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Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 - 4 | 
 enlarge | Creators: Sergey Rachmaninov, Andre Previn, London Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Label: Decca
Category: Music
List Price: $17.98
Buy New: $9.32
You Save: $8.66 (48%)
New (43) Used (12) from $7.99
Rating:  22 reviews
Sales Rank: 5971
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.4
MPN: 444839
UPC: 028944483925
EAN: 0028944483925
ASIN: B00000427L
Release Date: February 13, 1996
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
Disc 1
| • | 1. Vivace | | • | 2. Andante | | • | 3. Allegro vivace | | • | 1. Moderato | | • | 2. Adagio sostenuto | | • | 3. Allegro scherzando |
Disc 2
| • | 1. Allegro ma non tanto | | • | 2. Intermezzo: Adagio | | • | 3. Finale (Alla breve) | | • | 1. Allegro vivace (Alla breve) | | • | 2. Largo | | • | 3. Allegro vivace |
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| Customer Reviews:
 Great Names in Classical Music, but not the best performances October 20, 2008
Christopher R. Kosloske
For price, this is one of the better sets of the complete Rachmaninov concertos to own. This set is a safe set to own if you are not familiar with the works. Andre Previn a notable pianist and conductor conducts the London Symphony Orchestra with Vladimir Ashkenazy at the piano. Ashkenazy is widely considered to be one of the great pianists of our time. All performances are better than average, but there are far better individual performances of these concertos. I recommend Piano Concerto No. 1 with Krystian Zimmerman and Seiji Ozawa, Concerto No. 2 with Benno Moiseiwitcsh and William Kapell with Hugo Rignold and William Steinberg conducting respectively. For Concerto No. 3 I recommend Horowitz with Reiner.
 Outstanding June 6, 2008
compassrose (Aiea, HI USA)
I have been listening to these recordings for a number of years. And I keep coming back to them. Great interpretation and technical playing. These are among my desert island CDs. Highly recommended.
This is the one to buy! June 13, 2007
Mike Mandel (Toronto, Canada)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A number of years ago, I went to the Classical Record Store in Toronto to acquire a copy of Rachmaninov's Piano Concertos. Like many others, I'd been introduced to Rachmaninov's 3rd Piano Concerto by the movie "Shine". When I asked the resident musicologist for Rach 3, she rolled her eyes. I explained that I wasn't remotely interested in the commercial David Helfgott version. I wanted the definitive version. She smiled knowingly and took me to a shelf. This is the version she handed me. Buy it. You won't be disappointed! Ashkenazy is at the peak of his powers and Previn does a phenomenal job with the London Symphony. It doesn't get any better than this.
The champion of Rachmaninov's music. December 24, 2005
G. Shkodra (Montreal, Canada)
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
This is a very good set of Rachmaninov's piano works for a very reasonable price indeed. For those who are unfamiliar with the great russian composer's piano works, from the blazing horns, swelling piano chords and seductive strings opening the first piano concerto you feel right away you're in for a very special musical experience.
Normally, when you know and appreciate what a musician has created throughout his career, there's almost always one piece of work that stands out or that you like more than the others. When it comes to Rachmaninov's piano works, mine would certainly be the Piano Concerto no 3, one of the most beautiful piano works that were ever written, and also the Concerto no 4. There's a certain nostalgia about this latter work, like feelings about a past gone forever, and you can feel this leitmotiv during the whole concerto. Maybe the fact that Rachmaninov wrote this wonderful concerto after having moved permanently to the US and therefore feeling homesick has something to do with it.
As for Mr Ashkenazy, he simply is the best interpreter when it comes to Rachmaninov's piano works. The great Vladimir is temperate rather than romantic, cool and constantly in control: sometimes he seems pouring out rivers of emotions and passion without getting carried away though. He has the musicality and intelligence to understand exactly how these concertos work. He has phenomenal technique, original approach, and his touch is quite fiery at times, gentle and tender at others. He can be poetic and passionate when he needs to.
In Rachmaninov's piano concertos the orchestra plays a vital role, often playing the main theme melodies while the piano accompanies, which is rather unusual. In this regard, the London Symphonic Orchestra and conductor A. Previn are one of the best. Couple this with Rachmaninov's music and Ashkenazy's interpretation, and you're in for a very special musical treat indeed.
Thoughtful but passionate interpretations July 9, 2005
Jonathan Keener (Lancaster, PA USA)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
After listening to a recording of Rachmaninoff's 2nd concerto and hearing a lot about the 3rd concerto, I jumped at buying this CD because of the low cost for two CDs - I was not disappointed.
For me the highlight by far is the third piano concerto, where Ashkenazy seems to pour out passion without getting carried away. This recording I much prefer to Argerich's recording (passionate, but little restraint and thought put into that performance) and even Horowitz's (although this may be because of it's worse sound quality). The first movement is played slower than most other performances, but is filled with passion and technical mastery. I am starting to learn this concerto and know how difficult it is! I was glad to see that Ashkenazy used the longer, chordal codenza rather than the shorter one used by Horowitz and Argerich (those are the only other recordings I've heard) with I much prefer.
The first and fourth concertos are also fabulously played but for me they don't compare to the third. The second concerto, however, was a little bit of a disappointment for me (not enough for me to give the discs 4 stars, however). Because I have already learned this concerto, I'm probably quicker to find faults with Ashkenazy's playing here. If I could put my finger on what I don't like about it it would be the balance between the piano and orchestra - you can hardly hear the piano at some of the most difficult sections. Still, the orchestra sounds beautiful and so does the piano when you can hear it.
Since listening to this disc Ashkenazy has quickly become one of my favorite pianists - as has Levine as a conductor. I would heartily recommend this CD for anyone, but especially for anyone who ever aspires to play any of these pieces - all four of the are beautiful and these performances are well thought-out and powerful.
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