Customer Reviews

Rachmaninov: 24 Preludes, Op. 23 Nos. 1-10, Op. 32 Nos. 1 - 13, Morceaux de fantaisie, Op. 3 No. 2

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

 

 

On 3 October, the Gramophone Award winners for 2009 will be announced. Steven Osborne is nominated both in the Concerto and Instrumental categories. I have not heard the former disc--Britten's complete works for piano and orchestra (Britten: Piano Concerto; Diversions; Young Apollo). However, as to the latter, I have listened to it extensively and compared with copious other versions of Rachmaninov's Preludes. Knowing the British reviewers in combination with the fact that Paul Lewis's Beethoven Sonatas scooped last year's Record of the Year accolade, I would not be surprised at all to find this Osborne disc as this year's winner--it has already been showered with several accolades in the Kingdom. Obviously, we must be faced with one of the great piano discs of recent, right?

Together with Chopin's Ballades and Nocturnes, Rachmaninov's Preludes constitute the most beautiful works written for the piano. It should, thus, come as no surprise that I own and/or have heard most extant versions of these priceless gems--as well as played some of them myself. Even if other British pianists from John Ogdon through Howard Shelley and Peter Donohoe have preceded Osborne in recording the 24 Preludes, they have all failed to capture the Rachmaninovian amalgamation of passion, nervousness, powerfulness and fiery brilliance. In this department, the great Russian pianists remain supreme.

One cannot say that Osborne plays bad; at the same time, claiming this to be 'the winning ticket' (International Record Review), or at 'the top of the {recommended} list', (Fanfare, {Musical Opinion}), is either biased or outright ignorant. Osborne manages to make the vast majority of the Preludes sound virtually the same: the B-flat major hardly 'meastoso', the D major not much 'cantabile', the A-flat major barely 'vivace', the E minor certainly not 'con brio', and the F minor anything but 'appassionato'. Instead, they all come across as largely pleasant, smooth, unproblematic and ultimately quite dull. There is nothing of Gavrilov's blistering dexterity, Richter's balanced passion, or Alexeev's idiomatic perfection.

Several British reviewers liken Osborne's Preludes to those of Ashkenazy, recorded some 25 years ago (Rachmaninov: 24 Preludes). Even if Ashkenazy is more individual and memorable, his streamlined approach indeed appears to have served as a model for Osborne. And just like his 'mentor', he is overall more successful in Op 32 than in Op 23; his C major, E major, A minor and A major Preludes are all very good.

In my view, Steven Osborne may well be today's most overestimated pianist. Again, he is undeniably competent but just as his Debussy Preludes (Debussy: Préludes) and Liszt Harmonies (Liszt: Harmonies poétiques et religieuses), these Rachmaninov Preludes attest to the fact that there is absolutely nothing great whatsoever about his pianism. Therefore, I added the minus--although Hyperion's beautifully lifelike Henry Wood Hall sound needs a special mention. Let's hope that Bavouzet receives this year's award for the final instalment in his new reference Debussy series (Debussy: Complete Works for Piano, Vol. 4).

TIMINGS: Op 3/2--4:51; Op 23--35:56; Op 32--37:38

REFERENCES: Gavrilov (Rachmaninov: Preludes/Moments Musicaux/Ravel: Gaspard de La Nuit), Richter (Sviatoslav Richter Plays Rachmaninoff), Alexeev (Rachmaninov: Preludes)

I have the Ashkenazy CD mentioned by the below Pontus. I find this CD quite handsome in its playing. ALL of the Preludes are done well, although I disagree with some of the interpretations. I find this one notch above Ashkenazy's playing, but a notch below what I would call unbelievable or mind-blowing. He plays with power when necessary, a fine technique, and discerning musicianship also. I do miss the melancholia that so permeates all of the works of Rachmaninoff. This trait is missing from Osborne's playing.

The last of the Op. 32 Preludes, my favorite, lacks a finality to it that states the end to the composing of preludes in his lifetime. Ashkenazy goes for broke in this prelude and brings out all the voices, albeit a little percussively.

But I think this CD does deserve its Editor's Choice from Gramaphone magazine. There are no real weaknesses, but it fails to enthrall me as truly exciting or scintillating.

There is nothing that I can possibly find to say negatively about this superb recording.

Who is this Stephen Osborne?

I find absolutely everything that he has recorded to be of the absolute highest quality; artistically, emotionally, expressively, it's about as perfect as you can get. And such interesting repertoire! Here the Rachmaninov preludes (which I hardly knew, imagining for some reason that they would be 99% 'filler' for the c# minor famous one... how wrong I was).

The perfect way to spend an hour+ would be in listening to this disc at home on your headphones, but I admit I haven't done that... yet! Instead I've enjoyed dipping in and listening to just one or two at a time, and I've not yet failed to be inspired for the rest of the day.

Bravo to all involved in this recording! And now I think I'll listen to opus 32, number 13!

It is always good to see a new addition to the catalogue when it comes to the complete preludes of Rachmaninov. At present I know of only about 10 versions released on CD, and some of the composer's greatest interpreters - such as Sviatoslav Richter and Earl Wild - never got around to recording all 24. After a characteristically beautiful recording by Dame Moura Lympany and the efforts of Peter Katin and Howard Shelley (both very decent performances, sans plus), Steven Osborne seems the perfect choice for a further anglophone to have a go at it, and I must say I was not for a moment disappointed.

Osborne's playing is less crystalline than that of some pianists of his generation - and Rachmaninov himself, if one cares to lend an ear to his outstanding music roll recordings released some 10 years ago on Telarc - but when it comes to catching the mood of longing (for mother Russia and many other things) that is at the center of Rachmaninov and the worldly elegance always present beneath the occasional ferocity, Osborne succeeds like very few I have encountered over the years. I have heard others manage a bit more desperation in the chilling B minor prelude (let Demidenko take you there!) and a slightly more electric tingle in the famous G sharp minor do., but overall Osborne's view is remarkably consistent and it steers him clear of the occasional paroxysms of bad taste so often found in most other performances - especially in the C sharp minor and G minor preludes. It also leaves him free to make the 24th prelude in G flat major the crowning achievement it should be, and Osborne's marvellous rendering of this piece is in itself worth the price of the disc. In my music collection only the live recording (and rare as diamonds THEY are!) made by Peter Donohoe matches the level of involvement I find on this disc, and though Osborne is commendable in every respect, Donohoe must - to me, at least - remain majestically alone at the top of the list due to a singularly astute management of the details of this extraordinary music. Only one snag: his version is very difficult to come by (e.g. not for sale on Amazon.com).

Why only four stars then, you might ask. Well, Hyperion always had a tendency to go heavy on the sound (lots of bass, little treble), and in some of their otherwise fine recordings this is bordering on the annoying. On this disc this is not as prominent as it sometimes is, but as compensation they have "expertly" managed a deep rumble (<160 Hz) that leaves me with the somewhat nostalgic - but not at all pleasant - feeling of being in the London Underground. Unless they made the recording there (and according to the booklet they didn't!) this has to warrant a little gentle kick up the backside: do hire some recording engineers able to register less than 300 and more than 2500 Hz and clean up your game!. Sorry Steven Osborne, not your fault! Do keep up the good work.

It's sad that this dispiriting disc has received rave reviews from some in the British press, but it only proves that national boosterism is not dead.

Osborne may be talented, but certainly not when it comes to Rachmaninov. He hasn't a clue as to what the great Russian master is all about. Indeed, I have never head a pianist in more than 60 years of listening who is more ill-suited to this wonderful music than he.

Osborne is dull and seems disinterested in the music itself. I gave this disc two stars to be kind. In truth, it barely deserves a star at all.

I urge lovers of the preludes to choose recordings by virtually anyone else rather than to waste their money on this, a travesty best soon forgotten.

This CD when played on a superior sound system will simply blow you away. Every person I have played it for has gone out and bought it. There is no better performance combined with first rate sonics out there. It can never be played too loud!