Customer Reviews

Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff: Zenph Re-performance

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

As a software engineer at Zenph Studios, I am especially proud of the work our production team did on this album. Rachmaninoff's compositions are well known, but this album brings to light his amazing artistry as a pianist. Listen, for example, to this performance of his famous C-sharp minor prelude; he plays it with much more subtlety than most modern interpretations, using dynamic contrast to establish a captivating dialog between one voice tolling the opening three-note motif and other distinctly-softer voices answering it.

The other pieces on the album are also pianistic treats. Rachmaninoff's transcriptions of "Flight of the Bumblebee" and "Scherzo from a Midsummer Night's Dream" showcase his dexterity, and are great fun to hear. The intricacy of voicing and rubato in Rachmaninoff's performances of his original works is astounding, and each track is packed full of little musical surprises.

This album was re-performed on a 1909 Steinway model D on which Rachmaninoff may have very well played. Thanks to recording engineer Richard King and everyone involved in the preparation of the piano, the sound of that wonderful instrument comes through beautifully in this album. This disc presents each piece from two perspectives: an exceptional stereo version places you near the front of the audience while Rachmaninoff plays, and an intimate binaural stereo version seats you on the bench next to him. The binaural version was recorded using a special dummy head with a microphone in each ear, carefully positioned so that when the tracks are played back through headphones, each note comes from its correct place in space (lower notes toward the left, higher notes toward the right). This may be one of the best sounding piano albums ever made.

The first two posted reviews warn that this is not a SACD like our first two releases. We would have loved to issue this in SACD surround, and Sony Masterworks recorded the masters necessary to do so (so, they exist), but Sony has since closed its SACD pressing facilities in the USA.

In addition to being one of the most important composers of the early 20th century to emerge out of Russia, Sergei Rachmaninoff was also one of the great pianists in the history of the instrument. Famous for his large hands that spaned a twelfth interval, capivating and nuanced melodic textures and complex figurations, Rachmaninoff's playing has always fascinated pianists and music lovers.

This modern recreation - using softwear analyzing his playing dynamics (touch, pedeling, speed etc) that is then fed to a Steineway Grand - seeks to recreate Rachmaninoff's exact style (minus missed notes, good or bad) in modern, quality stereo sound. Whether one agrees to its relevance and authenticity in the scheme of things, it is a totally fascinating approach from sound science and engineering.

First of all this is a rich collection of Rachmaninoff's solo piano compositions and transcriptions. I was not so familiar with Rachmaninoff's solo works until this disc and was transfixed to hear each piece over and over. It became clear why this pianist is so admired.

What I found most striking listening to this disc with no expectations was the exceedingly nuanced and beautiful pianism. There is a smoothness and a fresh, organic nature to the playing that shows no unnecessary/excessive elaboration, rubato, over pedaling. Its hard to decribe the effect - the music just seeems to flow effortlessly like a clear stream of water through a tranquil forest. You don't hear mushed-over textures from excess pedaling (which the composer was known not to engage in) but nice, clear sonorities and distinctiveness of the notes.

Not sure why so much negative press on the sound quality. From my ears, it sounds equal or better than any of the other 1000 classical discs. Of course SACD would have been ideal and that is a disappointment (but apparently not technically possible at time of recording - see first review). The bottom line for this reviewer was that I appreciated this project which has really pulled me into the world of Rachmaninoff - both as a fascinating composer and a supreme pianist. Compositions - 5 stars; Performance - 5 stars; Sound quality - 4.5 stars.

This is a very well done recording. Too often, CD sound is overly compressed but the dynamic range of this is wonderful. I tend to increase the volume when playing this CD since the overall average volume is lower - this really enhances the enjoyment and emotional power of the music.

I know people may have trouble with the Zenph concept, but I find the concept intriguing and the execution on this CD is very well done. Until there is time travel, this is a real treat.

Be aware that there are 13 tracks on this CD: 1 - 13 are recorded in standard stereo and then repeated as 14 - 26 in binaural stereo for headphones. I would rather have thius split into 2 separate discs but that is a nit.

The positive reviews here mainly rave about the recorded sound quality, but is that really what the focus should be on a CD that claims to "completely eliminate the technological limitations of the past by using computer software to capture Rachmaninoff's attacks, keyspeeds, pitches, durations, and interpretive nuances from a 78rpm record..." I wrote an extensive review of this CD for the Association of Recorded Sound Collections Journal where I compared Rachmaninoff's original 78rpm records against the Zenph re-performances. The Zenph performances did not hold up well to such scrutiny. Here are a few quotes from that lengthy review.

"Where Zenph truly fails is in reproducing the artistry and musical effects found in Rachmaninoff's playing. Simply put, Zenph often reproduces the notes but not the musical relationship between the notes. Consider two slurred notes played in a particularly expressive manner by Rachmaninoff. In Zenph the second note will be quieter but lack a poetic connection."

"throughout Rachmaninoff's playing one hears beautifully balanced chords. The top note might sing out more in one chord whereas an inner dissonance might be emphasized for a different color in another chord. These are the sort of details missed by the Zenph technology. Zenph's chords for the most part simply sound like ordinary chords - they lack the special touch, color, balance, and sound Rachmaninoff brings."

"Zenph fails to recreate is the energetic, incisive quality found in many of the original 78s. What happened to the light, springy character of the Mendelssohn Scherzo? Why does the Bach Gigue sound so much more crisp and energetic on the original 78rpm? Where's the electricity in the opening of Liebesfreud?"

"There are abrupt pedal clearings throughout the Zenph re-performance that destroy the mysterious mood found in Rachmaninoff's 78 [of the C-sharp minor Prelude]."

"The C sharp minor Prelude is by no means the poorest re-performance present on this CD. The Prelude from the Bach Violin Partita in Rachmaninoff's arrangement for piano is considerably worse."

"A crucial feature of Rachmaninoff's playing was his ability to create waves of sound. In his recording of the Moment Musical in E-flat minor, the ascending and descending passages that begin at measure nine (0:09) have tremendous sweep. When Zenph re-performs these measures that sweep is missing..."

"[In Liebesfreud, Rachmaninoff's] rapidity, clarity, and brilliance leave one in awe. Zenph never matches Rachmaninoff's brilliance here, and the final descending double note passage (1:55) is a train wreck."

"Zenph's claims that they recapture everything found in Rachmaninoff's performances and overcome the technological limitations of the past are both preposterous and misleading..."

"for anyone that takes Rachmaninoff's art seriously this CD is a travesty."

For anyone interested, the full review can easily be found by searching google for Zenph Rachmaninoff Farhan Malik review.

I recall fondly these old Victor Rachmaninoff recordings (along with his Stowkowski-four concertos) and to have them restored in this stunning Zenph-Sony Masterwork CD is a real gift. The sound is crystal clear and dynamic and they show Rachmaninoff's amazing technical piano mastery and power. I highly recommend this CD to anyone interested in not only Rachmaninoff but great piano music in general and state-of-the-art sound recordings. This CD is a great follow-up to the wonderful Zenph-Sony Glenn Gould Goldberg Variation disc and I hope they continue to re-release great recordings in the future.

Zenph -

I cannot tell you how appreciative I am that you came out with this latest production. Rachmaninoff has long been a family favorite, and a topic of much discussion, I don't think any of us ever thought that we would actually hear him play - how could we imagine such a thing?

I have read all I can about Zenph and I do not fully understand how they do what they do ... but I quite honestly do not care. Bringing these artists back to life is enough for me. We are planning a family trip around hearing Zenph's Rachmaninoff performance at Carnegie Hall on November 6th - what a great way to start the holiday season.

A Huge Fan

It is difficult to describe Rachmaninoff's playing. Words alone do not do justice to it. I will begin by mentioning that people who heard him play said that he just did not play wrong notes, ever. This is obvious given the total transparency of his delivery. All the notes are there, played with utter clarity, grouped according to their role in the phrase, and animated by feeling, expression, and utter musical sense. He takes a phrase and molds it exquisitely, plays with the rhythm as if creating it. All along, the different inflexions, the hierarchy of tones within a phrase, the subtle nuance, the attention to harmony, vertical as well as horizontal, the rhythmic creativity, all aspects of his performance make the listener feel that he is witnessing the creation of the piece.

In this disc I strongly prefer the Kreisler, all the Rachmainoff pieces, and the Mendelssohn. While the Bach is of course totally understandable and makes musical sense, we are used today to more historically oriented performances, and yet the Bach is beautifully played. Nothing that Rachmaninoff touches is devoid of magic and life.

I own this CD and plan on giving it as a gift to everyone at Christmas. Zenph has gotten better with this selection as the power and tenderness of Rachmaninoff's playing is crystal clear. I love this disk. Highlights include the binaural verison for headphones which puts you at the bench where Rachmaninoff sat and you hear the performance as he heard it. It is astounding.

Buy this CD and fall in love with Rachmaninoff all over again.

Jeff M in NYC

Let's take the best known piece in the set - Prelude in C# Minor. Listen to this recording then listen to the version on the RCA Red Label Complete Recordings set (Disk 10). Next try the one on the "Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff" on the Laserlight label. Finally listen to the one on "A Window in Time" collection - another digital reproduction but taken from piano rolls rather than the 78 disks. Now go back and listen to this one again. It comes across as flat and lifeless in comparison to any one of the other three versions. It just doesn't have any dynamic passion. It sounds like it was played by a robot that was programmed to imitate human emotion but is incapable of feeling it. That absence of feeling is very apparent here. Somehow the folks at Telarc managed to capture it in the "A Window in Time" recreation - you never get the feeling that there is anything other than a human pianist, (and a great one at that), sitting at the keyboard. Here - sorry to say, not so much. To borrow, and bend, a quote from the movie Seven Year Itch: "It did not shake me, it did not quake me, it did not make me feel goose-pimply all over." Rachmaninoff really ought to - don't you think?

happy to have zenph 'revive' these recordings and music. Three cheers for engineers! each zenph product gets better - music mavens should get them all. :)