Rachmaninov: (Complete) Piano Concertos; Paganini Variations

Advantages: Everything you could ever want from a classical CD
Disadvantages: none

...Beethoven 5. Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in A Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 6. Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in E minor Composed by Sir Edward Elgar 7. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov 8. Concierto de Aranjuez Composed by Joaquín Rodrigo 9. Swan Lake Composed by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky 10. Symphony No. 9, "From the New World" in E minor Composed by Antonín Dvorák 11. Variations on an Original Theme, 'Enigma' Composed by Sir Edward Elgar 12. Sonata for Piano No. 14, 'Moonlight' in C sharp minor Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven 13. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in C minor Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov 14. Adagio for Strings Composed by Samuel Barber 15. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 21, "Elvira M in C Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 16... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Good quality collection at reasonable price
Disadvantages: Lacks the sparkle and flair of the recordings by Kissen and Argerich

...This double CD set from Decca brings together recordings of all four Rachmaninov piano concertos played by Ashkenazy and the LSO. For those people looking for a good value collection, look no further. However, I found that No. 3 was too sluggish for my liking, taking a good ten minutes longer than the Rachmaninov recording. Ashkenazy has also chosen the bold cadenza, unlike Rachmaninov himself. The playing is technically excellent, but somehow lacks the sparkle of the Kissen or Argerich recordings. This is perhaps not one for the Rachmaninov enthusiast, but excellent for anyone looking to expand their collection.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

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 Piano concerto 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 Concerto... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful