Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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47 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Fresh Breeze, December 5, 2004
I'd like to add my praise to that of most of the the previous reviewers. In the course of digesting this set I have dragged out all my Rachmaninov concerto recordings and was amazed at how many I have. I primarily was comparing his performance of the Third with those of about ten others, including Horowitz/Reiner, Rachmaninov/Ormandy, Rodriguez/Tabakov, Argerich/Chailly, Ashkenazy/Fistoulari and others. Hough has indeed cleared out some cobwebs. His tempi are quite fast but, particularly considering these are live recordings, these are extremely clean performances. One little bobble in the first movement is not at all alarming. What IS amazing is how cleanly he plays the first movement cadenza with those coruscating figures in the right hand. My goodness! This is not a performance to show off his virtuosity however, although of course he has plenty of that. Rather, it is a deeply musical, intensely pondered traversal. This comment applies not only to the Third, but to all four concerti plus the Rhapsody (which is gorgeously played, it must be said). The opening tempo of the Second has raised some eyebrows, and I will admit I'm not entirely comfortable with it; I guess I prefer a more comfy opening, but it is inarguable that the fast series of chords (and their tolling bell-like bass note echoes) do set up the drama to follow.
The sound varies a bit from concerto to concerto. Mostly it's quite good, and quite present. The beginning of the Third is a little recessed and is easily fixed by increasing the volume a little bit. The overall sound places the piano less to the fore than in some studio recordings but one certainly never loses any detail in the piano part because of that. Hough's ability to articulate cleanly in the fastest and softest spots is truly stunning.
I love a lot of Rachmaninov recordings, and all for their own reasons. I believe I will love this set, too. And since it has the most modern sound of any I own, that's a real plus. And his piano technician must have been a good one; this piano is beautifully regulated throughout its range. The bass is rich and sonorous without being clangy, the treble is clear and bright without being tinny. The mid-range accomplishes the transition from low to high without any awkwardness. Kudos to the tuner!
Litton and the Dallas are able partners. There are subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) tempo variations that clearly have been thought out by Litton and Hough together, and the orchestra responds to cues with split-second timing. Ensemble is admirable; attacks and releases are amazing for a live performance. String tone is particularly lush. I noted with pleasure the bassoonist's playing of his/her melancholy countermelody in the first movement of the Third.
Highly recommended.
Scott Morrison
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pure Grace and Electricity, October 30, 2004
I have been looking forward to these recordings ever since Hough won the Gramophone Record of the Year with both the Scharwenka/Sauer and the Saint-Saens Concertos. I will also never forget the excitement inside Avery Fischer Hall last December, in the midst of New York's first massive snow storm, when he played the Egyptian Concerto with the New York Phil on a Friday morning to an odd mix of pianophiles and grandmothers who collectively turned into a frenzied mob of "bravo" yellers. It was then I truned into a Hough fan.
These performances of the Rachmaninoff concertos will probably illicit the same kind of reaction, albeit in the comfort of one's livingroom. The last movement of the Third Concerto whips up such storm that even the celebrated Argerich and Horowitz/Barbirolli will find difficult to keep up! The death-defying tempo reminds me of the manic Gieseking recording, except Hough plays with unerring composure and actually has complete control of the thousands of notes in front of him! Take the end of the scherzo section (before the recap) of the final movement, the flurry of 132nd notes, that's with 5 ledger lines!!!, are tossed off with such ease, energy, and a beautiful arching shape that one simultaneous forgets and remembers that it's a famous moment in the repertoire that makes the most versatile virtuosos turn pale!
Apart from the electric sparks, I was also struck by Hough's dramatic lyricism. For instance, when the piano makes its entry in the slow movements of the 1st and the 4th concertos, you don't sense a singer beginning his/her big bel canto number, but rather, you hear an actor professing his most intimate secrets. The musical lines unfold with a convincing narrative direction, and Hough's judgement on dynamics, colours, and agogics make for some really touching story-telling. Hough mentioned in a number of interviews (contrary to David Fanning's amazingly detailed sleeve notes) that he finds the 4th concerto to be the most human and personal of all "five" Rachmaninoff concertos. I can certainly understand why Hough would have had tears in his eyes when he played/recorded the slow movement of the 4th.
What I love the most above all about these recordings is the unadulterated love and enjoyment that come across in the playing, and I can't wait to hear Hough again when he returns to New York to play the First concerto with the Phil in the spring!
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26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
1- and 2-star reviews seem rather reactionary., June 28, 2005
Stephen Hough's choice of tempi is evidently controversial. It seems strange that a pianist should be so criticized for playing the music in the manner that the composer stipulated.
These performances are characteristic of Hough in that they display a very considered approach to tackling music. In general, he is not one to go overboard and ignore the original markings. There is certainly a time and place for this: for example, Horowitz illustrates how exciting pianism can be that is driven by a purely emotional thread rather than sticking avidly to the composer's markings.
These recordings are certainly different compared to, e.g., Ashkenazy. One may not find all the interpretations to one's taste. However, it cannot be denied that Hough's approach to interpretation is incredibly thorough and that his technique is astounding. Personally, I also found that the recordings spoke to me very profoundly on an emotional level, although I concede that this may not be the case for everybody.
Some of the reviews on this page strike me as rather reactionary. It is easy to understand that people may not consider these recordings to be "definitive". No recording can be. Music is, by its very nature, a subjective experience. However, regardless of one's tastes, these performances are valid and thoughtful interpretations. J. Bernhard writes that "[Stephen Hough] should not take on music beyond the style of Saint-Saens" because this is like "a middleclass boxer jumping up to the heavyweight division". Quite frankly, I have to wonder what qualifies him to make such a laughable statement.
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by Sergei Rachmaninov 
