Rachmaninov: Complete Solo Piano Music Vol 5 / Ruth Laredo

Ruth Laredo (Artist, Performer), Sergey Rachmaninov (Composer), Unkn (Conductor) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Ruth Laredo
• Conductor: Unkn
• Composer: Sergey Rachmaninov
• Audio CD (June 22, 1993)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00000281G
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #190,448 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Etudes-Tableaux, for piano, Op. 33: No.1 In F Minor

2. Etudes-Tableaux, for piano, Op. 33: No.2 In C Major

3. Etudes-Tableaux, for piano, Op. 33: No.3 In C Minor

4. Etudes-Tableaux, for piano, Op. 33: No.4 In D Minor

5. Etudes-Tableaux, for piano, Op. 33: No.5 In E Flat Minor

6. Etudes-Tableaux, for piano, Op. 33: No.6

7. Etudes-Tableaux, for piano, Op. 39: No.1 In C Minor

8. Etudes-Tableaux, for piano, Op. 39: No.2 In A Minor

9. Etudes-Tableaux, for piano, Op. 39: No.3 In F Sharp Minor

10. Etudes-Tableaux, for piano, Op. 39: No.4 In B Minor

11. Etudes-Tableaux, for piano, Op. 39: No.5 In E Flat Minor

12. Etudes-Tableaux, for piano, Op. 39: No.6 In A Minor

13. Etudes-Tableaux, for piano, Op. 39: No.7 In C Minor

14. Etudes-Tableaux, for piano, Op. 39: No.8 In D Minor

15. Etudes-Tableaux, for piano, Op. 39: No.9 In D Major

16. Pieces (3) for piano, TN ii/19: Andante Semplice (Fragments)

17. Lilacs, song for voice & piano, Op. 21/5: No 05, 'Lilacs'

18. Daisies, song for voice & piano, Op. 38/3: No 03, 'Daisies'

19. Pieces (2) for cello & piano, Op. 2: Oriental Sketch

20. Pieces (2) for piano, TN ii/17: No.1 In G Minor

See all 24 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars No match for Shelley and Hyperion, June 28, 2011

By 

Stephen Fairley "steve284" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rachmaninov: Complete Solo Piano Music Vol 5 / Ruth Laredo (Audio CD)

I purchased this set for a second time having owned it some years ago in its original format. After listening to it again I began to realise why I sold it all those years ago. The reason being that it is not particularly distinguished playing. Don't get me wrong Laredo's technique is not at fault but you can't help thinking that she is somehow going through the motions and not plunging the depths of emotion that these pieces really need. In its day the set offered a good survey of Rachmaninov's solo piano works at a time when there wasn't a lot of choice in this repertoire. However, today it is not so competitive on anything other than price grounds. Unfortunately, the recorded piano sound is not helpful as its often heavy and lifeless. Also I found the pedal noise on these recordings infuriatingly distracting. While I realise that pedal noise is a factor of piano recordings I found it hard to bear on this set.

Ultimately, it's not a bad survey just not a great one and none of the discs would rank anywhere near first choice (at least for me) in this brilliant music. I have Ashkenazy's solo Rachmaninov Decca recordings as well as recital selections by others such as the wonderful Nikolai Demidenko and Dmitri Alexeev. All of these artists convey this music with much more emotional depth than Ruth Laredo. Having been disappointed with this set I have now invested in Howard Shelley's complete Hyperion survey. I can't say I'm disappointed either, as soon as I listened to the Morceaux de fantaisie on the first disc I realised that I'd made the right choice. So to conclude, I can't recommend Laredo even on the grounds of low cost. Even in today's austere economic times it would be best to save your pennies for something more heavenly like Shelley's set.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Word in Ruth's Defence, April 8, 2006

By 

George Perkins - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rachmaninov: Complete Solo Piano Music Vol 5 / Ruth Laredo (Audio CD)

Ms. Laredo has recorded the complete works of Rachmaninov's solo music. She plays with great beauty and power. I haven't found it necessary to replace these recordings, the sound is great and the price is right. What are you waiting for?

2 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mr. A's Review, January 4, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Rachmaninov: Complete Solo Piano Music Vol 5 / Ruth Laredo (Audio CD)

I have not heard Laredo's Etudes Tableaux, but Mr. A's blanket comment that a number of other 'classic' versions of this wonderful music are "boring" and lack technique must not go unchallenged. Where, I must wonder, do Mr. A's sensibilities lie? I have the Fergus-Thompson, Hobson and Shelley versions of this music and I find Mr Shelley's performance by far the best of the lot. To suggest that *his* technique needs work is both pompous and patently absurd. And to find Shelley's fiery playing "boring" suggests a profound level of ennui in the listener.