Customer Reviews

Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Rachmaninov's Third, for me, is the Second pushed to higher, more exalted ground, transmogrified and transformed. It's everything the Second Concerto wanted to be--- strained to be--- but never was (and couldn't be). The irony, of course, is that the Second Concerto is the most "popular"; but the Third is the more "perfect."

Especially in Janis' hands. What he brings to Rachmaninov's Third nobody else ever has: incredible understanding and passion, depth, breathtaking poetic fire and an unerring nobility. His view of this work is so completely "total"--- it overwhelms. No other pianist I've ever heard, including Horowitz, has imbued the Third with as much dimension, nor performed the concerto as exceptionally.

To my way of thinking, Janis "owns" this concerto. His version is, indeed, a critical necessity, regardless how many other Rachmaninov Thirds you already own. The inclusion of the Second Concerto was a smart move--- an exciting "filler," along with the sundry solo piano works.

The sound provided by producer Wilma Cozart Fine is exceptionally "fine," indeed, in the Third, and only marginally less so in the Second. Janis, especially, is captured most vividly, his piano full, warm and close, every nuance and detail clear.

You can never really "know" Rachmaninov's Third unless you hear Janis; his is a performance for the ages.

[Running time: 75:18]

For those already having SACD playback capabilities, or contemplating purchase of a SACD deck, this Byron Janis/Antal Dorati recording of Rachmaninoff's 2nd and 3rd Piano Concertos (and two Preludes for piano) has been newly released in hybrid SACD form. Below are my comments on the SACD release, covering both the SACD layer and the "redbook" CD layer. Those with (or contemplating) SACD capabilites will want to check this new release (ASIN B0000DC15K) out; the sound quality is simply stunning; a knock-out!

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Some good things - REALLY good things - are happening with the advent of the hybrid SACD (which I believe to be the long-term medium of choice for classical music lovers). BMG has gone back into its early-stereo-days vaults for some treasures (initially, 10 releases) from the beginnings of the Living Stereo days. And now Decca/Philips has done likewise with the Mercury Living Presence vaults. This Byron Janis/Antal Dorati Rachmaninoff collection (one of approximately six such Mercury Living Presence hybrid SACDs released so far) is as good as it gets for fans of Sergei Rachmaninoff's piano concerti.

Rachmaninoff wrote four concerti for the instrument, but the middle two, as on this release, are by far the best known (and best loved) of the four. For many years, the 2nd Piano Concerto, largely thanks to its "Full Moon and Open Arms" theme in the final movement, was more popular with audiences and listeners than the 3rd. But, thanks largely to the dramatized travails of the Australian pianist David Helfgott in the movie "Shine," the race, as it were, is much closer. The 3rd definitely places much higher technical demands on the soloist, and in any event has always been my preference of the two.

Byron Janis, at his prime (as he is in these performances), was one of the finest pianists of his generation. (If the latest generation of classical music listeners is unfamiliar with his abilities, it certainly isn't due to the magnificent support that the Mercury label provided for him through most of those years. More likely, the unfamiliarity is due to a very steep decline in his concertizing activities once he was stricken with psoriatic arthritis in the early '70s.) A prodigious technician, Janis was also able to infuse his playing with finely-honed lyricism when called for; he was definitely not a subscriber to today's "Bang Bang" (or "Clang Clang" if you will) school of pianism. (Interestingly, he was the first private student that Vladimir Horowitz took on [and Horowitz only had a few such students]. While he undoubtedly learned well from Horowitz, I believe that his ability to combine technical prowess with lyricism was innate.)

I don't know that there are any better performances of these two popular works. I've heard many (and own a bunch of those I've heard), but when I noticed that Decca/Philips included these performances in their initial hybrid SACD release package, I scarfed up this disc in a heartbeat. The sound, even in just the "redbook" CD layer, is literally like "being there," thanks to the magnificent job that Wilma Cozart Fine had done in transferring the master tapes to the CD medium in the last decade. But it is the SACD layer that is truly stunning, with woodwinds having a nice sense of "air" around them, silky strings (even when played fortissimo) and cymbal transients (at the end of the Rachmaninoff 3rd) that do not go into "overload" distortion. To my ears, it is as if the sessions had been taped last week. To your ears, perhaps, you'll be satisfied that the recording quality lacks nothing as compared with current releases.

Dorati gives Janis warmly detailed and wonderfully played support, from both the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (now the Minnesota Orchestra) in the 2nd concerto and the London Symphony Orchestra in the 3rd concerto. Remarkably, there is no discernible difference in either the orchestras' abilities (a tribute to Dorati) or the ambient sound (a tribute to the skilled Mercury team, led by Bob Fine and Wilma Cozart Fine). I could only detect that the LSO had its violas in front of the cellos on the right, and in their more usual seating for the Minneapolis sessions. Beyond that, I doubt anyone could tell the difference.

The album is nicely rounded out with two Rachmaninoff preludes, including the famous Prelude in C-sharp Minor.

The booklet, save for technical updates describing the transfer-to-SACD process and an update on Janis's activities to the present, faithfully duplicates the original text and artwork. The text includes a perceptive essay on the concerti by Arthur Loesser, who had been, as a youth, at the world premiere performance of the 3rd Piano Concerto when Rachmaninoff performed it in New York in 1909, with Walter Damrosch conducting the New York Symphony Orchestra. Within a week, give or take, Rachmaninoff again performed it in New York, this time with the New York Philharmonic led by Gustav Mahler (an event well-documented in Mahler anecdote history by virtue of the pains that Mahler took in preparing the orchestra while Rachmaninoff waited patiently). Loesser's notes suggest that he only attended the Damrosch-led performance, and not the Mahler-led one. I dare say, had it been my allowance, I know which one I'd pick.

I also dare say that, if you pick these Janis/Dorati performances, you won't be disappointed.

Bob Zeidler

Having purchased both the Rachmaninoff 2 and 3 on Mercury LPs back in the early 1960's, I have listened to and enjoyed these recordings for over 40 years. The star is the Janis Rach 3rd. While I have heard innumerable performances of this concerto over the years, none, repeat none, matches Janis's for dazzling technique and interpretation. The sound quality on the LP to this day is astonishing. Its CD equivalent, sourced from the 3 track magnetic tape and not the 35 mm magnetic film used for the Rach 3 LP, is very good, if not the last word in detail that is present on the LP. I treasure the CD reissue for I can take it where the LP can not go. The Rach 2 here is not interpretatively as exciting as the 3rd, and the sound more thuddy, courtesy the Minneapolis venue, but it is still a very good performance. There are only a handful of recordings that I would take to the fictional desert island, but Janis with Dorati interpreting the Rach 3 is one of them. Highest possible recommendation.

First of all i'd just like to say that the earlier reviewer is right about the tuning. The piano and orchestra are tuned at a higher frequency than standard 440. But you shouldn't use this CD as accompiament anyway, buy Music Minus 1, anyway..
This recording is truly amazing, it is the ULTIMATE Rachmaninoff 3rd. The Rachmaninoff 3rd is a work that I hold very close to my heart, I have many many recordings, and none match Janis in his breathtaking performance. Anyone interested in the 3rd should own this recording. The sound on this CD for the 3rd is very rich and full. The 2nd concerto is not played as great as the 3rd but also a recording worth listening to. The sound is not as great as the 3rd, but not too bad at all. Overall this CD is HIGHLY recommended!!!!! Do yourself a favor and buy it for the greatest Rachmaninoff 3rd of them all!!!!!!!

As a huge fan of the 2nd concerto, on first hearing I was disappointed with the faster than average speeds taken throughout. However on further hearings I have come to conclude that this is a truly convincing performance in every way and Janis proves to be an artist of immense insight. The speeds seem right to me now. The performance of the 3rd concerto is simply one of the best around any way you look at it, and I continue to come back to this recording as an example of Janis at his finest, both technically and expressively. The recorded sound in the 3rd is slightly better than the 2nd.

You most likely will never find greater performances of these works in these respects: Byron Janis delivers a meltingly poignant and lyrically beautiful reading, while delivering all the power and virtuosity you could possibly want. This combination of poetic renderings and long musically endearing lines with blazing fire and drama comes around only rarely. You can hear images of Janis' teacher, the great Vladimir Horowitz here and there, but not even the recordings of that great Russian master deliver all of what is given here.

Yes, the third concerto is the piece featured as the "musical villain" in the movie "Shine," but don't be fooled. This piece is nothing to fear; rather, it is one of the most astounding, emotional, and moving masterpieces of piano literature ever. And the famous, beautiful, and unforgettable melodies of the second concerto will take you back to a time when composers and performers alike treasured all that was romantic, gorgeous, and heart-warming.

The legendary producer Wilma Cozart Fine of Mercury Records recorded this originally and has brought it back in a sonically warm and clear remastering. This disc and these performances are truly classics in every sense.

What can I say about this CD that's not already said? I totally agree with all the comments expressed here by all the reviewers.

In all my 50 years, I never knew piano music could be so rich, evocative and inspiring. This is one discovery that came so late but nevertheless so wonderfully fulfilling and satisfying in my enjoyment of music over a lifetime. I can truly say that this music has enriched my life and came at a time when life seems to be coming to a close, at least as I perceived it for myself. Imagine, such music created nearly fifty years ago still sound so fresh and beautiful that it can touch, move and inspire us even now, after all the years! I encourage music lovers everywhere, especially of classical music, to get hold of this CD and listen to it at least once in their lifetime. You may experience the same sense of joy and wonder as I have. Also, as far as possible, try to listen to it on a high-end high-fidelity audio system. This will definitely give a clearer and more detailed insight, `revelation' into the music, making it that so much more enjoyable.

If Byron Janis was a student of Vladmir Horowitz, then I must say that in this instance, the disciple has truly excelled above and beyond that of the master (as chinese sayings go). In comparison to the Horowitz/Reiner/RCA/1951 recording which some described as the definitive and ultimate interpretation of the Rachmaninoff Third, I find that the latter much less emotionally involving and satisfying. In my opinion, many things in the latter - the seemingly `missing' orchestration (overwhelmed by the forceful pianist maybe), the `plonky' and `banging' piano tone in many instances, the relatively `cold' technical rendition, poor mono recording with thin and reedy sounds overall etc - make it inferior by far. The only other worthy contender, which even comes close to this by Byron Janis, is the Martha Argerich/ Kondrasin/Bavarian RSO/Philips/1980 recording.

So don't hesitate, go get the SACD version of this CD now and enjoy....

This is a landmark performance by Bryron Janis. If you enjoy the passions and the nuances of Rachmaninov, you will love this recording. It deserves 10 stars place a place in you collection. Treat yourself and buy it.

You can only preview the first minute of a piece on Amazon. No matter; that's all that's needed to decide that this performance of the Rach 3 is going to be a treasure to enjoy forever. The introductory phrase is mercilessly understated--a logical jackhammer of precision in tone and feeling, like the stare of a cold woman (or man) tearing you apart with the arguments of inexorable logic. Beautiful, in other words.

Byron's playing throughout reaches for--and finds--an amazing balance between emotion and precision, between expression and atmosphere. Arpeggios weave in and out of the orchestral backdrop--breathtaking. Other than some background hiss that is quickly and easily forgotten, this recording is clear and dazzling. Piano and orchestra are perfectly balanced with one another. I take this one over Horowitz '51. The 2nd is great as well, even if I prefer Richter there. If you've never heard the 3rd before, buy this one. If you have, buy this one; you will experience new insights. Stunning.

I have been listening to this recording of Rach 2 and 3 since I was 11. I'm almost 24 now, and Mr. Janis' playing still brings tears to my eyes and makes me forget everything around me. I'm absolutely transported when I listen to these recordings. I can't say enough good things about this CD; I've searched high and low for comparable renditions of Rach 3 (my favorite piece!) and I can say with certainty that NOBODY holds a candle to Mr. Janis. In my opinion, Olga Kern is second best. I went to the Cliburn competition the year she won, and she was great, but Mr. Janis is truly in a league of his own. I realize this is less a critique of the recording quality or the compilation on the CD and more a critique of Mr. Janis as a performer, but I had to say it. I emailed Mr. Janis when I was 13 and told him how much his playing meant to me, and he emailed back! It's one of my greatest regrets, not saving that email! Anyway, I need an outlet to express my undying affection for this album and to explain that there is nothing else like it. I will listen to this album until the day I die!

P.S. To include something useful, I think the quality of this album is quite good. I don't think there's anything wrong with the second movement of the 2nd concerto, like some other reviewers did.