Is Rachmaninov a better pianist than Horowitz?

[chong777]

I was moved by Rachmaninov's playing. Too bad he has not left many good quality piano recordings. Does he play better than Horowitz in general?

Do you prefer Rach 2 or Rach 3?

[jakev2.0]

Totally different artists. By virtue of their unique and immense personalities, they could each do things that the other could not. However, putting all my cards on the table I think that Rachmaninoff had the better overall piano technique.

[dikai_yang]

Rumer has it that after Rachmaninoff heard the young Horowitz play his No. 3 concerto, he never played it in public again.

[ryguillian]

Horowitz was a better pianist, hands down... probably a better composer, too.

[amelialw]

have you heard rach's recordings?

[ryguillian]

have you heard rach's recordings?

I'm presuming this question is addressed to me, but only presuming as much...

Anyway, I've heard recordings of his piano rolls and some other things... I've also read reports of his concerts, the most telling of which are reports of his mangling Scriabin's works in concert shortly after the other (better) composer died.

B.,—Ry.

[amelialw]

I'm presuming this question is addressed to me, but only presuming as much...

Anyway, I've heard recordings of his piano rolls and some other things... I've also read reports of his concerts, the most telling of which are reports of his mangling Scriabin's works in concert shortly after the other (better) composer died.

B.,—Ry.

lol...of his piano rolls and some other things...then of course you have no idea how great a pianist rachmaninoff is so you can't say that Horowitz is a better pianist and probably a better composer too.
I have listened to his recording of the Bach Partitas, and Chopin 24 Etudes and they are amazing.

[mephisto]

lol...of his piano rolls and some other things...then of course you have no idea how great a pianist rachmaninoff is so you can't say that Horowitz is a better pianist and probably a better composer too.
I have listened to his recording of the Bach Partitas, and Chopin 24 Etudes and they are amazing.

Did Rachmaninov really record the Bach Partitas, and the 24 Chopin etudes?

[thalbergmad]

I don't think Rachmaninov did record all of Chopin's Etudes. In fact, i don't think he recorded any of them.

Thal

[amelialw]

I don't think Rachmaninov did record all of Chopin's Etudes. In fact, i don't think he recorded any of them.

Thal

well for your info, he did. My teacher owns his recordings on those vinyl disc that run on turntables. She bought it when she was studying in europe more then 20 years ago.
She played it for me some time back when I was picking my chopin etudes, those that I wanted to learn.

[jakev2.0]

THE BURDEN OF PROOF IS ON U.

PROVE.

[amelialw]

the recordings do not belong to me.

and honestly, I don't care if you don't believe me 

[jakev2.0]

You're either a) wrong or b) have some really rare recordings.

P(a) = .9997
P(b) = 1-P(a)

[amelialw]

I told you that I do not own those, my teacher is the one.

and seriously, even if you try so hard to prove me wrong, it does not at all benefit you. I'm the one who has benefited by listening to those recordings.

and you can say what you like, i'm not even gonna respond.

[amelialw]

anyway i got this info off answers.com

does not state that he did record the chopin etudes but is proof that he did record what he performed

Gramophone recordings
Many of Rachmaninoff's recordings are acknowledged as classics. Particularly renowned are his renditions of Schumann's Carnaval and Chopin's Funeral March Sonata, which many consider the finest performance of that work, along with many shorter pieces. He recorded all four of his piano concertos with the Philadelphia Orchestra, including two versions of the second concerto with Leopold Stokowski conducting, and a world premiere recording of the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, soon after the first performance (1934) with the Philadelphians under Stokowski. The first, third, and fourth concertos were recorded with Eugene Ormandy.

Rachmaninoff wanted to record several other major piano works, including Beethoven's Waldstein Sonata, Liszt's Sonata in B minor and his own Symphonic Dances in a two-piano collaboration with Vladimir Horowitz, but RCA turned him down. He also wanted to record his second symphony.

Rachmaninoff also made three greatly admired recordings conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra in his own Third Symphony, his symphonic poem Isle of the Dead, and his orchestration of Vocalise.

His final recordings were made for RCA Victor in February 1942; a Musicians Union recording ban prevented him from making further recordings before his death the following year.

Whenever Rachmaninoff played in a concert that was broadcast, he specifically requested that one of his recordings be played instead by the station or network. However, at least one private recording of him playing in public has survived and was included by RCA Victor in its boxed set of his complete recordings (1919-42), released in 1973 on LP and later reissued on CD.[5]

For many years Rachmaninoff's lengthy second symphony was played in concert or recorded in abridged versions. The first recording of the Second Symphony, abridged, was made by the Cleveland Orchestra with Nikolai Sokoloff conducting in 1928. Unabridged performances became more common in later years, spurred by recordings including one by Eugene Ormandy in the composer's centenary year of 1973.

I told you...I am simply going to ignore what you say

[jakev2.0]

Umm...I think you're having some logic issues.

Rachmaninoff played X and recorded Z out of X, thus it is sufficient to say Rachmaninoff also recorded Y out of X where Y not equal to Z.

That's like saying that Pandas eat bamboo out of plants thus that is sufficient to conclude they also eat potatos out of plants.

Mmmkay.

[schubertiad]

I am going to have to get a refund since my 'complete recordings of rachmaninov' boxset seems to be missing the cd of the chopets and partitas...

[amelialw]

they may not even have those recordings anymore though...it has been a really long time since my teacher bought it

is your complete collection on cd's or vinyls? I doubt that they reproduced it on cd's

[schubertiad]

It seems rather strange (read: completely impossible) that RCA would issue a collection entitled 'complete recordings' and deliberately omit the recordings of some of classical music's most important pieces by one of it's most important modern figures.

[thalbergmad]

I would suggest the owner of said recordings should put them on e bay, as i am sure they would make a few hundred thousand dollars.

Thal

[dan101]

I prefer Rach 3. As for the comparison, it's impossible to tell. They were both great in their own way.

[mcgillcomposer]

Horowitz was a better pianist, hands down... probably a better composer, too.

Based on what criteria? Sorry, I just hate empty remarks like this - at least have the guts to back it up.

[franz_]

Horowitz was a better pianist, hands down... probably a better composer, too.

You dickhead.

[nyonyo]

You're either a) wrong or b) have some really rare recordings.

P(a) = .9997
P(b) = 1-P(a)

It is so funny the way you put it....

I think if those are really great recording, most people must have known about these recording...I know that he recorded his preludes, not Chopin Etudes....I heard all of the preludes. Maybe Amelia got mixed up between Preludes and Etudes....

[kriskicksass]

It is so funny the way you put it....

I think if those are really great recording, most people must have known about these recording...I know that he recorded his preludes, not Chopin Etudes....I heard all of the preludes. Maybe Amelia got mixed up between Preludes and Etudes....

I don't remember seeing any Chopin Preludes in my complete recordings. Are you referring to his own preludes? Even those he only recorded about a half a dozen.

[iumonito]

They were different and fairly inimitable.  I adore them both.

If you listen to the old Horowitz recordings of Rach 3, they are much closer to Rachmaninov's own interpretation than the late Horowitz recordings of the same piece.

Rachmaninov had a sense of architecture that Horowitz somehow does not match.  Horowitz, naturally, was much less sober and unhibitted about hsi playing.

And by the way, Rachmaninov could not play Scriabin badly even if on purpose.  Scriabinists did not like it because they could not, too concrete a playing, I am sure.  Prokofiev reports the playing was fantastic regardless of what the cotterie said.