Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini; de Falla: Nights in the Gardens of Spain; Chopin:...

Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini; de Falla: Nights in the Gardens of Spain; Chopin: Grande ... | Frederic Chopin, Manuel de Falla, ... | One of the great recordings

classical music:

Rachmaninov: Rhaps...

	Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini; de Falla: Nights in the Gardens of Spain; Chopin: Grande ... Frederic Chopin, Manuel de Falla, ... RCA, 1997 average customer review:based on 4 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

Brilliant performance, excellent recording

Rubinstein and Reiner produce an excellent recording of Rachmaninov's Rhapsody. The piano is clear, the orchestra is strong but not overwhelming, and the disc sounds great in all respects.

One of the great recordings

I have loved this recording for over 40 years. I own the original vinyl LP. I was thrilled when this became available on CD. I was afraid that some of the richness and velvety tone would be lost in the transition to CD, but it sounds fine. (Almost as good as vinyl.) This is a superb rendition of the Rhapsody. Rubinstein's interpretation is romantic and masculine; the music lives and breathes. Rubinstein's version of de Falla's "Nights in the Gardens of Spain" is lighter, more elegant and exotic. There might be better versions of the de Falla piece out there, but for me, this version of the "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" has never been surpassed. And as I said, the sound on this CD is faithful to the original LP, and while not quite as full and nuanced as the original, it is still fine enough not to distract me when I listen to the CD. I highly recommend this CD.

for more information click here

The Rubinstein/Reiner Era

Excellent conclusion to a famous era. The Rachmaninoff, being recorded in January, of 1956 along with the 2nd Piano concerto of the same composer, was the lasting tribute to two great musical performing together. They had their first meeting in April, of 1954 when the duo recorded the Brahms 1st, which was an astounding success, and critics along with RCA hoped that the two would do more recordings of famous concertos together. But, Rubinstein who loved to travel and make his place in the world, became almost non-existent after the Brahms session (which is available through Classics as LSC-1831, or the ARL1-2044 vinyl release of the stereo release), when RCA had big plans to record Rubinstein again with Reiner after their two weeks of concerts together performing these famous concertos of Liszt, Schumann,Beethoven and the Rachmaninoff's two famous pieces-being the 2nd and this Variations. The duration of the two weeks of concerts put a heavy strain on these two old performers where sparks flew during the Rachmaninoff Piano concerto sessions and the RCA staff had to do some serious negoiations to remedy and contain the "sparks" that flew between these two artists. The recording sessions were completed, and the two never performed and recorded again. What a PITY!! It would have been grand to hear these two record the pieces that RCA wanted to record for posterity. These proposed recordings would have definitely been history in the making in the audiophile world. Of course, this recording of the Rachmaninoff was masterfully captured by the RCA crew of Richard Mohr and Lewis Layton. The Variations is on Harry Pearson's TAS list along with some other Reiner recordings.

for more information click here

another Rubinstein masterpiece

The other reviewers here have rightly extolled this reading of Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody, a great collaboration between Rubinstein & Fritz Reiner that was a reference recording for many years. The 1956 sound, which was always pretty good considering its age, should not be a deterent to anyone looking for what I think is the definitive recording of this music.

The same praise can be heaped on Falla's Nights in the Garden of Spain. Rubinstein was a master in the Spanish repertory & this recording demonstrates why. He brings the mystery, magic & enchantment embedded in the score fully to life in a completely inspired way. I also own Rubinstein's 1960's remake with Ormandy, but this reading with Enrique Jorda is absolutely the one to have especially as the sound has undergone considerable improvement from the LP.

My knowledge of these recordings goes back more than 35 years when I purchased the LP and my opinion hasn't changed since. Very highly recommended!

for more information click here

Tracks
Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Introduction: Allegro vivace | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation I (Precedente) | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Tema: L'istesso tempo | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation II: L'istesso tempo | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation III: L'istesso tempo | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation IV: Piu vivo | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation V: Tempo precedente | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation VI: L'istesso tempo | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation VII: Meno mosso, a tempo moderato | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation VIII: Temp I | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation IX: L'istesso tempo | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation X: Poco marcato | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation XI: Moderato | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation XII: Tempo di minuetto | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation XIII: Allegro | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation XIV: L'istessso tempo | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation XV: Piu vivo scherzando | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation XVI: Allegretto | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation XVII: (Allegretto) | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation XVIII: Andante cantabile | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation XIX: A tempo vivace | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation XX: Unpoco piu vivo | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation XXI: Un poco piu vivo | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation XXII: Un poco piu vivo (Alla breve) | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation XXIII: L'istesso tempo | Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganni, Op. 43: Variation XXIV: A tempo un poco meno mosso | Nights in the Gardens of Spain: At the Generalife | Nights in the Gardens of Spain: Distant Dance | Nights in the Gardens of Spain: In The Gardens Of The Sierra De Cordoba | Andante spianato And Grande Polonaise, Op. 22: Andante spianato | Andante spianato And Grande Polonaise, Op. 22: Grande Polonaise

products you might be interested in