Rachmaninov: Piano Works [SACD]

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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Advantages: Excellent physcological study of character.
Disadvantages: Grim, brutal, shocking scenes of a sexual nature.

...the piano with excellence is evident, and although she trains them to this stage of perfection, she becomes jealous of their hard earned achievement when they have reached their pinnacle. Erica is highly strung and sexually charged, and she is also a bitter and vindictive individual. One day she meets a promising young male pianist at a recital, by the name of Walter (Magimel Kramer). Walter is a handsome,arrogant, and self confident young man, and there is an instantaneous strong mutual bond, a meeting of minds, and a deep physical attraction, and she sees something in him that she seems to have been searching for. They talk and discover they both share the love of the works of Schumann and Schubert. This is a further attraction for Erica, and an unhealthy obsession towards him begins to take shape in her mind. ~ Erica teaches... Read review

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Advantages: Excellent selection and performance of piano works by Frank Bridge
Disadvantages: A few pieces are not very interesting

...Frank Bridge was an early twentieth century English composer. His works are not widely known, but are played increasingly, and more recordings are becoming available. Some of his later works, such as his piano sonata, were influenced by Scriabin. This CD is the second of three, and covers a wide range of styles, but mostly in his earlier style. Most of the pieces on this CD are fairly easy to listen to, and can be enjoyed by the majority of classical music lovers. The opening piece, Etude Rhapsodique, is an etude appropriately played by Jacobs, in the grand manner (of Liszt and other nineteenth century virtuosi), full of late nineteenth century panache, but with Bridge's own distinctive voice. The second piece, Berceuse, is played beautifully, a gentle piece as the name would suggest (a lullaby) but again with Bridge's own... Read review

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