Customer Reviews

Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 2; Etudes-Tableaux

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Because Rachmaninoff's music mirrors the Russian culture, I have often noted that no one plays Rachmaninoff like a Russian. Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 and Etudes-Tableaux, played by the Russian Evgeny Kissin, is unparalleled in mastery, beauty, and power. The album begins with one of the most sensitive interpretations of Rachmaninoff's second piano concerto that I have heard (on par with Vladimir Ashkenazy's, a fellow Russian). Kissin understands the flow of the piece from beginning to end. As a result, he builds the tension by accentuating the rich chord progressions that fill the piece. He then resolves that tension with the precision of a story-teller and the sensitivity of a master artist. Though the music stretches the ability of even the greatest pianists, Kissin plays through the difficulty in order to paint a landscape of musical progression. He hears and invites his audience to hear the intricate sub-plots that recur all throughout the work. Perhaps Rachmaninoff's most famous composition is married with a true master artist.

The album ends with six powerful Etudes-Tableaux. Once again, Kissin hears and emphasizes both the predominant theme as well as the innumerable sub-themes, often overlooked by lesser musicians. My favorite is Etude-Tableau No. 5 in E-flat minor. This extremely difficult piece builds tension through increased dissonance until a lofty climax. That dissonance almost becomes unpleasant to the ears, creating an atmosphere of extreme melancholy. I imagine that tension mirroring the inner turmoil that an individual experiences through a difficult time of life. But when that tension and internal cacophony can get no greater and the person is at the point of breaking, grace comes! The beauty of the resolution is far more beautiful against such a dark backdrop. And any person who has been through difficulties can fully enter into the emotion of the music. And anybody who is currently experiencing pain and suffering can take hope, even from this music, that resolution will come.

I think I own about 5-6 other recordings of this, but this one takes the cake. I'd say that Kissin's clarity on this piece is what impresses me the most, although I'd also say that his other strengths are right up there. Regarding clarity, the passagework right after the initial occurrance of the 1st theme in the beginning of the 3rd movement is clearer than you will hear by any other performer--Kissin is simply the best there is in terms of technical preparation and execution. But once you get over how impressive his technique was, listen to the phrasing he manages to observe as well! I haven't heard any other pianist perform this section as clearly nor with such exquisite detail to phrasing, which is a reflection of both his technique and musicianship, THE two elements of pianistic criticism. And this is also indicative of the rest of the concerto. The only area in which I'm disappointed is his climax of the 1st movement, although he DID perform it according to the score. The climax (about halfway through the 1st mvt.) is written at fortissimo, which is actually down a dynamic notch from fortissISSimo (fff) from the measure before. So it's kind of a let down. But, as I said, it's written in the score that way, and the only pianist I've heard perform it the way I prefer is Richter (DG). Nevertheless, Kissin's performance is still my favorite.

Concerning the etudes: Wow. The A minor (op. 39 no. 2) is absolutely breathtaking. One can't ask for better taste in timing than what Kissin has to offer. Rachmaninoff once said that he believes that every piece has one and only one climax, and everything else before or after is in one way or another coming to or from that point. This is easier said than done, but Kissin pulls it off, never leaving the listener in doubt as to exactly where that climax is, and also never surprising the listener with its placement. The E-flat minor (op. 39 no. 5) etude shares many of the same values as the previous--again, particularly at the climax. His timing is impeccable. And the other A minor (op. 39 no. 6) isn't so much amazing because of the climax (surprise!) but more because of his brilliant clarity, dynamic contrast, tension and release, and performance of the passages that can be truly hair-raising if executed correctly.

This is a must buy. I feel as if there's almost empirical evidence for this. It's a recording that one can use to convince any listener that these are the best recordings of these pieces available. If you want a recording that's clouded by the personality fragments of the performer, do not buy this recording. If you want to get to know the music rather than the performer, this is the one to buy.

This was the first recording that I'd heard of Kissin's playing. Once I was over the amazement to the fact that he was a mere 16 years old when he recorded this, only then could I critique the performance and interpretation of these wonderful and extremely difficult works. That said - the true gems on this recording are the Etudes-Tableaux. Technically and interpretively excellent, he does wonderfully at expressing Rachmaninoffs picturesque miniatures. I've not yet heard a better recording of the #1 Etude in C-minor.To top off , the piano that he is playing on is exceptional; same quality of the pianos played by Rachmaninoff and Horowitz from the 1940's(back when Steinway "made them like they used to").The concerto leaves much to be desired.Kissin's playing is good but I don't care for some of the tempos that they use and the sound quality (mixing) is definetely lacking - particularly where the piano is concerned; too much echo.Buy this CD for the Etudes; these are among Rachmaninoff's finest works for solo piano and young Mr. Kissin does an enjoyable rendition of them; one that I think even Rachmaninoff himself could be pleased with.

having listened to this recording, I finally confirmed what I had been thinking, which is that Kissin is not a suitable pianist for Russian music! I don't intend to infuriate his fans, but this is what i truly feel. Yes, in terms of technique, he is undoubtedly one of the best. However, I don't hear the tension, the emotional conflicts, and the struggling that are inevitable in Russian music, especially in Rachmaninoff's compositions. For those who wanna collect all the versions of Rachmaninov No.2, go ahead and get this CD, but for those who don't wanna spend money again and again in order to find the BEST, please choose Weissenberg or/and Richter.

Just to put it out there, this is the best Rachmaninoff recording I have heard. Previously, I had heard Horowitz's, Kissin's, Ashkenazy's and (Louis) Lortie's third concerto performances. That became my favorite piece of music, hands down. I listened to Horowitz's performance(s) at least 10 times and Kissin's about 40 times (that's the one I owned first). I realized that Rachmaninoff is such a passionate composer, the pianist and conductor need to have thorough understanding of the piece and circumstances under which it was written. Everyone knows the story of Rachmaninoff's visits to a psychologist. Kissin, being Russian, stays true to his native country with this performance.

I find it almost impossible that a 16-year old could manage to handle such a beast and do it so phenomenally. He IS the most prodigious pianist since maybe Josef Hoffman. His technique is simply unsurpassable. And, contrary to many of his reviews, he uses that technique as well as anyone could.

The performance of the concerto is obviously the centerpiece on this CD, but the etudes are definitely not to be forgotten! I have commenced learning a couple of them as a result, and will try the concerto out in the next couple of months.

Mr. Kissin deserves my highest praise and reccommendation for these performances.

Kissin was a bit too young at the time for this concerto; that said, his tone is ravishing (slightly metallic on this particluar piano, but that's in terms of bells, not anvils). Overall, the playing is technically sound, but one could question the use of pedal here and there, smearing articulation, and at times--no fault of his own-- Kissin is drowning in the swells created by Gergiev. The Etude-Tableaux are excellent; several could actually be considered signature readings of the pieces. Buy this recording for the etudes, and use the concerto for points of comparison with the likes of Cliburn, Duchable (a personal favorite), Ashkenazy and Weissenberg.

Kissin is the real deal. I bought this cd some years ago when it was first released and even though I own many other versions of Rach 2, this is the one I always come back to time after time. I enjoy the recording for some of the same reasons the previous reviewer(Michael from Chicagoland)dislikes it. The tempos are not rushed, which brings out the sheer romanticism much more in my opinion. The acoustic is warm and resonant, I would go so far as to say ideal for this romantic piece. Gergiev and Kissin have this music in their veins and it shows. The only other version that compares is Lilya Zilberstein with Claudio Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic(not available in the US).

My mom got me this CD for Christmas, and I haven't yet gotten over how good it is.

The Concerto is an amazing recording; the slower tempos add rather than detract from the performance. Kissin is an incredible pianist and does full justice to Rachmaninoff's masterpiece. Also, I felt that the orchestra's performance was also brilliant, even if it is not the focus.

As for the Etudes-Tableaux, they are also well played and interpreted, especially the first one in A Minor. However, some of the later Etudes-Tableaux on the CD, are only played very well, not brilliantly. (Not that that's a bad thing).

Overall, it's certainly worth at least twice the price(Shh! Don't tell Amazon!)and is a completely worthwhile buy.

Kissin at his finest. And the London Symphony Orchestra is certainly a treat. Addmitedly, my purchase of this selection was based on the extensive usage of Rachmaninof's concerto No.2 in the classic film 'Brief Encounter'.Brief Encounter - Criterion Collection
Sometimes it's not enough to just hear portions and segments of a masterpiece. And while I'll admit that Mozart is my favorite classical composer, there are some themes from Rachmaninoff which have found their way into many places of my life. He's one of the musicians who succedes in making the world just a bit smaller I think.

The concerto in this recording runs about 35 minutes in 3 movements. Then there's an additional table of Etudes, Op. 39, which may be more about demonstrating the talents of the pianist. Probably one of Kissin's favorite exercises. But his depth of feeling for Rachmaninoff, in general, is apparant throughout the whole recording, lacking only 9 seconds of a full hour of music.

The initial Allegro movement (meaning 'at a lively pace' or tempo) is sincere, to the very climax, when the melody opens it's petals in the form of a Russian folk dance melody, set to the cadence of a march. You might almost see those knee crunching Cossack dancers in your mind's eye.

The Adagio, (an eased or liesurely pace or tempo) revives the initial theme again like a soft breeze. Here the composer decorates the score with some musical ornaments to accentuate the primary melody again. Wind ornaments (flute, clairinet, French horn, etc.) softly accompany the piano forte, gracefully interweaving their complementary melodies, building and rebuilding the crescendos until, with a final grand flourish of the keyboard, the central melody again is carried out softly by strings and winds, with several complementary tempos of musical ornament.

The concluding Allegro marches right into full swing (sort of like the 'Love for Three Oranges') beginning with what I think sounds like a mousey Oboe part, but suddenly leading the piano into an orchestral full accompaniment of thunder, and then lulling back to the variations on the original theme. Orchestral thunder and grand piano counter points are recurrent in this finale movement. This movement also accentuates a theme on the strings with some chords I'm certain have made their home in the film score from 'Lawrence of Arabia', perhaps the signature role of Peter O'Toole, and one of my favorites.
Lawrence of Arabia (Single Disc Edition)

If one asks what the most striking reality in this CD is, I would without a doubt show the recording date (1988) and the year (1971) Kissin was born in. This interpretation of Rachmaninoff's 2nd concerto is just "too much" for a young man at his 17s. Apart from the technical brilliancy, Kissin shows us that he feels the music in his soul. The Etudes-tableaux are unique in their own way, and Kissin's recordings are among the best. Notice the savagery in No. 1, the beauty in No. 2, and the melancholy in No. 5. Brilliant performances. Highly recommended.