Date: 10/1991
Media Format: Cassette
Media Runtime: 0
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: EL749966-4
Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 |
Sergey Rachmaninov, Composer
Andrei Gavrilov, Piano Philadelphia Orchestra Riccardo Muti, Conductor, Bass Sergey Rachmaninov, Composer |
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini |
Sergey Rachmaninov, Composer
Andrei Gavrilov, Piano Philadelphia Orchestra Riccardo Muti, Conductor, Bass Sergey Rachmaninov, Composer |
Author:
The more demanding listener may not get beyond the portentous opening gestures, the small fluff at 0'32'' and the severe over-pedalling which follows. That would be a pity, because there are numerous instances of pianistic excellence which only a top-class artist could deliver, and Gavrilov could certainly never be accused of being lukewarm. Still, the Rhapsody is more his piece, I feel, with its shorter spurts of invention and more obvious drama. Gavrilov drives it well, though losing out slightly on fantasy as he does so. Not until 1'27'' into the big Variation No. 18 is there a touch of the extreme self-consciousness so evident in the Concerto. In both works the Philadelphia Orchestra's contribution is a distinguished one, without ever suggesting the kind of meeting of minds evident from Richter with Wislocki (DG) and Wild with Horenstein (Chandos, though I see Chesky have put out a single disc, which I have yet to hear, coupling the Rhapsody with the First and Fourth Concertos). There are a dozen or so alternative versions of this particular coupling, but since none of them is recommendable without serious reservation (Ashkenazy and Previn on mid-price Decca would be my choice if forced) I have confined myself to versions I can so recommend.
Like the Moscow performance this one sounds best with the volume level slightly raised. But I have to say I found the orchestral recorded sound less then inspiring, with a good deal of fuzziness around the cellos and flutes; there is an awkward edit at 2'17'' in the Concerto slow movement.'
Discover the world's largest classical music catalogue with Presto Music.
Gramophone Digital Club
- Digital Edition
- Digital Archive
- Reviews Database
- Full website access
From £8.75 / month
SubscribeGramophone Full Club
- Print Edition
- Digital Edition
- Digital Archive
- Reviews Database
- Full website access
From £11.00 / month
Subscribe
If you are a library, university or other organisation that would be interested in an institutional subscription to Gramophone please click here for further information.