Rachmaninov's Vocalise - with, or without the 'vocal'?

[Guest]

Do you have a preference for the purely orchestral version, or do you feel the voice brings a new dimension to the work?

Seems a bit peculiar to call something 'Vocalise', if there's no vocal!

And any preferred recordings?

Mine is Anna Moffo, backed by Stokowski.

[Chris Newman]

I like the Vocalise with Elizabeth Soderstrom singing and Vladimir Ashkenazy playing the piano. It strips the work down to its beautiful bare essentials. Nothing is overblown as so often is the case with lush orchestral versions.

[StephenO]

It seems to be one of those pieces which works well in virtually any version (except possibly for kazoo ).

My own (slight) preference is for the orchestral version and for a preferred recording I'd choose Rachmaninov's own with the Philadelphia Orchestra, despite the sound quality.

[rauschwerk]

I'm rather fond of the solo piano arrangement by Zoltan Kocsis (fine recording by Howard Shelley), and the cello/piano version.