From: vnguyen@husc11.harvard.edu (Vinh Nguyen)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical
Subject: Re: Recomendations on Rachmaninoff's 2nd Concerto for Piano
Date: 15 Nov 92 20:54:36 GMT
Reply-To: vnguyen@husc11.harvard.edu
Originator: vnguyen@husc11.harvard.edu

In article <1656.3163.uupcb@synapse.org>,
 barry.copeland@synapse.org (Barry Copeland) writes:

> To: rec.music.classical
> From: barry.copeland@synapse.org
> 
> RS>     What are particularly good recordings of Rachmaninoff's Second
> RS> Concerto for Piano in C minor? I'd like one with both good sound
> RS> quality, and a notable performance, but the performance is more
> RS> important. DDD disks are also preferable. Also, any recomendations
> RS> on Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paginini? Last, what
> 
> I strongly recommend the Howard Shelley recordings with the
> Royal Scottish Orchestra under the (late) Bryden Thomson
> (Chandos, 2 disks).  Howard Shelley has also recorded the solo
> piano music of Rachmaninoff, on Hyperion, which is well regarded
> by the critics.
> 
> Barry

Having listened to dozens of inspired/uninspired Rach 2nd, to my mind
there is ONLY ONE Rach 2nd to be listened to for it stands head and
shoulder above the rest -- and there is NO COMPETITION here!  (Ahem,
I know that I am raving in absolutes -- which should NOT undermine
the seriousness of the recommendation).  Hail to Richter/Wislocki on
DG coupled with the Prokofiev 5th by Richter/Rowicki.  The sound is 
excellent and vivid, though of 1960 vintage.

I find it rather unpleasant to make a recommendation based on sound
as a significant criterion.  But for a "big sound" and "big heart"
rendition of the Rach 2nd in slendid DDD sound, the Kissin/Gergiev 
on EMI doesn't disappoint, even though it's very "different" from
the Richter/Wislocki as to present no challenge or competition to
it.  (The question, again, boils down to taste -- but regardless of
taste, one MUST listen to, if not "own", the Richter/Wislocki Rach
2nd to be able to know the piece).  

As an indicator of my taste, I find the much-touted Cliburn/Reiner
on RCA a bit bleah, that's all I can say.  Ashkenazy/Previn is a
perversity to a much greater degree than Ashkenazy/Haitink which
isn't much of an improvement except in sound.  Bolet/Dutoi is a
great bore in spectacular DDD sound.  For a throw-away bargain
Jando/Lehel coupling of the Rach 2nd and Paganini variations on
Naxos is of better value than the top-price competition around,
but here we are talking about a "price advantage" which shouldn't
feature into consideration, ideally speaking; but Jando/Lehel is
quite competent in less than spectacular DDD sound.  Graffman/
Bernstein on CBS Masterworks has plenty of fire in crappy and
congested sound.  Licad/Abbado is competent but bleah in excellent
sound.  Pennario/Leinsdorf on EMI is strong but not exceptional,
and the sound leaves much to be desired.  Rubinstein/Reiner on
RCA is grand and aristocratic, excellent but not thrilling, in
sense much like the Cliburn/Reiner though in slightly better sound,
which doesn't mean much.  Simon/Slatkin on Turnabout provides
good value for the money, but that's about it -- so-so performance
(which is a COMPLIMENT!) in poor sound.  Vasary/Ahronovitch on DG
is another decent run-through in decent sound but not much else.
Kocsis/De Waart on Philips is another bleah.

I might have omitted a few other versions that have slipped my mind,
having made little impression on me when I used to listened to them
on tapes or LPs.  But, to sum up, if one hasn't heard the Richter/
Wislocki Rach 2nd, one hasn't heard anything yet.  :-)

Vinh Nguyen