Rachmaninov: Cello Works [Import]

On this CD:

1. Pieces (2), for cello & piano, Op. 2
Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
Performed by Bengt-Ake Lundin, Petja Svensson

2. Pieces (2), for cello & piano, Op. 2
Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
Performed by Bengt-Ake Lundin, Petja Svensson

3. Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor, Op. 19
Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
Performed by Bengt-Ake Lundin, Petja Svensson

4. The dream, song for voice & piano, Op. 8/5
Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
Performed by Bengt-Ake Lundin, Petja Svensson

5. How long, my friend, song for voice & piano, Op. 4/6
Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
Performed by Bengt-Ake Lundin, Petja Svensson

6. Vocalise, song for voice & piano, Op. 34/14
Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
Performed by Bengt-Ake Lundin, Petja Svensson

Tracks:

Vocalise
Song Of Grusia
The Swan
Pantomime
Hebrew Melody
Romance
Berceuse
Piece en forme de Habanera
Berceuse
Valse sentimentale
Serenade melancolique
Chant du menestrel

Customer Reviews:

Elegance and precision.......2007-06-30

The theramin is, without question, the most difficult instrument in the world to play. Consider: since its invention in 1928 and commercial release in the early 1930s, only one musician - Clara Rockmore - has been able to produce any real music on it. Her performances are spellbinding and, if one sometimes years for, say, a whole sonata or something more substantial than encore pieces, think of how difficult it is to play ANYTHING on this instrument and be glad that we at least have this much.

A one-of-a-kind disc of a one-of-a-kind performer. If you like the samples you can hear on this site. by all means buy it.

Did not buy this item.......2007-05-03

Don't know why this is here as I never purchased this item.

Mysterious, magical, and a little bit maudlin.......2007-03-08

I recently went through a theremin phase after seeing the documetary "Theremin: An Electronic Oddysey" which featured Clara Rockmore prominently. That led me to buy this recording, which seems to be the traditional standard of classical theremin artistry. The story around the instrument is even more bizzare than the music it makes: spooky Cold-War intrigue, sudden disappearances in New York and the USSR, spy gadgets, dead men found alive, old friends reuniting after decades of separation and obscurity... it all fits the eerie ethos of the music. So to really "get" the instrument, you need to know the story behind it. That's the maudlin part.

While the rest of my family violently disagrees, this is indeed lovely music. A careful listening to Mrs. Rockmore's technique reveals, I think, that she's fascinatingly far beyond waving her hands up and down in front of antennas. She makes glissandos and runs happen with discrete pitches in a way that is hard for me to picture on an instrument that can generate any pitch, and every pitch in between. She developed a way to "finger" an instrument you don't touch. That's why it's magical.

A note on the recording: the timbre of the theremin seems to land in a resonant frequency range on most systems/speakers on which I have listened to this recording, leading to the solo instrument badly overbalancing the piano accompaniment.

PS: I have given on someday owning a theremin. Phase over.

Hypnotically Beautiful.......2007-02-28

Classical music, and specifically Theremin music, is not normally my favored listening. But I took a chance on this disc and am very glad I did. Clara Rockmore's mastery of her instrument is astonishing. The music is tastefully chosen and very beautiful. She often mimics violin or human voice in her phrasing, but subtly gives the theremin its own voice and proves its suitability for classical.

I knocked a star off for the lack of arrangement-diversity, but I have to admit that I usually listen to this disc from start to end. Its lyrical qualities are very transfixing and hypnotic. A welcome diversification to my music collection!

THE ART OF THE THEREMIN.......2007-02-24

I HAVE HAD THIS CD FOR YEARS AND HAVE NEVER GOTTEN TIRED OF HEARING IT, ALTHOUGH YOU HAVE TO BE IN THE RIGHT MOOD TO REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU ARE HEARING. THIS IS THE PREEMINENT THERMEIN RECORDING, BY THE PREEMINENT THEREMIN PERFORMER, CLARA ROCKMORE. HAUNTING, STRANGE, HYPNOTIC, YET MELODICAL, THE THERMEIN IS A VERY DIFFICULT INSTRUMENT TO PLAY, AND CLARA ROCKMORE WAS THE ONLY PERSON TO EVER REALLY "MASTER" IT. IF YOU WANT TO HEAR THEREMIN MUSIC, I GUESS THIS IS THE ONE CD YOU NEED TO GET.

Average customer rating:

badly remastered
Rachmaninov is the master
A Master of Musical Love
Classic Historic Rachmaninoff.

Rachmaninov: His Complete Recordings

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bach: The Landowska Recordings
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Rachmaninoff: Life, Works, Recordings
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Grieg: Complete Solo Piano Music

ASIN: B000A2AD2S
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Customer Reviews:

badly remastered.......2007-06-25

"The Complete Rachmaninoff', at 2-3 times the price is a better deal. This version is re-mastered in a way that reduces surface noise, but, at the same time, removes much of the pianists' tone quality that comes through so well on the original LP release, as well as the more expensive set. Also, this album is lacking the documentation of recording dates that the LP and 'The Complete Rachmaninoff' provide. For the neophyte, the re-mastering reduces the magic of Rachmaninoff's tone. I would expect the connoisseur to be even more disappointed. There are bargains out there, but for this album, you get what you pay for.

Rachmaninov is the master.......2007-05-15

Some people like the recordings and some dont, but as a fan of Rachmaninov it would be a shame not to own these recordings. To hear a master composer from history play his own works is not that common. Just put the cd in your player put your headphones on and watch the black and white images appear in your mind as though you were at a concert in the 1930's looking on at the man sitting at the piano carefully but with feeling pounding each note into the air of time. If you don't like the scratchy recordings then obviously you are a spoiled brat who doesnt appreciate fine art.

A Master of Musical Love.......2007-01-18

There have been other brilliant composers and genius pianists as Rachmaninoff lived and afterwards. Yet, in my opinion, he is the real central figure of his days and, as far as I can feel, what there is of most modern up to now in classical music. I do not think it exaggerated to say that, after all these decades, someone is still to pick up the torch from his hands at that level of inspiration, just as he picked it up from Tchaikovsky. It is true that a few of his compositions seem quirky and cerebral: but more than a few are the masterpieces. His second Concerto is the concert of the century. And where do we find, for instance, a match for his etude tableau 39/5 in one hundred years? Or a simply revolutionary piece as his prelude 32/12 is?

One could go on with a list of marvelous compositions either created or played by him and many reviewers already pointed so much of great in his recordings. So a good thing to do here is what a previous reviewer also did: to say something special about one favorite piece of the box-set. My forerunner pointed to Rach's rendering of Haendel's "Harmonious Blacksmith" and I agree with each word he wrote about it. Now I should like to declare my amazement about his version of "Leise flehen", initially a Swansong written by Schubert and later transcribed by Liszt.

Hopefully Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and other singers will not mind my saying this, but Rachmaninoff unveils and exposes such a treasure in this song that now its original lyrics only seem to obstruct the inestimable wealth in piano notes below them at all other known recordings: the piece is infinitely more beautiful when left to the pianist alone. Rach's playing is warm and generous, just like Schubert's creative Geist, and the result is light-years ahead of the usual rough, squared, catacomb mood with which people bring the composition along with singers.

Impossible not to love, but there is more to that. After listening so many times to this piece that never ceases to stun me, I came to conclude that in fact very few people could manage to play the `leise flehen' like this, even among good pianists. As expressed here, its notes speak to their listener in such frank, open, and direct way - like a true friend making an important confession - that only a man with Rachmaninoff's `heart of gold' could manage to convey its meaning.

Ahhh, maybe we're talking about technique... To have a most noble heart, then, is THE decisive technical prerequisite for communicating these notes, otherwise they will simply not come out at all.

Notes: Here are a few opinions about the pieces mentioned above; hopefully they will be helpful for persons who don't know Rachmaninoff's works and stimulating for those who already know them. 1) As far as I am aware, besides Rachmaninoff only Valentina Lisitsa recorded the Leise flehen in a solo version. It can be found in her 2005 DVD with the Swan Songs program. 2) The etude tableaux 39/5 is not in this box set; many performers have played it, but none as Van Cliburn, who simply operates a miracle in the CD "My Favorite Rachmaninoff". His playing and the vertigo sensation it leaves behind are so powerful that I am sometimes afraid to listen to him. 3) Horowitz, the wizard, masters the prelude 32/12 in his CD "Horowitz Plays Scriabin" and in his legendary 1986 Moscow recital; the prelude is also in Rach's box-set. 4) About the second concerto, there are so many recordings, most of which I have not heard; my favorite performer is Benno Moiseiwitsch, a sublime piano poet much admired by Rachmaninoff himself. None of the recordings I've heard of the concerto, including the two available by its own composer, reach the climax of its third movement as Moiseiwitsch does in a 1944 movie called "Battle for Music". It is only a short excerpt from one of his wartime presentations with the LSO, but long enough to show how it sounds when perfectly done. The excerpt is also in the movie "The Art of Piano", in which the entire footage involving Rachmaninoff and Moiseiwitsch is simply a gem (however much historically unprecise).

Classic Historic Rachmaninoff........2006-01-14

If you're a tad bit confused between this boxed set and "The Complete Recordings" boxed set from 1992, fear not. Both this and "The Complete Recordings" are exactly the same. The only difference is in the cover art and packaging. Also, the price of this recent reissue is half as much as the original edition. If you have the original edition, there's no need to buy it again. If you don't own this already, then this present edition is the one to get mainly because of its reduced price tag.
With this out of the way, onto the music itself:
The Rachmaninoff Complete recordings collection includes everything the great Russian composer/pianist recorded between the years 1919 and 1941. Besides recording historic versions of his own classic Piano Concertos, his "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paginini" as well as conducting his own Third Symphony and Isle of the Dead, Rachmaninoff also recorded arrangements of works by such great composers ranging from Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert to most importantly, Chopin. These recordings are also included in this mammoth set alongside more obscure works by Mussorgsky, Daquin, Henselt and Dohnanyi.
The sound quality varies throughout the set ranging from highly listenable to sounding as if it were transferred by placing a microphone directly into the horn of an old grammophone. Despite the variants of sound quality, one cannot deny that this music as well as these recordings are important and historic.
The CD booklet gives a brief insight to Rachmaninoff's history as a recording artist as well as a breakdown of the tracks themselves. The only major flaw with this present edition is the fact that there are no recording dates listed anywhere in the liner notes. Considering that these are historic recordings dating from the very birth of the recording age, it would've definitely been helpful to be able to identify the year in which each work included here was recorded. Considering that I do not own the original edition of this set, there's a good chance that the first edition included the dates of the recordings. Not so here though. This is the reason why this reviewer docked this set one star.
Apart from this, this present edition or Rachmaninoff's complete recordings is a must for the die-hard Rachmaninoff fan. You get to hear the genius at work not only with his own material but with works by others as well. There are also a few note worthy collaborations such as a full disc of duets with legendary violinist Fritz Kreisler, an appearance by mezzo soprano Naddejda Plevitskaya on the arrangement of the traditional tune "Powder and Paint" and a fabulous four-hand piano rendition of Rachmaninoff's own "Italian Polka" with his daughter Natalie as second pianist (which actually sounds like a homemade wax-cylinder recording).
With this said, if you can get around guessing when these recordings were made, this is some great and historic music from one of the very best composer/musicians of our time - the one and only, the great Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3/ Solo Piano Works

Average customer rating:

Digital Rachmaninoff
Stunning performance, and excellent sound!!
Beautiful
One of the best recordings to date!
Quite Simply The Best Rach 3rd Out There Today

Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3/ Solo Piano Works
Arcadi Volodos , and James Levine
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Volodos Plays Liszt

ASIN: B00004YC2F
Release Date: 2000-09-26

Tracks:

Con No.3 in d, Op.30: I. Allegro Ma Non Tanto
Con No.3 in d, Op.30: II. Intermezzo. Adagio
Con No.3 in d, Op.30: III. Finale. Alla Breve
Son, Op.10: Andante
Morceaux De Fant, Op.3 No.5: Ser in B flat
Morceaux De Salon, Op.10 No.6: Romance in f
13 Prlds, Op.32 No.6: Prld in f
Prld in d, Op. Post.
Etude-Tableaux in c#, Op.33 No.6

Amazon.com

Volodos is the real thing, a flamboyant virtuoso with a great sense of style, tonal variety, and the kind of dexterity that draws attention to itself without taking your mind off the music. Rachmaninoff's Third is perfect repertoire for him, and he delivers an astonishing performance that combines fluency with weight. For those who found Argerich's Rachmaninoff 3 too brilliant, this performance will be deeply satisfying, the best of its kind since Weissenberg-Pretre of three decades ago. The alert, purposeful playing of the Berlin Philharmonic under James Levine adds greatly to the total impression. The recording and performance invite such concentration that you'll be startled to hear applause at the end. The solo pieces, including a transcription by Volodos of a movement from the Cello Sonata, are also beautifully played. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Digital Rachmaninoff.......2006-01-28

Sergei Rachmaninoff's compositions are often lumped in with other Russian nationalist composers, like Rimsky-Korsakov who wanted to raise the state of Russian music by incorporating modes and folk-elements of their native land into the mainstream. With Rachmaninoff, you get the feeling his music is Russian, but without selling out; he avoided in most cases, overtly inserting folk-sounds, but instead, composed classical music which was greatly influenced by his environment and surroundings.

The opening of his Piano Concerto No. 3 in d minor, is a fine example of that. A simple unison melody for piano, with simple orchestral accompaniment seems delicate, classically balanced, and tuneful, but the integrity of the melancholy nature seems to listeners as Russian. The theme returns three times, each time as charming and fondly remembered as the first. A more positive secondary melody speaks of love and yearning, evoking Rachmaninoff's highly Romantic compositional style. After the second reprise is a passionate piano cadenza (Volodos choose the longer one), bringing the moods of both motives. The d minor opening movement has a feel of forward movement without being rushed, and the lush Romantic orchestration is colorful and dramatic. The second movement has a potpourri of emotions, including a few reoccurring important ideas. The opening pastoral string section continues the mood of the opening movement, but when the piano enters, it becomes a peaceful pastoral scene. In contrast, a great sweeping theme of passionate emotion, in an almost exotic mode, takes over from time to time, again, rooting the listener in a Russian composition. A brash conclusion links the second movement to the third with a whirlwind scalular passage for orchestra and piano. The final movement begins with a forceful idea, again in the minor, which modulates around creating an interesting kaleidoscope of colors, much like the opening. A whimsical scherzo, along with a reprise of the opening movement's "love" theme gives the final movement an emotional pastiche feel. The work ends in an upbeat key, with broad Romanticism and stunning virtuosic athleticism. The final movement is a work-out for both orchestra and pianist.

This recording features James Levine and the Berlin Philharmonic. Levine, the conductor of the Metropolitan Orchestra, has a natural timing for drama, and it aids this performance of a highly dramatic, Romantic work. The Berlin Philharmonic is full-bodied and accompanies well (the piano rarely takes a break); although, I feel the orchestra could be more present, especially in the opening movement and parts of the third, where the orchestra is sometimes obscured by the piano. Levine also keeps the music moving forward, never langoring in over-Romanticization, a plus for this performance (leaves the listener wanting more). The engineers know who the star of the concerto is; Arcadi Volodos gives an extroverted performance of the concerto and is placed forward in the recording. He is delicate and sensitive at need, but really shines in the virtuosic arena. Minus the slight balance issue, this is a stupendous performance, if not the finest, at 40 minutes.

An extra 20 minutes of Rachmaninoff's solo piano repertoire is added to the concerto. The etude tableaux in c-sharp minor, no. 6(9), preludes in d minor and f minor, romance in f minor, serenade in b-flat minor, and Volodos' transcription from a cello sonata is included. Showcasing sensitivity, as well as athletic virtuosity, the pieces fill out the CD nicely. Interpretively, this CD can stand with most, sonically, it outdoes most. If you are looking for just the 3rd concerto only, this is an easy recommendation of a digital recording. Many labels, however, put out combinations of concertos, which might appeal to a larger consumer base. This CD is an excellent performance, an easy buy.

Stunning performance, and excellent sound!!.......2005-07-05

Volodos is an aspiring star at the piano, and he has showed us his technical and musical abilities several times. This recording of Rach 3 is to be remember as one of the great! I am not saying it is the best, because that for me can change day by day. I have my top 3 and that is enough!
The performance is excellent both from pianist, orchestra and sound technicians! The sound is overwhelming on a good surround system!
The enterpretation is strong and majestic and has all the elements you demand plus somewhat more. The octaves on the end of the 3. mvmt could have been much faster. We know Arcadi by now, and is there something he has no problems handling it is octaves.
If you like Rach 3, this shoukd be in your shelf!

Beautiful .......2004-09-16

This is a beautiful performance of the Rachmaninoff Third, well thought out, finely crafted, lovingly realized. I had not heard the young Russian pianist Volodos before, and I put on this CD with some trepidation, thinking, "Oh boy, here goes another young firebrand virtuoso, trying to out-Horowitz Horowitz, out to razzle-dazzle us into submission with his virtuosity." But that's not what we get here at all. Volodos plays with admirable taste, restraint, and lyricism, with poetry and sensitivity, phrases beautifully and plays with handsome, singing tone (he never pounds or bangs). He has technique to burn and his fingers fly as fleetly as anyone's, but his virtuosity is everywhere at the service of the music (not the other way around, as was so often the case with Horowitz). (My only quibble, and it is a minor one, is that he sometimes uses more pedal than I would like.) His goal is to offer the most beautiful performance possible of the concerto, to perform the music to the music's utmost advantage, and not to show off his own big technique. He plays with remarkable maturity for so young a pianist (he was 27 when the recording was made). Clearly a young man to watch.

For their part Levine and the Berlin Philharmonic provide warm, finely gauged, fully sympathetic support--support really isn't the right word here, for a work that has been aptly described as a "piano symphony." The live performance (from the Berlin Philharmonie, June 1999) is captured in fine sound, with the balances well judged: the piano is not unduly prominent, but is well integrated into the fabric of the orchestra. You are unaware there is an audience until the well-deserved spontaneous ovation erupts at the end. A lovely performance. If it never achieves, for example, quite the heroic liftoff of the famous Cliburn/Kondrashin 1958 live performance in Carnegie Hall, it has compensating beauties of its own (including better sound). Those who view this concerto as a vehicle for fire-breathing virtuoso display are advised to look elsewhere.

The CD is filled out (total timing 61:02) with six short Rachmaninoff pieces, studio recordings (made in Berlin in Jan. 2000). These pieces are pleasant without being of any great substance. I found Volodos's own transcription of an andante movement from a cello/piano sonata the most attractive of the lot. Again, Volodos's singing tone and warmly affectionate playing emphasize lyricism more than fire (and again, he sometimes plays with more pedal than I like). Strongly recommended.

One of the best recordings to date!.......2004-01-19

I consider the Rach Third Piano Concerto to be my favorite romantic concerto. I have heard many recordings of this piece, including the Horowitz version with Philiadelphia Orch, and the video with Zubin Mehta. Volodos's command of the piece is Astonishing to say the least. I feel Volodos pulls off every facet needed to play this great piece. He has the virtoustic power of Horowitz and the needed sensitivity to bring out the concerto's darker and more expressive sides.
All in all a truely fantastic recording worthy of all praise.

Quite Simply The Best Rach 3rd Out There Today.......2003-12-15

I am frankly, flabbergasted as to the negative criticisms of this recording! It is simply, sonically AND artistically the best performance of this concerto on the market today. It's better than the Weissenberg/Pretre version. It's better than Argerich! Yes, it's even better than Horowitz himself! It's simply astonishing. I have over 50 recordings of this piece and this one surpasses them all. I have recently listened to every one of the recordings I have, and none even come close. The sound is fantastic. The playing sublime.

Volodos plays the entire work without any cuts for starters unlike the Horowitz, Janis, Wild, Watts and Rachmaninoff, himself, versions and connects the whole thing together structurally tight as a drum. Volodos plays the heavier cadenza in the first movement, and quite simply, gives the most stunning performance of it I've ever heard. The only person who comes close is Cliburn's legendary 1959 recording, but the sound isn't as good, obviously, and Cliburn doesn't have Volodos' sense of spine-tingling drama and excitement (though, I'd have to say Cliburn's rendition is not far behind).

Volodos' playing of the 2nd movement is beautiful beyond compare. He takes the 3rd movement at a breakneck speed and one can hear just about every note, unlike many performances (Argerich's for one) where half the notes on the piano aren't even audible. Argerich's performance, while fantastic, is simply not as well thought out, technically as perfect, nor as carefully prepared as Volodos'.

Levine and the Berlin Philharmonic are excellent and the sound quality is the best I've ever heard on a live recording. I would be interested to know how much touch-up work was done on it if any. The piano can be heard properly at all times unlike many newer Rach 3rds that try to "integrate" the orchestral and piano parts so it sounds like a symphony, which it is NOT. IT'S A PIANO CONCERTO and the piano needs to be heard almost all the time as the most prominent player; and this recording fills the bill most expertly.

Tracks:

Son in g, Op.19: Lento - Allegro Moderato
Son in g, Op.19: Allegro Scherzando
Son in g, Op.19: Andate
Son in g, Op.19: Allegro Mosso
Romance in F, Op.4, No.3 Lento
Lied (Romance) in f: Andantino
Melodie in D: Moderato
Prld in F, Op.2, No.1: Comodo
Vocalise in e, Op.34, No.14: Lentamente - Molto Cantabile
Danse Orientale in A, Op.2, No.2: Andante Cantabile

Customer Reviews:

Music to Close Your Eyes to, Dream, and Float Away.......2005-12-04

This beautifully performed CD is filled with Rachmaninov's hauntingly beautiful melodies, including one of the most famous in the classical repertoire, "Vocalise," peformed with warmth and sensitivity by two highly talented musicians.

The CD is so reasonably priced that it would be worthwhile to purchase it even if the only selection on it were the 34 minute "Sonata in G minor," one of the most beautiful sonatas ever composed for cello and piano, with its enrapturing Andante third section. I geatly enjoyed every selection on this CD, especially the final selection, Danse Orientale, composed in 1892, when Rachmaninov was only 19 years old. This last selection has a timeless quality and an ethereal hypnotic beauty and intensity that I found very moving.

In addition to the outstanding music on this CD, the insert has two different essays that are both well-written and informative, one in English and a second essay in French, with the second essay providing background information about the musical influences and historical circumstances behind the compositions that is not in the English essay. There is also biographical information on both of these highly talented musicians.

Breathtaking; quintessentially Russian and romantic.......2004-06-26

Russian composers from the late 19th and early 20th centuries have always been some of my favorites. Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, and Prokofiev all wrote music with a similar sort of fiery, overwhelming, and tragic passion. These pieces for cello and piano are quintessential works of this genre; the cello is an instrument particularly suited to this type of music. The musicians, Janet Guggenheim and Michael Grebanier, use near-perfect technical ability to supplement sensitive interpretations of the pieces. I highly recommend the G minor sonata.

Brilliant.......2003-04-23

The CD is priceless, considering its wonderfully low price. The sonata alone is worth buying the disc for, though the other pieces are also first-rate.

This is a good CD.......2000-02-29

I liked this recording. The sound is clear and brilliant. The interpreters are ok, and ¿what can I say about the music? It's Rachmaninov! The sonata is full of passion and the price makes this CD a real to consider!

Average customer rating:

Kaleidoscope: Piano Encores

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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Cherkassky Plays Rameau, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Scriabin, Tchaikovsky, Liszt
Shura Cherkassky, Piano

ASIN: B000FIHMG2
Release Date: 2006-05-08

Tracks:

Wein, Weib Und Gesang
The Swan (Carnival Of The Animals)
Tambourin
Waltz-Poem Iv For Left Hand Alone
Moment Musical In F Minor, D. 870 No. 3
Tango, Op. 165 No. 2
Alt. Wien
Kaleidoscope, Op. 40 No. 4
Melody In F, Op. 3 No. 1
Nocturne In C Sharp Minor, Op. 19 No. 4
Waltz In D, Op. 42 No. 3
Autrefois, Op. 87
Capriccio Espagnole, Op. 37
Prelude In D Major, Op. 11 No. 5
Polka De W.R. (After Behr: Lachtauben)
Nocturne No. 15 In F Minor, Op 55 No. 1
Ballade No. 3 In A Flat, Op. 47

Average customer rating:

An excellent performance of rare Rachmaninov pieces

Rachmaninov: Works For Cello And Piano

Manufacturer: Black Box Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00004U2KT
Release Date: 2000-10-10

Tracks:

Prelude Op.2, No.1
Danse Orientale Op.2, No.2
Melodie On A Theme
Vocalise Op.34, No.14
Lied
Lento
Allegro Scherzando
Andante
Allegro Mosso
Let Me Rest Here Alone Op.26, No.9
How Fair Is Theis Place Op.21, No.7
Spring Waters Op.14, No.11

Customer Reviews:

An excellent performance of rare Rachmaninov pieces.......2004-03-31

This is the finest treatment of Rachmaninov's intricate, complex, and well-structured Sonata for Cello and Piano (Op. 19) I've yet heard, and the CD contains many other cello/piano arrangments of Rachmaninov songs that you won't find elsewhere. The challenges inherent in such recordings are numerous: finding a skilled cellist and pianist who can master the material in a cooperative fashion without competing with each other; achieving proper balance of the instruments and excellent audio quality (we've all heard the bad recordings); and a good selection of pieces. This CD excels in all these areas. Moray Welsh and Martion Roscoe are to be commended for their performances that capture so well the wistful, slightly melancholic nature of Rachmaninov's early pieces. Black Box is to be commended for making such a treasured recording available to us all. Absolutely beautiful.

Average customer rating:

Music for Lovers

Manufacturer: Compendia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00000JR0Q
Release Date: 1999-08-10

Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff: Solo Works and Transcriptions

Average customer rating:

three rooms away sound

Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff: Solo Works and Transcriptions

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mendelssohn: Piano Trios Op. 49 & Op. 66

ASIN: B00000E6ET
Release Date: 1989-10-19

Customer Reviews:

three rooms away sound.......2005-06-10

sharing lunch with my mother, the CD is playing three rooms away on my computer.
her commentaires lays on "how precise is the sound from that CD" side of things... i smile and i explain her that actually the CD is a remastering of an old analogic recording, so the sound quality has no reason to be brilliant (though excellent considering when it has been recorded).... moreover, my computer loudpseakers are really bad quality, so that adds up... she looks a bit embarassed and i try to find a way out for her and for me too, because actually what i'm listening is really something great.
so that's it... it's Rachmaninoff himself playing... if you know what you're doing and meaning, it will go through no matter what.

always ask for people who know what they're doing deep inside themselves... colors are different, and things just flow.
i recall reading Physics books from Landau, Von Neumann, Heisenberg.... compared to the mushy physics explained on most reference textbooks, "their" Physics is really tackling things on the core side.

enjoy this recording

Average customer rating:

Cello & Orgel

Manufacturer: Nosag Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000EOTVSO
Release Date: 2006-03-28

Average customer rating:

Everything He's Billed Up To Be: Simply Fantastic!
A matter of taste
* * 1/2, Eh, why all the fuss?
Very Impressive
Different performers, different interpretations

Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3/ Solo Piano Works

Manufacturer: Sony
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Binding: Audio CD

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Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1: Rachmaninoff: Solo Piano Works [Hybrid SACD]
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Volodos Plays Liszt

ASIN: B00004YC2K
Release Date: 2000-10-10

Customer Reviews:

Everything He's Billed Up To Be: Simply Fantastic!.......2005-04-21

I'm a bit surprised to have read comments from a few reviewers who accurately laud young Maestro Volodos's fantastic technique, and then go on to denigrate his piano mastery simply because Volodos doesn't play like Gilels (thank goodness for that!) or anyone else. Yes, Volodos is his own man. Comparisons to Horowitz are most apt. And yes, he is not as volcanic as Horowitz; this however does not diminish Volodos's equally wonderful performance of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concierto No. 3. If a little less volcanic, Volodos's interpretation is perhaps quite a bit more romantic, and perhaps a bit more virtuosic than Horowitz's (but yes, with modern editing wonders, one never knows how the chap really sounds. "Live" can still be "edited!"). But let me once again address negative reviewers by adding that it is NOT a crime for a masterful pianist to sound "Romantic" when he is indeed playing Romantic repertoire. Is one's appreciation or depreciation of young Maestro Volodos's pianoship a question of taste? Perhaps. But I am astounded by the "deaf ears" of listeners who should consider themselves fortunate to be listening to a truly great new young virtuoso. Comparisons to Gilels are not accurate. Volodos's musicianship is much grander and unlimited than Gilels (whose oft "typing-like" playing sounds, well, like typing). And though I admire and enjoy Kissin, Volodos's musicality and technical wizadry are much grander (not to diminish Kissin's noteworthy musical contributions!). To be sure, Volodos's name belongs alongside the truly great pianists of posterity: Josef Hoffman, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Vladimir Horowitz, William Kapell, Sviatoslav Richter, etc. (Let me add one caveat and agreement with critics of Volodos: I own all five of Volodos's CDs and must say that EACH is a masterpiece EXCEPT FOR Volodos's Tchiakovsky's Piano Concierto No. 1. Only in that recording did young Maestro Volodos fail to deliver. My guess is that Volodos's exclusive recording contract with SONY prompted him to "crank one out" much too prematurely. Such recording pressures has been the undoing of many great "should-have-been-great recordings." Of course, there is the possibility that young Maestro Volodos, however magnificent, can't play that particular Tchaikovsky Concierto. But if true, no matter! No ONE pianist has ever played EVERY SINGLE COMPOSER faultlessly. If Rachmaninoff himself couldn't play Chopin well, Volodos should be forgiven if has YET to master Tchaikovsky. But heck, he's still a kid, right? Give the chap time!) In the final analysis, to fault young Maestro Volodos's wonderful unique interpretation of Rachmaninoff's is beyond unfair. It's irresponsibly inept and unworthy of anyone but a sorely untalented dilettante. We should rejoice that we have amongst us now a pianist who can truly mature into a legendary pianist without technical or musical limitations! :)

A matter of taste.......2004-11-21

What makes a performance of Rachmaninov's third great? First, you need a pianist that can play the notes correctly and is still able to think. A lot of pianists are able. Second, the orchestra, conductor and pianist must share the same view on the piece and be a good match. Not too many recordings remain. Third, the sound of the recording nust be at least good. This disc offers all that. So why not 5 stars? Simply put, it's a question of taste. Timing, accents, dynamics; only you can be the judge. The only way to find out is listen for yourself. There's not a bad note on this disc. The multichannel sound fills the room nicely and is mixed reasonably good. To me, it lacks subtility. Changes in dynamics are too abrupt. Still my favorite version; the Pletnev recording with Rostropovich (Deutsche Gramophon). Finally, I'd like to mention that live recordings always give more than you asked for; arythmical coughing.

* * 1/2, Eh, why all the fuss?.......2004-09-29

It comes, as did Martha Argerich's CD, with a sticker on the front proclaiming this to be "one of the greatest Rachmaninoff 3rds of all time." (Martha's was billed as "The Ultimate Rachmaninoff 3rd," and it was stuck directly onto the plastic case, requiring me to soak it in warm water for hours to get the glue residue off.) Inside, a young Arcadi Volodos and an aging James Levine (with "white guy" 'fro) join forces. Like Argerich, this leaves a good bit to be desired, but it's largely for the opposite reason; it's too sedate, while hers was too coiled and manic.

This isn't a *bad* CD, but it's nothing special, and from all the raves and hype I'd set the bar really high. Volodos plays all the notes, but I don't get any special view into the music, and the whole performance is suffused with a bland "sameness." (Color? What color? You want to hear color, listen to Horowitz; that's color.) There's no sense we're moving towards a climax in any of the movements, a sense or architecture. A great interpretor, be he an actor, musician, comedian, knows where he is in his art at all times and is building towards the end from the first minute. I don't get this here; rather, I get someone playing the notes, one after another after another. And Volodos tries to be a bit overly-dramatic in some of the "big" moments that call for large-scale phrasing and arched phrases, yet the whole effort adds up to little real drama, little fire, little excitement. It's all too studied. It's as though he's tossing his hair all about, to little effect. People who think this CD is exciting need to hear more pianists, especially older ones, who had the real vocanic excitement these kids today lack, despite their sterling technique.

Even the big moment just before the finale's last climax, where the violins drum their bows against the strings as the piano makes ascending grunts, comes off flat. And the violins sound like a snare drum here! That leads me to another problem: the sound overall is fine if a bit overly upholstered, but the fortissimos are unnaturally loud, with cymbals and bass druim crashes that make you think all the mikes were placed in the orchestra's percussion section. It may show off impressive sound systems, but no concert experience is like this, nor can one be. Is this the classical equivalent of THX sound? No thanks. Despite all the banging and booming, the Berlin Philharmonic in general plays on autopilot. I don't hear any real chemistry between them and Levine, who often is very fine in works like this.

Unfortunately, the best Rach 3 I've ever heard comes in an expensive multi-disc set of Leonard Bernstein live recordings. It features Lazaar Berman with Lenny and the NYPO from, if memory serves, the late 50s. While the sound is not as impressive as today's DDD efforts, the playing builds, phrases have rhyme and reason and aren't just slooow hammy arpeggios and loud pedal notes. Horowitz/Reiner also has many great moments, though like a lot of Horowitz it can be uneven. Ashkenazy/Previn turned in a nice effort in the 1970s. And of course there's always Sergei's own wonderful, rather un-Romantic account, recording in 1940 with the Philadelphia Orchestra. As the great Gyorgy Sandor once said in an interview, Rachmaninoff recorded all his own concerti--fortunately; and pianists today rarely listen to these recordings--unfortunately. I'm not saying that Volli should *copy* Rachmaninoff, but I will say he could learn a few things about economy of expression, how to make a lot with a little, how you don't need to musically toss your hair back and forth to make a dramatic reading, that you should figure out what your one key moment is in each movement and save your hair for that. The other pieces on the CD are played adequately, but again, he doesn't seem to have anything to say with them; they could be by anyone giving his first recital. If Volodos is going to be The Next Great Thing, he's got to come across with more than this. For sheer excitement among the Pepsi generation, I'll keep listening to Pogorelich, thank you.

Very Impressive.......2002-12-09

Having been treated to many versions of the "Rach III" I can honestly say that this recording is by far the best "live" performance to date. Mr Volodos' mastery of this most technically difficult of the Rachmaninov concertos is clear.
I was more than pleased with the orchestral accompaniment as well and to be quite candid, had there not been the characteristic audience noises at the beginning, during and of course the enormous response at the conclusion of this performance I would have been convinced quite easily that it was a studio recording. My advice as an accomplished pianist myself is to buy this recording. It is a must have if you enjoy the romantics.

Different performers, different interpretations.......2002-03-25

Sometimes, we classical afficionados can be a rather snobbish bunch ... if an artist currently being hyped in the media performs a warhorse recording, we really love to trash him. That's possibly why a previous reviewer totally trashed this wonderful performance. It's totally undeserved -- and The New York Times, Gramophone and The Sunday Times would agree this is an intepretation to be reckoned with. I've got three different recordings of the Rachimonoff Third in my CD collection -- Horowitz and Ormandy in the late 70s, Kissin and Volodos. Each has his own take on the concerto, each gives a totally different performance and each is completely enjoyable. As a teen-ager, I remember seeing Horowitz and Ormandy live on NBC one Sunday afternoon -- it was that performance that played a big role in turning me into a classical records (later CD) collecting nut. Get the recording -- you'll enjoy it, and explore the rest of the repetoire for some really interesting takes on this composition.

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