A smashing sampling of Rachmaninov.
05/19/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The greatest disappointment one will get from hearing Gavrilov play the assorted Preludes and Etudes Tableaux of Rachmaninov on this disc is that the complete works aren't available (and shame on EMI if they recorded them all and did not issue them).My evaluation concurs strongly with the reviews made of Andrei Gavrilov in such publications as the Penguin Guide to CDs. His account of all the works on this disc (Rachmaninov and Ravel) demonstrates a powerful and near superhuman vitality. The recording quality itself is abundant and up-front (perhaps even too up-front for some tastes). Nevertheless, the listener will never be bored with this disc. These performances, though only samplings of entire Rachmaninov sets, stand strongly among those of other great artists such as Vladimir Ashkenazy and Howard Shelley.This is an excellent value at very low price."
Worth it for the Ravel too...
07/19/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I disagree that Gavrilov's Ravel is sub-par. I own the Pogorelich and two of several Michelangeli recordings of the Gaspard and I believe Gavrilov's is the most satisfying overall. All three recordings, as well as Argerich's, deserve a place in any Gaspard-collection. Gavrilov's rendition conveys more emotion than any other recording, which is remarkable given the piece's technical difficulty.As spellbinding as the Moments Musicaux and Etudes Tableaux, the Ravel makes this disc a must-own for Gaspard and Rachmaninov aficionados."
Good Rachmaninov But Better Ravel.
Classicalfan | Reston, VA USA | 01/05/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I am an admirer of Gavrilov based on his recordings of Bach's piano concertos and Prokofiev's sonatas. However, as impressive as his virtuoso pyrotechnics are on this 1984 recording of a selection of Rachmaninov's Preludes and Moments musicaux, I much preferred the slower passages than the ones played at great speed and with great force. I compared Gavrilov's version of Rachmaninov's Prelude, Op. 23/2, which is the first track on this CD, with Dmitri Alexeev's recording of the same piece, and found that I preferred Alexeev's.
I found the quality of the recorded sound less harsh on the Alexeev 2-CD set; also, even though this is a Prelude that is played fast and with fortissimo passages, I found that Alexeev nevertheless managed to convey moments of lyrical beauty in this piece that Gavrilov did not.
The problem may not necessarily be with Gavrilov's performance, but something in the actual recorded sound of the piano in the fortissimo passages, which have a sound that reminds me too much that the piano is a percussive instrument. As one of the other reviewers has written, "the recording quality itself is abundant and up-front (perhaps even too up-front for some tastes)." I believe that the "some tastes" group includes me.
There are different variables that can affect the sound of a recording, such as the instrument used, the placing of the microphone, the type of recording equipment used, the acoustics of the recording location, and the sound engineering. Something about the sound quality of the piano in the louder and faster passages of Rachmaninov sounds a bit harsh to my ears.
And yet, leaving aside the somewhat harsh qualities of the faster and more energetic pieces, the slower Rachmaninov selections, such as the second track, "Prelude, Op. 23/1," for example, or the seventh track, "Elegie, Op. 3/1," are quite beautiful.
As for the 1978 recording of Ravel's "Gaspard de la nuit," that completes this CD, the performance is wonderful. In the Ravel selection, the piano has a tone that is softer and more rich, not only because these are generally slow passages, but perhaps because the recording was made at a different time and under different circumstances. In the Ravel, even when the playing becomes more rapid and louder in some passages, the actual sound of the piano remains full and rich, not hollow or metallic.
For an excellent performance of the Rachmaninov Preludes and Moments musicaux, I would recommend the 2-CD 1993 recording by Dmitri Alexeev, on Virgin Classics, of the Preludes Op. 23 & 32, the Morceaux de fantaisie Op. 3, and the Moments musicaux Op. 16. It has better sound quality and is much more complete.
Also, whereas the CD insert of the Alexeev 2-CD set has a small but informative essay, the insert of the Gavrilov CD has no information at all about either the Rachmaninov or Ravel compositions, and only a few very brief, sketchy notes about Gavrilov together with a paragraph of general information about pianos are constructed.
I recommend this CD without reservation for the Ravel, and with some reservation for the Rachmaninov."
Track Listings (15) - Disc #1
