Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic
Conductor: James Levine
Composer: Sergey Rachmaninov
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: FLAC (image+cue)
Label: Sony
Size: 228 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
# Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30
Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
# Sonata for cello and piano in G minor, Op. 19 Andante
Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
# Morceaux de fantaisie (5), for piano, Op. 3 No. 5: Sérénade in B flat minor
Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
with Arcadi Volodos
# Morceaux de salon, for piano, Op. 10 No. 6: Romance in F minor
Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
with Arcadi Volodos
# Prelude for piano No.17 in F minor, Op. 32/6
Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
with Arcadi Volodos
# Work(s)
Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
# Etudes-Tableaux, for piano, Op. 33 Étude-Tableaux in C sharp minor, Op. 33/6(9)
Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
01. Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30: 1. Allegro ma non tanto
02. Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30: 2. Intermezzo. Adagio
03. Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30: 3. Finale. Alla breve
04. Sonata for cello & piano in G minor, Op. 19: Andante
05. Morceaux de fantaisie (5), for piano, Op. 3: No. 5: Sérénade in B flat minor
06. Morceaux de salon, for piano, Op. 10: No. 6: Romance in F minor
07. Prelude for piano No.17 in F minor, Op. 32/6
08. Pieces (3) for piano, TN ii/19: Prelude in D minor, Op. post
09. Etudes-Tableaux, for piano, Op. 33: Étude-Tableaux in C sharp minor, Op. 33/6
“totally satisfying.”….”.transcendental!”
When Rachmaninoff premiered his Third Concerto, it was generally assumed that few others would play it. But along came Horowitz who virtually made it his theme song. Today, there are some 120 available recordings of this work, confirming that every conservatory prodigy now includes it in his repertoire. I have searched decades for a performance that I consider totally satisfactory and own performances by Horowitz (3), Rachmaninoff, Gieseking, Weissenberg, Argerich, Anievas, Ashkenasy, Lugansky, Gutierrez, Hough, Wild, and Cliburn, but not until I auditioned the Volodos/Levine/Berlin Philharmonic performance did I finally end my search. For me, this is a totally satisfying performance. It recalls the performances of the great Dinu Lipatti in which one hears no technique, but only music. The tone is lyrical, the interpretation poetic, the conception grand, the technique flawless, the tempi perfect, the piano/orchestra balance superb, and the ensemble flawless. The only word that adequately describes this performance is “transcendental.” Levine’s collaboration is as sensitive as his best Metropolitan Opera performances and the playing of the Berlin Philharmonic is incomparable. As if the Concerto isn’t enough, there are six shorter Rachmaninoff pieces included to fill out the disk, my favorite of which is the Volodos transcription of the Andante from the Rachmaninoff Cello Sonata in G. Volodos plays these works with a beauty and musical comprehension that elevate them beyond the human, to the sublime. You won’t be disappointed with this disk which sells at a bargain price.
Eugene Thamon Simpson
Sicklerville, New Jersey
Thanks
Thank You!!!