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 PianoConcerto 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 ...
strategy behind war. Mars is confident and forceful. The battle music is dominated by the repeated rhythm and develops the feeling of the relentless movement of war highlighting the doom that precedes it and the cruelty and violence that accompanies it. Holst actually composed this early in 1914 just before the horrors of the First World War were to unfold.
No2: Venus, the Bringer of Peace
Holst placed this movement purposefully after Mars to contrast further the effects of war with the calm of peace. He is said to have taken his inspiration from the words of Alan Leo: "Venus creates orderly harmonic motion.... everywhere it produces order out of disorder, harmony out of discord." The mood of this movement is one of calmness and tranquillity with the feminine charm of Venus shining through.
No 3: Mercury, the Winged Messenger ...
Advantages: None Disadvantages: Poor interpretation, sound only adequate
I was lucky enough to get my hands on an advance copy of this new disc from the Russian virtuoso Arcadi Volodos (UK release date October 2nd 2000). Sadly I was disappointed.
The recording of Rachmaninov's 3rd Pianoconcerto is live and although the sound is perfectly adequate, it lacks the crispness and immediacy of a studio recording. Volodos is technically outstanding, but I feel that he's just going through the motions here, playing the notes with very little thought about what's behind them. It makes for a flat, emotionless and dull performance.
The concerto is coupled with some of Rachmaninov's shorter solo piano pieces, which are better, but still not outstanding.
If you're a huge fan of Volodos, you might want to buy this to add to your collection. If you want to hear a decent recording of Rachmaninov's 3rd Piano ...
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