Customer Reviews

Rachmaninov: Concerto Nos. 2 & 3

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I own 6 different recordings of Rachmaninoff's 3rd piano concerto (Ashkenazy, Horowitz, Van Cliburn, Kissin on CD and this same Janis recording on vinyl) and this is my favorite. From the haunting theme of the first movement to the pyrotechnics of the finale, nothing beats this piece for sheer emotional intensity. Despite perhaps 50 listenings, I never fail to get goosebumps in the transition from the 2nd to the 3rd movement.

Janis' technique and expression are impressive, but the raw power he brings to this demanding composition is unbelievable - especially as he powers his way down to the lower registers. Even during the fortissimo portions he can be heard above the orchestra. I also find Janis' tempo choices more to my liking than the renditions by other artists (some slower, some faster).

The recording is mostly quite good, although there are a few times when the orchestra is a little "mushy". But none of this detracts from the beauty, power and emotion of Janis' interpretation of this masterpiece.

Over the years, I have listened to numerous renditions of the Rachmininoff 3rd Piano Concerto, Op. 30, such as, Horowitz, Van Cliburn, Ashkenazy, Kapell (my favorite) and Rachmaninoff, himself. And despite the changes in fashion and recognition of artists who performed this concerto, I sincerely find the 1957 performance with Byron Janis and Charles Munch conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra to be one of the most beautiful and compellingly passionate of them all. Sadly, there are no liner notes with this cd, nor is it even mentioned in current Penguin and Gramophone Guide books. Neverthless, I would buy this cd, even if it were in plain, brown paper. In addition, the 1958 performance of the Rachmaninoff, 2nd Piano Concerto, Op. 18 with Enrique Jorda conducting the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra is also superb.

Not only is this the best overall recording i have heard so far, it is also extremely inexpensive. What a bargain. I currently own about 18 recordings of this concerto and this one is in a tie for first place with the Recording by Rafael Orozco on the philips label(which is also a bargain priced set).
You really can't go wrong with this recording. The second concerto which is included on this cd is also very well played. Although it is played by a pianist I have never heard of. I find the tempos a bit distracting but after a while they grow on you and you learn to enjoy it. My recommended recording of the second concerto would have to be the one with Wild/Horenstein or Gutierrez/Maazel.

All in all this is one of the most satisfying purchases i have made in a while. 5 Stars for sure

Contrary to what Amazon says on this entry, these two piano concertos aren't both played by Byron Janis. Only the Rach 3 is played by Janis, while the Rach 2 is played by Alexander Brailowsky. I can't believe nobody's mentioned that in the previous reviews. I almost wanted to send it back because I've never heard of Brailowsky, but I just listened to it twice in two days and he does a bang up job in the 2nd concerto. A guy who plays that good should be more well known. I like Rachmoninov's second better than the third, so maybe I like Brailowsky better than Janis because of that. Still, Janis does a great job on the third, as always. Though Amazon is misleading people by saying that Janis plays on both, so Amazon please correct this mistake. The sound quality is very pleasing for being recorded in 1957 and 1958. I heartily recommend this recording even with the Amazon mistake. Enjoy!!!

This recording is very special to me. I read the reviews of all the Rachmaninov number 3's, but chose this one because the reviewers who praised it seemed to know what they were talking about the most. It's true this CD is very inexpensive, but I've known for a long time not to judge a recording based on price. One of the main reasons the labels keep coming out with new CD's is that they want to make money with premium pricing on new performances. But most of the classics have already been given brilliant interpretations. I would argue we have to concentrate more on locating and preserving the great older recordings, rather than constantly trying to make new ones. Byron Janis deals with Rach's 3rd here with an uncanny blend of precision, effortlessness, and sensitivity. The notes seem to magically stand on their own even though they come at you with lightning speed. You can see everything with this recording, you can understand Rachmaninov's music perfectly. A true genius like Janis knows that a perfect performance means playing the music so people can fully grasp it. Playing over people's heads may seem impressive to some, but that is not the best art. Janis did not sacrifice any measure of Rachmaninov's sophistication, he delivers it with total accuracy but it is totally accessible. I am giving this CD to a beautiful girl I met a few weeks ago who I really admire, along with the Telarc Debussy and Sarah Chang's Tchaikovsky. You better believe that if I am giving this CD to a girl I love, I am very serious about this recording. I take this kind of thing very seriously.

First, I confess that I am a Byron Janis fan. Of all the famous pianists he seems most to understand the beauty in paying as much musical attention to rests as notes. [Sorry, John Cage.] This Rach 3, along with the his performance of the Rach 3 with the London Symphony under Dorati, are at the pinnacle of perfection for this composition and there is little to choose between the two.

Janis' playing is very dynamic with wonderful insights not always found in other performances. In contrast to Argerich's highly aggressive version, particularly commencing the third movement but in other sections as well, Janis will often understate the volume but not the tempo. That's not easy to do, but when done well as per Janis it sends chills coursing through the body. Argerich is an essential listen (and viewing through YouTube) but to my mind I always return to the Janis for my musical fix.

Brailowsky's Rach 2 is a good performance but his competition is much greater. You will want to compare performers from Cziffra to Watts on this and to my mind Byron Janis (Minneapolis/Dorati) provides a better interpretation of this piece as well. My 5 star rating is an average of 7 stars for the Janis Rach 3 and 3 stars for the Brailowsky Rach 2.

The price proves that money is no measure of music.

Among the world's greatest pianists, there are virtuosi, super-virtuosi, and magicians. Janis is a magician whose astonishing technique and profound sensitivity to the music has resulted in what is generally considered to be the definitive performance of this magnificent concerto. In terms of pianistic ability and artistic accomplishment, Janis's performance is comparable to Michelangeli's "superhuman" performance of the Rachmaninov #4.

Janis "owns" the Rachmaninov #3 with exquisite nuances and coloring that will take your breath away. The Boston Symphony Orchestra complements Janis with bravura and gusto to give a well-balanced performance. The sound engineering (1957) is quite good even by today's standards.

The Rachmaninov #2 is performed by Brailowsky and is okay but nothing special. Having said that, this is a "must-have" CD well worth the price of admission.