Search - Sergei Rachmaninoff, Andrew Litton, Dallas Symphony Orchestra :: Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos / Paganini Rhapsody

1- and 2-star reviews seem rather reactionary.

Zejron | London, UK | 06/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Stephen Hough's choice of tempi is evidently controversial. It seems strange that a pianist should be so criticized for playing the music in the manner that the composer stipulated.



These performances are characteristic of Hough in that they display a very considered approach to tackling music. In general, he is not one to go overboard and ignore the original markings. There is certainly a time and place for this: for example, Horowitz illustrates how exciting pianism can be that is driven by a purely emotional thread rather than sticking avidly to the composer's markings.



These recordings are certainly different compared to, e.g., Ashkenazy. One may not find all the interpretations to one's taste. However, it cannot be denied that Hough's approach to interpretation is incredibly thorough and that his technique is astounding. Personally, I also found that the recordings spoke to me very profoundly on an emotional level, although I concede that this may not be the case for everybody.



Some of the reviews on this page strike me as rather reactionary. It is easy to understand that people may not consider these recordings to be "definitive". No recording can be. Music is, by its very nature, a subjective experience. However, regardless of one's tastes, these performances are valid and thoughtful interpretations. J. Bernhard writes that "[Stephen Hough] should not take on music beyond the style of Saint-Saens" because this is like "a middleclass boxer jumping up to the heavyweight division". Quite frankly, I have to wonder what qualifies him to make such a laughable statement."

TOUCHED

GEORGE RANNIE | DENVER, COLORADO United States | 12/02/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I own many recordings of Rachmaninov's piano concerti. I am NOT going to try to compare Stephen Hough's new recording to my other recordings. Truth be known, l love them all-so I'll leave the comparison thing to the musical experts! However, Stephen's new recordings moved and touched me very much. I was in tears many times while listening to this recording He seems, to me, to have dusted some of the cob-webs off of the works revealing a great deal of their soul--not just the razzle-dazzle bravura of the works. Granted Stephen Hough plays the works with jaw-dropping technique; nevertheless, to me, he plays them with MUCH more introspection and depth of feeling than I've heard in other recordings. I agree with a previous reviewer that the #3 is fantastic. This recording of Rachmaninov's concertos has become, for me, a "Desert Island" recording. In other words, if all of my recordings of the Rachmaninov piano concerti were melting in a fire, I would try to save this recording first.



If you want to be moved and touched by a concerto recording, buy this disc.

"

Unforgetable!

GEORGE RANNIE | 12/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The SACD sound quality is outstanding...feels like I'm actually listening to this performance live!



First disk (#1, 4, and Rhapsody) was performed brilliantly, and several times I had to rewind and capture those heart-wrenching moments, especially from the Rhapsody. Very impressed by Hough's Zimerman-esque technique in the first two.



Then, I switched to disc 2. The moment I heard the opening of #2 first mvt, I was like, "WTF"! IMO, it was a tad bit too fast, but Hough should not be punished; it was very novel. The 3rd mvt of #2 grabbed my heart, and the performance of #3 exceeded my expectations. Hough's cadenza in first mvt was beautiful.



Hough's style is certainly not the kind that some of us are used to hearing (i.e.: the slow, controlled, dreamy tempo played by Ashkenazy, Rubinstein, and Jando), and most can agree that Hough's interpretations is among the most controversial Rachmaninov piano concertos ever recorded.



Rachmaninov has stated that there have been pianists (i.e.: Horowitz and Moiseiwitsch) that will play his pieces better than he can, so no pianists should really follow by Rachmaninov recordings alone. Musicians have different ways of expressing music, but I believe that the separation of a good performance from an average performance is the feelings that arise from your heart after hearing it.



I can tell you that this performance will shed new light to what a Rachmaninov concerto is capable of becoming to one's soul...you will be pleasantly surprised by what Hough has to offer."