Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
 | By Sergey Rachmaninov, Seiji Ozawa, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Krystian Zimerman Deutsche Grammophon, 2004, Audio CD Customer Rating: 12 reviews Recommend |
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These are fine performances. Zimerman's playing can be somewhat self-conscious, and at times he seems to be aware that he ought to say something new about these well-known works, but he's never less than animated. The first concerto comes across as stylish and warm, with the melodies clear amidst the sheer brilliance of the playing and the rhythms strongly underlined. The lack of mania is most welcome. (Earl Wild's performance of this work on Chandos, however, is more spectacular than any other.) The second, better-known work, is an honest, straightforward reading, with the first movement's finale expansive and grand, an Adagio of surprising affection and meditation, and a final movement in which the very familiar second melody shows up almost surprisingly in its freshness. If this lacks the tension found in some other recordings, it makes up for it in a non-garish boldness which shines. The recording of choice here is Ashkenazy's on Decca, but, again, both of these concerti are well-served by Zimerman, and Ozawa's leadership of the BSO is masterful. — Robert Levine
- 1. Vivace - Moderato - Vivace
- 2. Andante
- 3. Allegro vivace
- 1. Moderato - Più vivo - Maestoso. Alla marcia - Moderato
- 2. Adagio sostenuto
- 3. Allegro scherzando - Moderato - Allegro scherzando - Presto - Moderato - Allegro scherzando - Al
Title: Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
Sales Rank: 29885 in Music
Creator: Sergey Rachmaninov, Seiji Ozawa, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Krystian Zimerman
Label: Deutsche Grammophon, 2004-02-10, Audio CD, 1 Disc
Package Dimensions: 5.55 x 4.97 x 0.54 inches, 0.18 pounds
- Detailed Performance
- I own about every peformance of the Rachmaninoff concertos currently available in the catalogue. This rendition misses the emotional heart of both concertos.....but I like it nonetheless and the reason is because every note is so cleanly artilculated that you hear things that you will not hear in any other recording. That being said, my favorite for the first concerto is Earl… More reviews
- Simply the finest of recordings...
- I have over ten different recordings of the first and second concerto played by many pianists from Ashkenazy to Horowitz. I have to say that these recordings are among some of the most amazing I have ever heard. First of all, I am not sure how anyone could rate this with one star. Just simply by listening to Zimerman's playing alone should make… More reviews
- well done
- My only complaint here is that the orchestra is kept too far in the background. This is a piano-forward aural picture, as though the listener were seated immediately in front of the open lid of Zimerman's grand, with much of the sound of the Boston Symphony going past you, out into the hall. I have a recording of the old Boston Symphony playing the 3rd… More reviews
- A Stunning Performance
- I, like many, have been listening to recordings of these concertos for a lifetime (40+ years). There are several that I love: the Van Cliburn (my first exposure to the 2nd), Richter, Janis, Argerich, and, most recently, Hough, have all had something significant to say about these works. Every once in awhile, though, someone breaks through the veneer… More reviews
- Limitless
- Under Zimerman's hands, the piano seems to have limitless possibilities. His playing can jump from bird-song whispering to a violent storm in the same breath. Truly breathtaking.
Many readers complain about the recessed orchestra sound in the 2nd concerto and I agree. But Ozawa's interpretation leans toward being sensitve and fragile. If you want the orchestra… More reviews
