On the face of it the catalogue is not exactly crying out for this issue. But it turns out to have an identity all its own which puts it at least on a par with Cliburn and partners on RCA (recorded in 1958 and 1963 and now sounding rather shallow), whose interpretations are in turn greatly preferable to the brash Sultanov on Teldec or the bulky Bolet on Decca.
The individual identity resides largely in the orchestral playing. Try if you can 1'49'' in the finale of the Tchaikovsky, or 5'14'' in the first movement of the Rachmaninov for examples of exceptionally characterful orchestral repartee; or listen to the touch of savagery at the point of recapitulation in the latter movement (from 6'55'') unexpectedly turning the screw after the long preceding buildup. In many ways the Leningrad Philharmonic (one of its last recordings under this name, of course) no longer displays the fanatical edge it had under Mravinsky. The woodwind sound is no longer painfully raw, and there is only the merest hint of braying Russian horn tone (track 4, from 8'39'') which used so to upset reviewers. But under Mariss Jansons the orchestra still retains its instinct for collective idiomatic nuance and pointed individual contributions. I only hope it will continue to do so in spite of the current mass exodus of culture from Russia.
Mikhail Rudy is a well-balanced musician who clearly appreciates the virtues of sharing the limelight. His comparative restraint pays all sorts of dividends, his technical grasp is of a high order, and he could certainly never be accused of mannerism. I do feel that many listeners will find his personality rather too reserved, however, and the virtuoso command insufficient to rival the finest on record (such as Gilels on EMI for the Tchaikovsky or Richter on DG for the Rachmaninov). A rather mellow recording quality, with the piano more than usually recessed, contributes to that impression—a high level on playback is advisable. Not a front runner, then, but an issue which affords both pleasure and fresh insight.'