Search - Rachmaninoff, Pennario, Walenstein :: Symphony 2 / Piano Concerto 2

Two of Rachmaninov's best-loved works

John O'Neill | Alpharetta, GA | 04/08/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Grab this disc while you can. Released on EMI's budget "Seraphim" label in 1995, this disc includes two of the last great Romantic's most popular works: the Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27 and the Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18. Both works are presented in lush performances by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in vintage stereo from the early 1960s (Op. 27 - 1960, Op. 18 - 1961). There is some tape hiss present but nothing that will distract from your enjoyment of these performances.



I'll start off with the concerto, the reason I picked up this CD. Leonard Pennario (July 9, 1924 - June 27, 2008) has always been a favorite classical pianist of mine, one whose recordings are getting harder to come by. Pennario, who debuted performing the Grieg Concerto with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra at age 12 after reportedly learning the piece in one week, has always had a way with the great Romantic concertos and, after the composer, was the first to record the entire Rachmaninov cycle of 4 concertos plus the "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini". The 2nd here is a performance in which Pennario demonstrates that he was not only technically up to these demanding works but he also provided sensitivity in his playing and interpretation. Erich Leinsdorf, a conductor whose recordings are also becoming harder to come by, leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, providing a sumptuous background for Pennario's performance. The strings are lush and the pacing is perfect.



Alfred Wallenstein conducts the Symphony No. 2 in a wonderful performance: dramatic without being overly so. The downside is that the score utilized for the performance is an edited version that was in vogue for some time. The cuts, apparently "approved" by the composer (?), take what is an hour-long work and cut it down to just over 42 minutes. Ormandy's famous and much loved recording with the Philadelphians on Columbia Rachmaninoff: Symphonies Nos. 1-3 from the late 50s uses a similarly cut score. Like Ormandy's controversial recording, the music present on this recording is beautiful and the interpretation is spot on so I can still enthusiastically recommend this disc despite the cuts. (For a recording of the complete symphony go for either Andre Previn conducting the LSO (Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 / Vocalise / Aleko: Intermezzo & Women's Dance (EMI Great Recordings of the Century)) or Ashkenazy with the Concertgebouw (Rachmaninov: The Symphonies).)



While considering this disc, you might also want to pick up Pennario's other two "concerto" discs on Seraphim. The Tchaikovsky 1st is coupled with a wonderful recording of the 6th Symphony, "Pathetique" (Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1; Symphony No. 6 "Pathétique:) and the Grieg is matched up with two more outstanding concerto performances: Chopin's 2nd and Liszt's 1st. (Piano Concertos: Grieg / Liszt / Chopin). All three Pennario CDs are outstanding!"