Our Summer BAL 28 : Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No 3

[silvestrione]

Argerich/Chailly was Bryce Morrison's choice in a BAL years ago. Not sure it's been done since....time for a new one?
The Argerich is one of my favourite piano recordings: her playing is so unpredictable, freshly imagined on the spot.
Andnes was too sleek for me: took it to Oxfam. I thought the Lugansky prom performance wonderful. I have Horowitz/Reiner and the Rachmaninov, and that's enough for me.

[umslopogaas]

Thanks fhg, that clears up my confusion. I collect classical LPs, though I buy plenty of CDs too. But when someone refers to an "old disc" I immediately think we are talking about an LP, not a CD. Though its true that CDs have now been around long enough for early ones to be venerated as "old"!

Anyway, if you ever come across any of the Mercury AMS "Olympian Series" LPs then snap 'em up, the quality is excellent.

[visualnickmos]

Mikhail Rudy's set on EMI is well-worth obtaining.

[Barbirollians]

Yes the Ashkenazy /Fistoulari is a fine cultured musical performance if lacking quite the thrills of Argerich and Horowitz.

[Barbirollians]

It's not a work that gives me much pleasure - it goes on far too long, is incompetently structured, melodically poor (recycling those droopily "expressive" ideas that he'd already exhausted in the Second Concerto) indifferently orchestrated and gives far too much flannel to the soloist (who inevitably plays everything at the same - too loud - dynamic level). More padding and waffle than substance.

Except

... in the recording by the composer himself with the fabulous Philadelphians under Ormandy. Expertly paced (nobody dawdles: there is a real sense of forward momentume throughout), subtly supported, and whilst much of the Piano material contains more glitter than substance, Rachmaninoff shades the filigree ornamentation, bringing out a Fabergé-like variety of colourings. Lovely, warm Mono recorded sound, too: takes away the glare of other recordings.

Which transfer do you have of the Rachmaninov//Ormandy recording. I have the Naxos and the orchestra have always sounded rather muffled and distant to me .

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

This thread is interesting for someone , like myself, who has only Rachmaninov's own recording. Keep the suggestions coming.

[BBMmk2]

Ashkenazy's earlier Decca recording of #3 ( early- mid 1960s?) is with Fistoulari and the LSO. The horn playing in particular ( Barry Tuckwell?) is superior to that on the later Decca/ Previn ( early 1970s?) where the piano is out of tune much of the time and the orchestra is brash and 'in-yer-face'.

Well.that's your opinion and I have mine.

[Tony Halstead]

Oh dear, this now gets very weird indeed.... I have always loved this work and have at least a dozen CDs of it.
When I compared the 'old' Ashkenazy/ Fistoulari/ LSO/ Decca recording ( 1960s?) to the more recent Ashkenazy/ Previn/ LSO/ Decca version ( 1970s?) I truly believed that I was 'listening blind' and . as I said, I judged the ( rather important in this piece) horn playing on the earlier recording to be superior to the later one.
I was recently astounded to discover - having consulted my diaries 1970-1973 - that in fact I was playing 1st horn with the LSO on that later recording.
Maybe the fact that I had totally forgotten about it is indicative of its ( sadly) lack of 'memorability'...?
I don't suppose that Decca could ( or would) ever confirm this, but, before that 1971 recording which finally 'made it' , there was an abortive attempt - abandoned after the 1st movement - to record it in 1970.

[Barbirollians]

Oh dear, this now gets very weird indeed.... I have always loved this work and have at least a dozen CDs of it.
When I compared the 'old' Ashkenazy/ Fistoulari/ LSO/ Decca recording ( 1960s?) to the more recent Ashkenazy/ Previn/ LSO/ Decca version ( 1970s?) I truly believed that I was 'listening blind' and . as I said, I judged the ( rather important in this piece) horn playing on the earlier recording to be superior to the later one.
I was recently astounded to discover - having consulted my diaries 1970-1973 - that in fact I was playing 1st horn with the LSO on that later recording.
Maybe the fact that I had totally forgotten about it is indicative of its ( sadly) lack of 'memorability'...?
I don't suppose that Decca could ( or would) ever confirm this, but, before that 1971 recording which finally 'made it' , there was an abortive attempt - abandoned after the 1st movement - to record it in 1970.

I was surprised when I read your post waldhorn as I was sure you had mentioned playing first horn on those LSO recordings before!

[Tony Halstead]

If so please forgive me as my memory is definitely not 'what it was' ....

[Hornspieler]

Well.that's your opinion and I have mine.

A slight change of words, saying the same thing, would be most welcome, I'm sure

HS

[Barbirollians]

I have had fun listening to some of the performances I own over the last couple of days . Argerich as thrilling as remembered , Rachmaninov - a bit muffled but a great sense of the whole piece hanging together , Horowitz and Barbirolli - sensationally exciting albeit that Horowitz sounds like he wants to get the slow movement over with so he can have fun in the finale and finally this morning to hear the Lympany/Collins again . It really is an excellent account and very musical no wham bam only stuff here .

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Which transfer do you have of the Rachmaninov//Ormandy recording. I have the Naxos and the orchestra have always sounded rather muffled and distant to me .

I have a three LP set (in a silver box) from RCA, which I bought from Farringdons Records in 1982. I've since supplemented it with this MP3 Download:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rachmaninoff-plays-Piano-Concertos-Pieces/dp/B0030MKNNE/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1376209051&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=rachmaninoff+plays+rachmaninoff+3rd+piano+concerto+vinyl+lp

... which is rather hissy; not as good as the LP sound. When my Premium Bonds turn up, I'm going for the complete BMG/RCA recordings. (Rachmaninoff playing Schumann's Carnaval is astonishing, if what I remember is accurate - I last heard it at my Piano Teacher's house, on 78s, nearly forty years ago!)

[amateur51]

When my Premium Bonds turn up, I'm going for the complete BMG/RCA recordings. (Rachmaninoff playing Schumann's Carnaval is astonishing, if what I remember is accurate - I last heard it at my Piano Teacher's house, on 78s, nearly forty years ago!)

No need to wait for ERNIE's wheels to grind exceeding slow, ferney

Behold!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rachmaninov-Solo-Piano-Recordings-1/dp/B001QUL6YC/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1376225179&sr=1-2-fkmr0&keywords=rachmaninov+plays+piano+solos

[BBMmk2]

Your right ofcourse HS.

Yes, I have always adored the Ashkenazy/LSO/Previn complete cycle of Rach's PC's. For me the pinnacle was the PC 3/ I find that the sound of this recording to be very good indeed. My favourite is still the Marthe Argerich though. There is also that young Japanese pianist, I have as well, which is also quite compelling recording. of the PC2 and Pag Rhap, by Yuja Wang, CoE/Abbado. I wonder when shye will record the third?