Search - National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Alexander Anissimov :: Rachmaninov: The Complete Symphonies and Piano Concertos

Another Triumph for the White Box

Rembrandt Q. Einstein | NY | 01/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is both a tremendous honor and a great surprise that I am the first to review this item. It is another triumph for Naxos, and their flagship series, "The White Box." Presented here are Rachmaninov's 4 complete Piano Concertos, 3 Symphonies (including the reconstructed and rarely heard 1st) and some standard concert favorites like the Caprice Bohemien, and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. This compellation is the result of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, and more preeminently, the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Antoni Wit. And he does a fantastic job. (Wit's competency can also be seen in his work on Tchaikovsky's complete symphonies and piano concertos, also for Naxos' "White Box" series.) The pianist here is Bernd Glemser. His playing is both flawless and graceful, and with a composer like Rachmaninov, that effect is not easy to produce. Those chords don't exactly play themselves. As far as I'm concerned there is no legitimate reason for why he is not well known. (Another great Glemser performance is his recording of Schumann's 3 piano sonatas, also for Naxos, which I would highly recommend.)



A real surprise for me was the first symphony. The score was lost until 1945, and it was only ever performed once in Rachmaninov's lifetime. It is really a forgotten gem in every sense, and I would venture to say it is actually the best of the three symphonies although I'm sure others would vehemently disagree. I am also very pleased to say that the sound and recording quality, which can be something of a toss up with Naxos, is impeccable on all 5 discs.



If you are looking for a complete set of Rachmaninov's Piano Concertos, there is really no reason not to get this set. As for the symphonies, although there probably are better renditions out there, they are played very expertly on this set. In terms of musical quality, I never compromise, and what you would gain by buying the symphonies separately through a more expensive label would ultimately be very, VERY minute, and most likely financially unjustifiable.



And there you have it. This set is a winner through and through, and I recommend it highly.

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