01 Rhapsody Concerto I. Moderato

Sergei Rachmaninov - Paganini Rhapsody & Piano Concerto No.2
Yuja Wang, piano / Mahler Chamber Orchestra / Claudio Abbado
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 225 MB | Full Artwork: 83 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Deutsche Grammophon # 477 9308 GH | Country/Year: Germany 2011
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic, Piano

"…Wang's impeccable technique and tonal beauty certainly aid in pouring this old wine into a new bottle . . . the spins and gyrations become quite beguiling, while Abbado injects his own potent impetus into the mix. A disarming lovely set of Rachmaninov works, beautifully played and gorgeously recorded courtesy of engineer Stephan Flock." ~Audiophile Audition

It's a wonderful treat to find an album whose interest rests equally on its musical as well as historical merits. As such, the present two-disc sets of the complete Rachmaninoff concertos and Paganini Rhapsody cannot be beat. The three pianists heard here – Richter, Zak, and Oborin – represent the pinnacle of postwar Russian pianists. Richter is most likely the one still known to the majority of American listeners. But Zak (who was immensely influential not only as a performer but as a pedagogue) and Oborin (who was the first winner of the Chopin Competition) were recognized equally during their lifetimes. All three had a profound and obvious command of Rachmaninoff, and the performances heard here clearly demonstrate this fact.

In my own compositions, no conscious effort has been made to be original, or Romantic or Nationalistic, or anything else. I write down on paper the music I hear within me, as naturally as possible…

Bartok - Violin Concertos 1 & 2, Viola Concerto, etc. - Yehudi Menuhin (2003) {2CD Set EMI Classics rec 1965-1975}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 682 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 329 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 54 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1965-75, 2003 EMI Classics | 7243 5 85487 2 3
Classical / Early 20th Century / Concerto

Compiled from recordings dating from 1965 to 1974, this EMI/Gemini double-disc of Bartók's string concertos and other works features Yehudi Menuhin at the peak of his powers, with support from two important Bartók specialists and their sympathetic orchestras. Menuhin is admirably backed in all the concertos by Antal Dorati and the New Philharmonia Orchestra, and Pierre Boulez and the BBC Symphony Orchestra provide meticulous accompaniment in the two Rhapsodies. The resilient Viola Concerto and the splendid Violin Concerto No. 2 are essential listening, both for their masterful writing and for the vigorous performances Menuhin and Dorati deliver.

Sergei Rachmaninov - Piano concertos Nos 1-4, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Earl Wild / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Jascha Horenstein
EAC+LOG+CUE | 2xWV: 585 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Chandos # CHAN X10078(2) | Country/Year: UK 2003, 1966
Genre: Classical | Style: Early 20th Century

…Jascha Horenstein's incisive, colorful support is a major asset, and the Royal Philharmonic plays beautifully for him. If you don't mind the Third Concerto cuts (or already have Martha Argerich's landmark third), these classic performances only get better with age, and the sonics are still terrific. Go for it, piano fans

Lukáš Vondráček and Sergei Rachmaninov. Scarcely do we encounter a connection between a musician and a composer so close, strong and energising. When, at the age of 15, Vondráček was invited by Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Czech Philharmonic to perform Rachmaninov’s Concerto No. 1, he had garnered international acclaim at numerous concerts and competitions. Just a year later, the pianist toured the USA and appeared at Carnegie Hall. At the age of 29, he triumphed at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels (2016), performing Rachmaninov’s Concerto No. 3, conducted by Marin Alsop. Love at first listen, Rachmaninov has become his flagship composer: “Besides affording the opportunity to showcase one’s technique, his music impresses by being contrastive and having an immense dynamic range … What more could a person keen on tone colour wish? It’s sheer beauty!”

Wild is a 'larger than life' pianist, one who can spin out a lyrical line and use romantic gestures without ever sounding self-conscious. His balance of excitement and control, and, indeed, his gorgeous sound, are a constant marvel.