Search - Sergey Rachmaninov, Eugene Goossens, London Symphony Orchestra :: Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff

Ill informed much?

Martin Ooi | Auckland, NZ | 10/12/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I wouldn't usually submit a review with the express purpose of criticising someone else's view, because quite frankly, we all are allowed to form our own views and opinions..



But I feel the need to defend this recording from the very merciless and insulting review submitted earlier regarding the 'amateur pianist' on this cd having just learnt the correct notes to press but unfortunately not in the correct time..



Anyone who knows anything about Rachmaninoff should already know this..Rachmaninoff was VERY well known for having a flaire for improvising in his own pieces, and being that he is the very own composer of these pieces he is very well justified in doing so.



Case in point..Melodie in E. Sure..the triplet rhythm seems to have been completely destroyed, by the standards set by the score anyway. But sit back and listen closely and you'll notice that while Rachmaninoff has transcended the score and is turning the piece into what it should be, a fantasie, a piece of impromptu nature that should be allowed to fly with one's fancy and one's imaginations. The Barcarolle and the Prelude? Same thing. This is no "amateur pianist" pounding away without rhythm. Or if indeed this is an amateur pianist than nobody on the face of earth with the exception of Liszt himself should be allowed to qualify themselves as a pianist.



If one would care, one can examine the Memorex recordings made by Rachmaninoff issued by Decca, where the sound quality is lovingly brought back to life. But one observes, that he plays the Fantasie pieces in the very same manner, in a totally care-free and improvisational nature.



Obviously these pieces meant a lot to Rachmaninoff himself as he took the effort to record them on memorex. And obviously this manner of interpreting them is something that flows within his very nature for him to have done this MORE than ONCE.



Do not buy this record if you're looking for a stoic reading of Rachmaninoff. IN fact, do not buy ANY record of rachmaninoff playing ANYTHING if you want a stoic reading of them. Buy this record for the very sole purpose that justifies such a purchase. Buy this to listen to Rachmaninoff, the master himself.



And I highly recommend the memorex record by Decca too, if these pieces (the fantasies) have grabbed your attention. They contain the same interpretation, but with the quality and dynamics lifted to, while not what rachmaninoff would have expected or wanted, certainly surpasses any insight we have to his playing."

Ripples of Greatness

Mark Lee | Woodruff, UT USA | 09/25/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wouldn't you love to hear Bach play his Toccatta and Fugue in Dm? Well, we can't. But we can hear the late, great Sergey Rachmaninov struttin' his stuff, playing his famous Prelude in C#m, Op. 3 No. 2. Yeah, it's taken from an old tape, but it's clear enough to be amazing. I, for one, was a little suprised to hear dynamics in his interpretation that one doesn't often hear in the performance of that piece. An historic recording certainly worth having in your audio library."

Great playing - poor quality

Avid Reader | Franklin, Tn | 10/14/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When one becomes used to crystal clear recordings in which one can detect individual notes, this recording is something of a disappointment. True, it is (allegedly) the great one himself but the outside noises are a real distraction. I would have loved to have heard the Rock in person (as my father did) and this is supposed to be the next best thing. The bravura, the awesome technique, the lush romanticism are all present or hinted at but sound transferrance techniques can go only so far."