BaL 24.07.21 - Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

**Ein Heldenleben** · 09-07-21, 12:37

Thanks Alpie - amazing there’s no Horowitz recording or indeed Argerich…

**Barbirollians** · 09-07-21, 13:20

Originally posted by Heldenleben View Post

Thanks Alpie - amazing there’s no Horowitz recording or indeed Argerich…

Apart from a brief period when she played the Third Concerto has Argerich ever played the other piano and orchestra works by Rachmaninov ? Unlike the Suite for 2 pianos which she has played and recorded a lot.

Horowitz - did he play it ?

I have a soft spot for several recordings - the composer, Asheknazy/Previn, Rubinstein/Reiner, Wang/Abbado and Katchen/Boult for starters.

**Ein Heldenleben** · 09-07-21, 14:22

Originally posted by Barbirollians View Post

Apart from a brief period when she played the Third Concerto has Argerich ever played the other piano and orchestra works by Rachmaninov ? Unlike the Suite for 2 pianos which she has played and recorded a lot.

Horowitz - did he play it ?

I have a soft spot for several recordings - the composer, Asheknazy/Previn, Rubinstein/Reiner, Wang/Abbado and Katchen/Boult for starters.

The only mention in Schonberg’s biog* of Horowitz playing the rhapsody is the occasion where he played the second piano accompaniment for a student Ivan Davis. Davis said he would have “killed “ for a tape of that performance. “I could barely think of what I was doing because what I heard from the other piano was really so extraordinary, so full of sound.” Horowitz was by all accounts a master of orchestral piano arrangements . He would play through whole operas regularly.

*Schonberg - Horowitz : His Life And Music , Simon and Schuster 1992

**Goon525** · 09-07-21, 17:49

Does it begin to look as if BaL will continue throughout the summer?

**rauschwerk** · 09-07-21, 17:55

This excellent piece has been described as 'Rachmaninov for those who don't like Rachmaninov'. Bartók is known to have admired it. IIRC, in 2003 DoN recommended Orozco/de Waart. Eugene Ormandy told an amusing story about the first time he conducted it for the composer. If I find the link I'll post it.

**Petrushka** · 09-07-21, 18:06

I haven't got as many versions of the Rhapsody as I might have thought.

I have:

Ashkenazy/LSO/Previn
Ashkenazy/RCO/Haitink
Licad/Chicago SO/Abbado
Fleisher/Cleveland Orch/Szell
Wayenberg/RCO/Ancerl (in the RCO125 box)

My favourite for a long time was the Ashkenazy/Previn but when I heard the Fleisher/Szell it knocked me sideways. It's a stunning performance and would now unhesitatingly be my first choice.

**Braunschlag** · 09-07-21, 19:03

Earl Wild, job done

**Pianoman** · 09-07-21, 19:05

Seconded - cracking sound and exciting as hell, the perfect combination !

**Braunschlag** · 09-07-21, 19:08

Horenstein? Rachmaninov? But hell it really works. Even Ferney thought it was a belter and he wasn’t a particularly avid Rachmaninov fan until Earl appeared. And - it’s analogue, no digital trickery, 24/96 we’ll forget that, a superb old school Kingsway Hall job done in very few takes. Recordings as they should be - spontaneous, spacious and produced by folks who could read music (Charles Gerhardt).

**jayne lee wilson** · 09-07-21, 19:27

I have that Earl/Wild/RPO/Horenstein cycle on Chesky CDs....
(including No.2 c/w Isle of the Dead on a gorgeous Gold Disc..... remember those? I could scarcely get it into the player fast enough.....

)

Great analogue sound for sure (Kingsway, Gerhard/Wilkinson), but.....according to Chesky these transfers were made using "a state of the art Ampex tube tape recorder, and an extraordinary analogue to digital converter with 20 bit linearity and 128 x oversampling/digital filter, in an effort to achieve the finest quality sound". Remasterer for 1,4 and the great Rhapsody was....another legendary name....Bob Katz.

So "digital trickery" is, as so often, the excellent collaborator in restoration of classic analogue tapes.

Anyway, glorious, highly original work, in my top group for Rachmaninov, with The Bells, 2nd Symphony, Isle of the Dead and the Symphonic Dances...
And one of my musical icons, often in my head somewhere..... even though CFM Smooth Classics has tended to play the 18th variation a little too often (less so these days), it never ever fades in its effect upon me...remarkable. (What an extraordinary history that Paganini Caprice No.24 has had!)

One of the great moments in Western European Classical Music.

**Bryn** · 09-07-21, 19:46

Originally posted by jayne lee wilson View Post

I have that Earl/Wild/RPO/Horenstein cycle on Chesky CDs....
(including No.2 c/w Isle of the Dead on a gorgeous Gold Disc..... remember those? I could scarcely get it into the player fast enough.....

)

Great analogue sound for sure (Kingsway, Gerhard/Wilkinson), but.....according to Chesky these transfers were made using "a state of the art Ampex tube tape recorder, and an extraordinary analogue to digital converter with 20 bit linearity and 128 x oversampling/digital filter, in an effort to achieve the finest quality sound".

So "digital trickery" is, as so often, the excellent collaborator in restoration of classic analogue tapes....

Anyway, in my top group for Rachmaninov, with The Bells, 2nd Symphony, Isle of the Dead and the Symphonic Dances...

I found those Wild/RPO/Horenstein CDs in a charity shop several years ago. 50p a disc, IIRC. The very low price was due to my buying around 40 discs at the time. Presumably, someone with good taste had recently died and their collection had been donated.

**vinteuil** · 09-07-21, 20:20

Originally posted by Braunschlag View Post

Horenstein? Rachmaninov? But hell it really works. Even Ferney thought it was a belter and he wasn’t a particularly avid Rachmaninov fan until Earl appeared. And - it’s analogue, no digital trickery, 24/96 we’ll forget that, a superb old school Kingsway Hall job done in very few takes. Recordings as they should be - spontaneous, spacious and produced by folks who could read music (Charles Gerhardt).

... yes to Earl Wild &c.

It's in the big brilliant box - which I see is no longer as cheap as it once was -

Amazon.co.uk

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001PARX72

I also like Cécile Ousset with Rattle -

Amazon.co.uk

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00008ETN3

.

.

**Bryn** · 09-07-21, 20:32

Originally posted by vinteuil View Post

... yes to Earl Wild &c.

It's in the big brilliant box - which I see is no longer as cheap as it once was -

Amazon.co.uk

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001PARX72

Typical Amazon. They can't make their mind up whether it's 1, 8 or 28 discs (plus CDROM).

**jayne lee wilson** · 09-07-21, 20:34

Brilliant Boxes are a great initiative, I have several myself..... but on past experience this won't sound as good as the Chesky....but then nothing much would, really.

CHANDOS have offered it..... not heard this issue, but given their sonic pedigree I'd get in there quick if I were... anyone who don't have it yet...

Amazon.co.uk

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rachmaninov-Piano-Concerto-Paganini-Rhapsody/dp/B000000AAG/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Rachmaninov+Paganini+Earl+Wild&qid=1625863087&s=music&sr=1-2

Amazon.co.uk

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rachmaninov-Piano-Concertos-Rhapsody-Paganini/dp/B00009AQMJ/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=Rachmaninov+Earl+Wild&qid=1625863336&s=music&sr=1-3

Or just stream it.....

Earl Wild Discography - Download Albums in Hi-Res - Qobuz

https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/rachmaninoff-piano-concertos-nos-1-4-variations-on-a-theme-of-paganini-earl-wild-royal-philharmonic-orchestra-jascha-horenstein/0095115107829

Listen to Earl Wild in unlimited on Qobuz and buy the albums in Hi-Res 24-Bit for an unequalled sound quality. Subscription from £10.83/month