Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 / Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
This is one of the great Rachmaninoff CDs. In fact, it may  be the best performance ever of the Paganini Rhapsody, not just because of  Arthur Rubinstein's delicious playing of the solo part, but also because of the  steely brilliance of Fritz Reiner's accompaniments. Famous for its lushly  romantic "18th Variation" (which is nothing but the main tune played  upside down!), the piece is actually the only one I know in which the composer  shows a real sense of humor. The ending is one of the most hilarious  anticlimaxes in all of music. Add to this a super performance of the eternally  popular Second Piano Concerto, and the result is irresistible.--David  Hurwitz