Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2; Paganini Rhapsody

Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2; Paganini Rhapsody

Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2; Paganini Rhapsody
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CD Details

Composer: Sergey Rachmaninov
Conductor: Valery Gergiev
Orchestra: Mariinsky (Kirov) Theater Orchestra
Performer: Lang Lang
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2005-02-08
Music Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Soundtracks:
  1. Moderato
  2. Adagio sostenuto
  3. Allegro scherzando
  4. Introduction
  5. Variation 1
  6. Theme
  7. Variation 2
  8. Variation 3
  9. Variation 4
  10. Variation 5
  11. Variation 6
  12. Variation 7
  13. Variation 8
  14. Variation 9
  15. Variation 10
  16. Variation 11
  17. Variation 12
  18. Variation 13
  19. Variation 14
  20. Variation 15
  21. Variation 16
  22. Variation 17
  23. Variation 18
  24. Variation 19
  25. Variation 20
  26. Variation 21
  27. Variation 22
  28. Variation 23
  29. Variation 24

Music reviews of Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2; Paganini Rhapsody

Music Review: Lackluster Rachmaninov from both Lang and Gergiev
Rating: 2 Stars

This is a most curious and frustrating disc, especially for Lang Lang and Gergiev fans. Lang Lang begins with the chords that begin Rach 2 with a very slow trudge - taking after Richter on his classic DGG recording? The orchestra is fine at their entrance, but things begin to unravel. So much episodic feeling to things give away the lie of any notion that this may have been an unedited live recording - before the past 25 years, always the meaning of the phrase 'live recording.' On first hearing, it even sounds as though Lang Lang is helping to keep things together. On rehearing it, Lang Lang's lack of any musically imaginative response to the music, as opposed to plugging in so many tired formulae, gets wearisome quickly, though he gets over the notes and rises to the climax of the movement well. Much of the slow movement goes well, barring a little too much backphrasing, that already has gotten well underway in the first movement, too much of a stall at the end of a long trill already, and lack of legato in the chords that end the movement. Gergiev begins the third movement sluggishly and with lack of march impetus. One accelerando by Lang Lang seems more than with which the orchestra can stay together.

I had the local NPR affiliate play Kissin and Gergiev, a 1988 (?) recording, before anyone over here in the West even knew who Gergiev was. The orchestra is the London Symphony, which does not always play together either, but here they are in very close to top shape, and any pointing of detail seems headed somewhere, since the legato line is never broken, except where indicated or clearly indicated. Kissin plays beautifully at the age of 17(?).

The Paganini Rhapsody even, two thirds of the way through, goes less well. If so much of this disc gives a new twist on how to phrase this music, either work on this disc, have we not heard the accent placed on the wrong note (the second note of the phrase instead of leaning into the D-Flat), breaking the line, in the 18th variation - and the worst offender here is Valery Gergiev. The orchestral playing is nuance heavy, fine on the lighter variations, but indicative that the orchestra can not play together otherwise or is under-rehearsed. The passage of seventh through tenth variations turns into a struggle - and not in the sense that raises musical tension. The ninth variation, of broken and off-beat triplets is overaccented, for sake of keeping things together, throwing off a truly effective rhythmic way of playing this passage, as the music demands. Sure, it is difficult, but one expects more from people coming onto the Yellow Label to record this music, after what predecessors there have been (Pletnev/Abbado at least an equally inept exception to the rule).

Lang Lang's tendency to put little dovetails and effete endings to so many phrases does indeed recall Liberace (as does especially the D-Flat Nocturne on the Carnegie Hall disc). It also intrudes onto the spirit of the music. The 'doing the riff' on the fifteenth variation, so old, shopworn by now, shows similar musical and artistic immaturity, as do several little backphrasings from Gergiev to abet other silliness from the soloist here.

Not the worst possible recordings of these two works, even the Rhapsody, but certainly not recommended above eight to ten other versions of each of these pieces either. The Ashkenazy/Haitink and Kocsis/De Waart sets are very positive recommendations, even though Paganini Rhapsody is the weak link in the former series (not in a two disc set of the four concerti) and PC 2 the same for the latter - both still preferable to this. Tamas Vasary plays his set very well, if a bit inflexibly accompanied at times, on DGG. The classic Richter (DGG) and Rubinstein/Ormandy are worthy considerations for PC 2. Rubinstein and Reiner did not perform together well, but up next to the new release, you'd never guess it, on both works. In mono, the Moisewitsch of PC's 1 and 2 and Rhapsody on Naxos is ideal, and the price is right. Sound quality is fine for the period (if a bit dated). Margrit Weber and Fricsay, for the Rhapsody offers great orchestral playing, the best I have heard yet for the piece, and supportive pianism, if not commanding in this situation, but it is, after all, as Rachmaninov composed it (and as forgotten somewhat by Lang and Gergiev), an orchestral work. Even Cliburn/Reiner (on PC 2 at least), and I am no Cliburn fan, is preferable to what is heard on the new disc. There are certainly good versions of each I am forgetting to mention here, including the classic RCA recordings by the composer. Space allows me only so much. :-)
More Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2; Paganini Rhapsody free music reviews:
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