Search - Rachmaninoff, Entremont, Watts :: Piano Concerti 2 & 3

Buy this for the very unique recording of the 2nd.

William J. Finn | Sarasota Florida | 01/04/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This Entremont/Bernstein recording has made the rounds on several Sony editions. It is true that the recorded sound has never been quite as good as one might expect. Still, do not let these remarks put you off. It is still better than many early digital recordings for example. And as it is such an excellent performance from both artists, it is a very worthwhile listen. The performance itself is among the handful of really engaging interpretations of the Rachmaninoff 2nd piano concerto. It will involve you from the very opening chords. Entremont plays with as little pedal as possible and the results are often very thrilling. Bernstein keeps the New York Philharmonic in total sync. The second movement is perhaps the highlight, with the piano's obligato to the clarinet's theme as close to perfection as it can be. In the finale, I love the way Entremont expands upon his four bar 'cadenzas' that precede each entrance of the Maestoso theme.
He has a way of making these sections a more perfect transition between the two themes as I have yet yeard. The soloist is also quite excellent with his own solo of the Maestoso theme, laying back somewhat and simply allowing the music to speak. The third and final time through the cadenza is slightly different, with Entremont rendering a slowly retiring, yet still intense passage that awaits Bernstein's downbeat for the final statement of the Maestoso theme. This doesn't work at all if the conductor is not paying attention to his soloist. I would certainly give this performance credit for phrasing, passion, and performance. Recommended particularly for afficionados of this work, but not a bad way to begin it either."

Superb Performances; A One, Two, Punch

sherri j. thorne | brooklyn, new york United States | 08/25/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have a VERY soft spot in my heart for Sergei Rachmaninov. From my days at the Conservatory here in Brooklyn, to this very moment, his music touches me deeply. So when I saw this disc, with Andre Watts performing, I bought it. The Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor is my favorite, and I looked forward to finally having a recording with Watts' interpretation of it. I knew immediately from the first 6 bars that it was NOT Andre Watts, but Philippe Entremont. I never heard of him. He is good, and I was very surprised by his performance with the New York Phiharmonic Orchestra with Leonard Bernstein conducting. If you want to hear an excellent pairing add this to your collection. I had never heard the Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, and THIS is the one Andre Played. I was thrilled by this piece and Andre's superb performance. This concerto has a lot of drama, and is technically demanding. Andre plays Rachmaninov as brillantly as he plays Franz Liszt!! I only received this CD in the mail today, and I haven't stopped listening to it! It is absolutely great!"

Good CD

pianoman2701 | USA | 11/24/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this CD mostly for the music. I hadn't heard from any of the pianists, but Bernstein has always been one of my favorite conductors.I love Entremont's interpretation of the 2nd piano concerto. I have seldom heard such a colorful interpretation.However, Watts' interpretation of the 3rd piano concerto is not very good. As usual, after the piano solo of the theme is played, and when the orchestra gets the theme and the piano the accompaniment, it's chopped.Buy this CD for the 2nd pianoconcerto, but go for Ashkenazy when you want the 3rd piano concerto."