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Topic: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos  (Read 3125 times)

Offline justinjalandoni

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Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
on: June 22, 2008, 12:58:15 PM
Can anyone please tell me which piansit has the best recording of Rachmaninov's Piano Concertos?

Offline iumonito

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #1 on: June 22, 2008, 04:19:42 PM
Subjective, of course:

For all five, I like Rachmaninov himself.

For 1, I like Vasary a lot as well.  For 2 there are so many!  Bolet and Moiseiwitch are at the top for me.  For 3 Horowitz/Ormandy, Bolet.  4 Kapell.  Paganini Orozco and Azhkenhazy.
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Offline tompilk

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #2 on: June 22, 2008, 08:54:10 PM
Zimerman's is my fave Rach 1. And probably hough for Rach 3. Never really got into Rach 4 much, but I've heard Michelangeli in the recording where he messes up the first movement. It's wonderful to dwell on such a rare occurrence...
Working on: Schubert - Piano Sonata D.664, Ravel - Sonatine, Ginastera - Danzas Argentinas

Offline Petter

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #3 on: June 22, 2008, 09:13:25 PM
Never really got into Rach 4 much, but I've heard Michelangeli in the recording where he messes up the first movement. It's wonderful to dwell on such a rare occurrence...

Hehe I wonder if that was the record I just recently bought. I bought it for the Ravel concerto though.
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Offline mikey6

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #4 on: June 24, 2008, 01:21:50 AM
The Ash/Previn set is good value.  Earl Wild, Hough got rave reviews though I don't really like what I've heard, Zimerman or Rach himself.
Michelangeli's 4th is the bench mark.
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Offline mattgreenecomposer

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #5 on: June 27, 2008, 01:49:38 AM
Horowitz for Rach 3.  there is no comparison.
Yefim Bronfman and Ashkenazy for the others.
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Offline mikey6

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #6 on: June 27, 2008, 04:40:16 AM
Horowitz for Rach 3.  there is no comparison.
unless of course you don't like Horowitz, then there's everyone else ;)
Never look at the trombones. You'll only encourage them.
Richard Strauss

Offline dnephi

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #7 on: June 27, 2008, 05:54:06 PM
I like Weissenberg, Goerner, and some others, but really, Horowitz owned this piece.
For us musicians, the music of Beethoven is the pillar of fire and cloud of mist which guided the Israelites through the desert.  (Roughly quoted, Franz Liszt.)

Offline franzliszt2

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #8 on: June 27, 2008, 07:11:30 PM
I really like Leif Ove Andsnes for Rach 2. I also like his Rach1.

For Rach 3 I like Leif Ove again, Berezovsky, Horowitz, Hough.

Rach 4 Michelangeli

I like Rachmaninoffs playing for all of them.

Offline richard black

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #9 on: June 28, 2008, 04:29:50 PM
When people say 'Horowitz for number 3', bear in mind that there are rather a lot of recordings of him in that piece, not all of them currently available. You'd have to consult some serious record-collecting nutters to get the low-down. On the whole you can't go wrong with his playing on any I've heard, but some of the CDs are pretty shoddy technically - live recordings badly remastered.
Instrumentalists are all wannabe singers. Discuss.

Offline lau

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #10 on: June 29, 2008, 05:53:56 AM
nobody likes rach 3 by volodos? which is my favorite.

 horowitz was the one who played when i first heard the concerto and i thought it was great, but now going back to it, it just seems so not that good. Sometimes i just don't get what is good about horowitz, it seems like a lot of his playing is messy, and notes flop out of nowhere a lot. This is not just in rach 3.
perhaps this is intentional, but i find it crusty.
i'm not asian

Offline tds

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #11 on: July 07, 2008, 11:31:09 AM
horowitz was the one who played when i first heard the concerto and i thought it was great, but now going back to it, it just seems so not that good. Sometimes i just don't get what is good about horowitz, it seems like a lot of his playing is messy, and notes flop out of nowhere a lot.

i hear u, lau. but do you ever wonder why rachmaninoff himself liked horowitz' playing so much?


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Offline thalberg

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #12 on: July 07, 2008, 01:17:30 PM
 Helene Grimaud has a very interesting Rach 2 recording.  I'm don't think it's the best, partially because I don't like the sound of the piano in the recording, but it's really interesting and worth hearing.  I like it.  (The piano is a Yamaha...so sad.)

Offline goldentone

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #13 on: July 08, 2008, 07:08:19 AM
For sheer excitement and intensity, Argerich for the third.
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come

Offline tds

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #14 on: July 08, 2008, 08:53:59 AM
For sheer excitement and intensity, Argerich for the third.

yeah but i wonder if its worth listening if she had no adrenaline
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Offline tompilk

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #15 on: July 08, 2008, 02:25:28 PM
yeah but i wonder if its worth listening if she had no adrenaline
i think in these particular concertos, i can't imagine any performance being worth listening to without adrenaline. These are fiery, adrenalin-filled pieces for adrenalin-filled performers!
Working on: Schubert - Piano Sonata D.664, Ravel - Sonatine, Ginastera - Danzas Argentinas

Offline tds

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #16 on: July 08, 2008, 02:47:39 PM
i think in these particular concertos, i can't imagine any performance being worth listening to without adrenaline. These are fiery, adrenalin-filled pieces for adrenalin-filled performers!

yup, tho we hear total musicianship, on top of much needed fire and adrenaline, when we listen to rachmaninoff record of his own pc no. 3. something is terribly missing in argerich rendition of it, i find. but then again it's only my view. what is it worth? hah!
dignity, love and joy.

Offline Petter

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #17 on: July 08, 2008, 04:12:42 PM
The Argerich take is the only one version I´ve heard so I´m biased, but I like it.
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Offline tds

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #18 on: July 08, 2008, 04:29:52 PM
argerich used to be one of my top favourite pianists. maybe she still is. but years ago tho, i thought anything argerich cant go wrong. but now certainly i do not think so anymore.
dignity, love and joy.

Offline richard black

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #19 on: September 04, 2008, 09:09:38 PM
OK, since this thread has been revived, a suggestion I was reminded of the other night: Moiseiwitsch is just wonderful in Rachmaninov - any Rachmaninov! I've got his recordings of concertos 1, 2 and Pag Rhap. Fabulous sound he always made.
Instrumentalists are all wannabe singers. Discuss.

Offline thijsu

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #20 on: September 04, 2008, 09:44:41 PM
I've seen the Rach 2 live in the concert hall of Amsterdam from Leif Ove Andsnes, he played it really brilliant. So he's my favorite for that one.
For the Rach 3 I'd have to go for Horowitz, and this recording in particular: https://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=5s_Oo7HcQKw&eurl

Offline communist

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #21 on: September 08, 2008, 11:15:02 PM
1.no preference

2.Rachmaninoff

3.Feltsman

4.Oroczo

Paganini. Pletnev
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Offline justinjalandoni

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #22 on: January 11, 2009, 04:37:33 AM
How about Vladimir Ashkenazy for Piano COncerto No. 3?

Offline aslanov

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #23 on: January 11, 2009, 05:20:56 AM
i never really got into the 1st or 4th, but
for the second: berezovsky, hough
for the third: bolet, ashkenazy

Offline imbetter

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Re: Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Reply #24 on: January 11, 2009, 12:52:12 PM
1-richter
2-volodos
3-feltsman (EASILY the best but for some reason nobody knows of this recording)
4-rachmaninoff
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini-feltsman
"My advice to young musicians: Quit music! There is no choice. It has to be a calling, and even if it is and you think there's a choice, there is no choice"-Vladimir Feltsman
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