Search - Sergei Rachmaninoff :: Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff: Zenph Re-performance

Sitting in the room as Rachmaninoff plays.

Randal Leistikow | Windsor, CO USA | 09/25/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a software engineer at Zenph Studios, I am especially proud of the work our production team did on this album. Rachmaninoff's compositions are well known, but this album brings to light his amazing artistry as a pianist. Listen, for example, to this performance of his famous C-sharp minor prelude; he plays it with much more subtlety than most modern interpretations, using dynamic contrast to establish a captivating dialog between one voice tolling the opening three-note motif and other distinctly-softer voices answering it.



The other pieces on the album are also pianistic treats. Rachmaninoff's transcriptions of "Flight of the Bumblebee" and "Scherzo from a Midsummer Night's Dream" showcase his dexterity, and are great fun to hear. The intricacy of voicing and rubato in Rachmaninoff's performances of his original works is astounding, and each track is packed full of little musical surprises.



This album was re-performed on a 1909 Steinway model D on which Rachmaninoff may have very well played. Thanks to recording engineer Richard King and everyone involved in the preparation of the piano, the sound of that wonderful instrument comes through beautifully in this album. This disc presents each piece from two perspectives: an exceptional stereo version places you near the front of the audience while Rachmaninoff plays, and an intimate binaural stereo version seats you on the bench next to him. The binaural version was recorded using a special dummy head with a microphone in each ear, carefully positioned so that when the tracks are played back through headphones, each note comes from its correct place in space (lower notes toward the left, higher notes toward the right). This may be one of the best sounding piano albums ever made.



The first two posted reviews warn that this is not a SACD like our first two releases. We would have loved to issue this in SACD surround, and Sony Masterworks recorded the masters necessary to do so (so, they exist), but Sony has since closed its SACD pressing facilities in the USA.

"

Thank You.

Tickle the Ivories | 09/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Zenph -



I cannot tell you how appreciative I am that you came out with this latest production. Rachmaninoff has long been a family favorite, and a topic of much discussion, I don't think any of us ever thought that we would actually hear him play - how could we imagine such a thing?





I have read all I can about Zenph and I do not fully understand how they do what they do ... but I quite honestly do not care. Bringing these artists back to life is enough for me. We are planning a family trip around hearing Zenph's Rachmaninoff performance at Carnegie Hall on November 6th - what a great way to start the holiday season.



A Huge Fan"

Rachmaninoff Gloriously Updated

NYC | NY, NY USA | 10/31/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I recall fondly these old Victor Rachmaninoff recordings (along with his Stowkowski-four concertos) and to have them restored in this stunning Zenph-Sony Masterwork CD is a real gift. The sound is crystal clear and dynamic and they show Rachmaninoff's amazing technical piano mastery and power. I highly recommend this CD to anyone interested in not only Rachmaninoff but great piano music in general and state-of-the-art sound recordings. This CD is a great follow-up to the wonderful Zenph-Sony Glenn Gould Goldberg Variation disc and I hope they continue to re-release great recordings in the future."