| All Artists: Sergey Rachmaninov, Seiji Ozawa, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Krystian Zimerman Title: Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 Members Wishing: 0 Total Copies: 0 Label: Deutsche Grammophon Release Date: 2/10/2004 Genre: Classical Styles: Forms & Genres, Concertos, Historical Periods, Modern, 20th, & 21st Century, Instruments, Keyboard, Symphonies Number of Discs: 1 SwapaCD Credits: 1 UPCs: 028945964324, 028945964324 |
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Search - Sergey Rachmaninov, Seiji Ozawa, Boston Symphony Orchestra :: Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
 | Sergey Rachmaninov, Seiji Ozawa, Boston Symphony Orchestra Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 Genre: Classical These are fine performances. Zimerman's playing can be somewhat self-conscious, and at times he seems to be aware that he ought to say something new about these well-known works, but he's never less than animated. The firs... more » |
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Amazon.com These are fine performances. Zimerman's playing can be somewhat self-conscious, and at times he seems to be aware that he ought to say something new about these well-known works, but he's never less than animated. The first concerto comes across as stylish and warm, with the melodies clear amidst the sheer brilliance of the playing and the rhythms strongly underlined. The lack of mania is most welcome. (Earl Wild's performance of this work on Chandos, however, is more spectacular than any other.) The second, better-known work, is an honest, straightforward reading, with the first movement's finale expansive and grand, an Adagio of surprising affection and meditation, and a final movement in which the very familiar second melody shows up almost surprisingly in its freshness. If this lacks the tension found in some other recordings, it makes up for it in a non-garish boldness which shines. The recording of choice here is Ashkenazy's on Decca, but, again, both of these concerti are well-served by Zimerman, and Ozawa's leadership of the BSO is masterful. --Robert Levine Similar CDsSimilarly Requested CDs
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CD Reviews"Zimerman's Rachmaninoff Concertos a mixed bag..." EUGENE SIMPSON | Sicklerville, NJ United States | 01/03/2010 (3 out of 5 stars) "Few will deny that Krystian Zimerman is one of the truly great pianists of this age. His playing is distinguished by his flawless and brilliant technique and a sensitivity that is indeed rare among contemporary artists. I purchased his Rachmaninoff Concertos 1 and 2 with great expectations of the revelations this complete pianist would extract from these chestnuts. With both works on a single disk, this collaboration with Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony is a bargain. However, musically, it is a mixed bag.
The Concerto No. 1 is as technically brilliant and sparkling as any on record,. Yet, it bears the stamp of individuality expected from Zimerman in the sensitive and poetic rendering of the slow movement. Despite the freedom he brings to this movement, it coheres and convincingly envokes memories of Rachmaninoff's recording of the work. The Concerto No. 2, the most frequently performed of Rachmaninoff's Concertos, is sadly disappointing. Here, Zimerman's desire to be expressive leads him astray. In his hands, this expansive work, with many contrasting tempos abd noods, needs not to be further stretched, but rather to be given cohesion. It falls apart and loses its sense of unity and direction because of his tendency to stop and go, and to make short motives of Rachmaninoff's long soaring melodies. Surprisingly, there are times when the material in the piano should be subordinate to the material in the orchestra but is not. Ozawa follows dutifully, but Rachmaninoff is the loser. Still, for those building a Zimerman discography, it provides both the good and the bad side of this artist and illustrates how a inappropriate use of expression can become an affectation. " |
