Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3 / Rachmaninov:  Piano Concerto No. 3
A fascinating release that views Prokofiev through Romantic lenses and Rachmaninov through modernist ones, to the benefit of both works. The Rachmaninov Third is a virtuoso warhorse which Pletnev sails through with aplomb. His dazzling technique is everywhere in evidence, and in stripping the piece of the sentimental overlay so often imposed upon it, he makes it a tougher, tighter work. In the go-for-broke last movement, Pletnev plays with astounding virtuosity and in the concertos's more lyrical moments he lavishes sufficient poetry and full-bodied tone to bring out those aspects as well. He plays the longer and more difficult of Rachmaninov's first movement cadenzas. Rostropovitch and the crack Russian orchestra provided a bed of full-blooded Romanticism as the framework for Pletnev's explorations, and they bring a similar approach to the Prokofiev. There, Pletnev's articulation at fast speeds is nothing short of amazing, as is the full-bodied tone he brings to a work that’s often played with a shallow, leaner tone. Here again, the lyrical parts come off as well as the more overtly virtuosic ones. There are excellent performances of both works available from artists like Argerich, Ashkenazy, and others, but this one ranks among the best.--Dan Davis