Chopin; Loewe: Piano Concertos No 2 [SACD]

Advantages: One of the most Romantic concertos around, full of beautiful melodies and passion
Disadvantages: over-recorded

...INTRODUCTION Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninov was one of the most promising composers emerging from Russia after Tchaikovsky. His early works included the youthfully energetic Piano Concerto in F sharp minor, Op.1, an orchestral fantasia The Rock, the opera Aleko, several songs, piano pieces (including the famous Prelude in C sharp minor, a work that would plague Rachmaninov with its popularity throughout his life) and the First Symphony in D minor, Op.13. Rachmaninov had high hopes for the latter; it was his magnum opus up until that time. However the symphony proved to be the biggest disappointment of his career, causing a tremendous crisis in his creative life. All the critics jumped on the work, most notably César Cui who compared it with the Seven Plagues of Egypt and condemned the work as modernist trash. The effect... Read review

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Advantages: The most beautiful performance of a superb collection
Disadvantages: The CD has an end!

...of the pianist, Idil Biret. The CD I have found goes exceptionally well in conjunction with 'The Best of Chopin', also produced by Naxos with Idil Biret as the pianist...! Though some of the tracks are repetitions of one another, some gaps are filled- including a valuable Piano Concerto. 1 Impromptu No. 4 in C sharp minor, Op. 66 2 Nocturne No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 9/2 3 Nocturne No. 8 in D flat major, Op. 27/2 4 Waltz No. 7 in C sharp minor, Op. 64/2 5 Waltz No. 6 in D flat major, Op. 64/1 6 Waltz No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 18 7 Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35: Marche funebre 8 Mazurka No. 5 in B flat major, Op. 7/1 9 Polonaise No. 3 in A major, Op. 40/1 10 Polonaise No. 6 in A flat major, Op. 53 11 Prelude No. 15 in D flat major, Op. 28/15 12 Etude No. 5 in G flat major, Op... Read review

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Advantages: Emotive, dramatic, sombre, (If that's your thing)
Disadvantages: The only disadvantages are if you don't like classical music or are not in the mood for over the top dramatical scores.

...Rachmaninov Quote - 'I feel like a ghost wandering in a world grown alien. I cannot cast out the old way of writing and I cannot acquire the new'. For those of you who are not avid listeners of classical music do not shy away from purchasing any of Rachmaninov's music as it provides an alternative mood for you to listen to in your personal music collections. ---Background Information--- FULL NAME: Sergei Rachmaninov NATIONALITY: Russian BORN: 1873 DIED: 1943 SPECIALIST MUSIC GENRES: Piano concertos, solo piano music Its also worth reading a bit more about his background as he had an interesting life. ---Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor--- Like much of Rachmaninov's music this piece is very deep and the mood of the song fluctuates alot. It is sad and uplifting at the same time and goes from slow quiet rhythms to... Read review

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