RACHMANINOV "Piano Concerto n. 2" Mov. 1 (Wild/Horenstein)

[kataka1203]

Simplemente espectacular!!!

[DumpsterStig]

How can anyone dislike this? ..... Have they no soul?

[gabrielecazzola]

surprise ! great - the second concert is the best and this is a fantastic performance

[Soloiszt]

it's like every instrument has there own solo part and every part is very beautiful especially the brass instruments :))

[KhagarBalugrak]

Earl Wild had limitless technique, but I do find fault with a few things in this recording. The orchestra is made to play in a mechanical and harsh fashion due, I assume, to the decisions of the conductor. This is not Wild's fault. However, Wild himself gets a harsh sound from the piano very often in this recording, and that is his own doing for sure. Wild also makes abrupt, strange musical decisions in some places, though he voices everything so well that it's interesting to hear him anyway

[12usranger]

Listening to this magnificent concert is such a treat!! Thank you Mr. Rachmaninoff for leaving heaven for awhile and allowing us to enjoy your music!!

[armeniangeneve]

THE BEST PERFORMANCE of RACHMANINOV's I've EVER HEARD...the all 3 parts !!!!

[PKTrekGirl]

Tremendous performance!!! Thanks so much for sharing!

[TommyLeungCW]

I picked up the Vinyl back in 1982 without knowing who WIld / Horenstein were. But after the first hearing, I was deeply impressed by first the passion and then the techniques Wild revealed. Until now, the emotions , controls plus the orchestra accomplishment urged me to listen to it again and again. IMHO, this performance is just perfect.

[myrtlebox]

I have listened to MANY recordings of this. Wild got it right in all four + Rhapsody. IMHO, there is no better recording that I have ever heard. Sergei would be pleased.

[Lola10girl]

This is simply amazing. I could listen to this ALL day, all week, all my life and NEVER get bored of it. I love this so much! It's simply amazing. I LOVE YOU RACHMANINOFF!

[garyjpreston]

Such an underrated pianist. A simply outstanding performance. For me it's the best recording I've heard, but for many others it's not. But I've not heard anyone who can play it like this. The technique, passion and incredible drive are unique. Never sounds like he's showing off. Horowitz stopped playing this when he became a big name, because it didn't display his capabilities enough! This is what I've read in Glen Plaskin's biography. great conducting too. sound of the RPO is so warm.

[Martel211996]

@garyjpreston Could you give me some more details on why Horowitz never played this? I am so shocked that a great master like him would never bother to record this. imagine what he could do with this masterpiece! Its such a shame he never bothered to perform it. I prefer this concerto over the third...

[Choltik]

He was an absolutely genius!

[holymisses]

Great performance, but if you can find Benno Moiseiwitsch's 1937 recording don't miss it. Rachmaninoff himself is said to have liked it more than his own recording.

[Goktata]

too fast, as if somebody's chasing him with a gun.

[kwaterfall4]

the oboe melody since 3:27 always makes me cry .. :}

[irondivizion]

hooli vy znaete ob entoy moozike...

[llyranor]

The part starting at 3:39 is simply breathtaking.

[myrtlebox]

My father presented Wild/Hornestein recordings to me. Perhaps I'm biased from 1st listening, bur Wild simply gets it right in all four. If I hear any other interpretation, it just isn't "correct."

RIP Earl - you gave the world great gifts

[willmiller5]

Within seconds of hearing this recording, I fell in love with it. Earl Wild is simply the most astonishingly likable, agile, sensitive, unpretentious, rich and gorgeous pianist I've ever heard. He never indulges himself, never forces emotions. He was past master. I feel remarkably sad about his death -- because I have such affection for his artistry. Of course there are many who have played Rach well -- but none, for my money, not even the composer, plays Rach more movingly.

[dreamerpiano]

Rest in peace, Mr. Wild.

[vince8321]

bellisssima! una delle mie opere preferite! di uno dei miei muwsicisti preferiti!

[MarshalGZhukov]

The best recordings of the concerto are by Rachmaninoff himself, and Arcadi Volodos. IMO Volodos comes close or even reaches the heights Rachmaninoff set.

[sucramnormark]

Is this "all by myself"...?

[leongatha6]

I agree orchestra here is first class, great rendition and such good soud quality.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, abaco for the great series of beautiful old photos of Rachmaninoff.

[pjmeffen]

Although Rubinstein's playing of Rach2 is with a much more acute measure and carefully controlled in the right places, Wild's performance is astonishingly emotional and makes an already breathtaking piece of music all the more invigorating! :-D I love it and have adopted it as the anthem to my life!

Hard to imagine this being written without the torment Rach had suffered at the hands of his critics of Concerto 1. This Concerto is a big "fuck you" to them as far as I am concerned!Behold genius!

[rubestuh]

@pjmeffen

Rachmaninoff was traumatized by critical reaction to the First Symphony, not the F# minor piano concerto.

[KhagarBalugrak]

Krystian Zimerman made the best recording of this piece. Alexis Weissenberg also plays this well.

[gerryrains]

This is a superb performance. However, if one can tolerate the tape hiss the CDs of Rachmaninoff playing this and his other concerti as well as "Rhapsody" blow this out of the water. That's hardly a surprise. Rach was a phenomenal pianist and he composed the concerti :).

While this is a matter of taste. Sviatoslav Richter with the Warsaw P O conducted by Stanislaw Wislocki is just superb and I place it above this. This is a recording from 1959 and Richter was in his prime. DG Panorama.

[OzzyKingofKings]

@gerryrains Richter definitely a top contender in this concerto, but I'm moved to cite his earlier recording with Sanderling/LePO; I believe the orchestra in this recording is a lot more involved with the musicmaking than Wislocki/Warsaw were, and Richter's playing contains that much more fire for it.

Of course, the benchmark interpretation (excluding the composer's; he exists on a separate plane than the rest) for me is still William Kapell's (Bernstein/NYPO 1951 live concert = amazing).

[chopsky]

This is the finest interpretation of Rach's 2nd I've heard.

[fongpayman123]

Very good.

[NOSEhow2LIV]

For me this has been the most electrifying experience since i chanced across the LP's in a secondhand bookshop(!)in the 70's.The orchestral interpretation is among the greatest,(Horenstein conducted this with Rach as soloist).Wild is heroically romantic in style,arguably over impulsive sometimes but very"live".His discs of the other three +rhapsody(same forces)are equally impressive.Thanx for posting.

[fortylimited]

I totally agree. Earl Wild is the only other pianist I've heard play this concerto as well as Rachmaninoff himself!

[ryoryokuku]

Verrrry Brilliant Performance!

[charlesalkan]

Simply the best there is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[billyguns2]

My God, what a great performance! One of the finest I have ever heard, right up there with Byron Janis, Rubinstein, Kapell, and Cliburn, not to mention Rachmaninoff's own recording.

[kv466]

Beyond, my friend...far beyond...listen to him play the Rach 3 and the Grieg and Tchai...you'll agree that there is no one better...not to mention, the Chopin Etudes...no one else even come close.

enjoy~