Mikhail Rudy Plays Rachmaninov & Tchaikovsky (Box Set) [Box set, Original recording reissued]

Sergey Rachmaninov (Composer), Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (Composer), Mariss Jansons (Conductor), St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra), Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra), Mikhail Rudy (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Mikhail Rudy
• Orchestra: St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Mariss Jansons
• Composer: Sergey Rachmaninov, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
• Audio CD (April 11, 2000)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Box set, Original recording reissued
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B00003ZKRQ
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #349,392 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Pno Con No.3 in d, Op.30: I. Allegro Ma Non Tanto

2. Pno Con No.3 in d, Op.30: II. Intermezzo: Adagio

3. Pno Con No.3 in d, Op.30: III. Finale: Alla Breve

4. Rhap On A Theme Of Paganini, Op.43: Intro: Allegro Vivace

5. Rhap On A Theme Of Paganini, Op.43: Var I. (Precedente)

6. Rhap On A Theme Of Paganini, Op.43: Thema: L'istesso Tempo

See all 29 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Pno Con No.4 in g, Op.40: I. Allegro Vivace (Alla Breve)

2. Pno Con No.4 in g, Op.40: II. Largo

3. Pno Con No.4 in g, Op.40: III. Allegro Vivace (Revised Version)

4. Pno Con No.4 in g, Op.40: III. Allegro Vivace (Original Version)

5. Pno Con No.1 in f#, Op.1: I. Vivace - Moderato - Vivace

6. Pno Con No.1 in f#, Op.1: II. Andante

See all 7 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Pno Con No.1 in b flat, Op.23: I. Allegro Non Troppo E Molto Maestoso

2. Pno Con No.1 in b flat, Op.23: II. Andantino Semplice - Prestissimo - Tempo Primo

3. Pno Con No.1 in b flat, Op.23: III. Allegro Con Fuoco

4. Pno Con No.2 in c, Op.18: I. Moderato

5. Pno Con No.2 in c, Op.18: II. Adagio Sostenuto

6. Pno Con No.2 in c, Op.18: III. Allegro Scherzando

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you like Rachmaninoff, you'll love this, February 2, 2001

By	Harry Browne (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mikhail Rudy Plays Rachmaninov & Tchaikovsky (Box Set) (Audio CD)

There is no question that Mikhail Rudy is the best interpreter of the Rachmaninoff concertos I've heard (and I've heard a lot of them). I never knew he existed before I acquired this 3-CD set, but I'm stunned by the loving way he treats the music. It sounds as though he hits every single note (a rarity, especially in the #3), and he caresses each one to boot. The accompaniment by Maris Jansons is excellent -- intense and clear. And to top it all off, you can get the 3 CDs for $20. If you like Rachmaninoff, you'll love this.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Musical fusion in Rachmaninov & Tchaikovsky's concertos, November 29, 2005

By	S. Peliska "student musician" (Naples, FL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mikhail Rudy Plays Rachmaninov & Tchaikovsky (Box Set) (Audio CD)

"A composer's music should express the country of his birth, his love affairs, his religion, the books that have influenced him, the pictures he loves. It should be the sum total of a composer's experience."- Sergei Rachmaninov

These words are essentially a statement of the core philosophy of romanticism. What is odd is that they were spoken in the 1920's, long after the romantic period is held to have ended. Rachmaninov's four concertos for piano and orchestra are works of the twentieth century (with the exception of the first concerto, which was begun in 1890), but at their core they are deeply romantic works that reflect the soul of the composer. Occasionally flawed and sometimes gaudy, they are nevertheless brilliant and deeply soulful pianistic masterpieces.

The concerto is, to me, perhaps the greatest form of music as art: combining the intimate, personal aspects of solo and chamber music with the grandiosity of the symphony orchestra. With all the power and large-scale intricacy of the fifty-odd orchestral musicians playing together, the soloist is still free to bare his soul and express his innermost personal thoughts through the music. To achieve this perfect synthesis of soloist and orchestra requires a talented soloist and an equally talented conductor, and this recording of the Rachmaninov concertos and the Paganini Rhapsody realizes that union with Mikhaïl Rudy and Mariss Jansons. Together they express the core of Rachmaninov's music, combining easy virtuosity and poetic genius for a deeply satisfying musical experience. The St. Petersburg Philharmonic shows that they are worthy of being counted among Europe's best orchestras, and EMI's recorded sound is very good, although in some places perhaps the balance should favor the piano more.

Also included in this bargain-priced three-disc set, almost like a bonus, is the Piano Concerto No. 1 by Tchaikovsky. Favoring a fresh, spontaneous interpretation over sheer heavy-handed virtuosity, Rudy and Janson's account of Tchaikovsky's popular work, filled with beautiful folk melodies, bears some very refreshing results. The soaring, lyrical first movement is full of new life and vivacity; while the tender slow movement, labeled "semplice," is wonderfully gentle, with the "prestissimo" middle section glittering like shooting stars over St. Petersburg at night. The third movement, Allegro con fuoco ("with fire"), based on a Ukrainian folk melody, is lively and intense. Here, the Leningrad Philharmonic also gets a chance to shine, with the orchestra often going long periods carrying the melody, while the piano accompanies: all part of the essential blend between soloist and orchestra that is the concerto.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite cycle of these fine works., February 23, 2008

By	Aaron Clarke "aisba42" (Fort Collins, CO, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mikhail Rudy Plays Rachmaninov & Tchaikovsky (Box Set) (Audio CD)

I am anxiously awaiting more of the same from Mikhail Rudy. His interpretation is excellent throughout, his technique fine, and his understanding of the works is profound. I love listening to these recordings.

One of the hallmarks, for me, that made this recording truly stand out is the pianist's choice to play the original cadenza in the Third Concerto rather than the more ambitious alternate one (the choice was certainly not informed by an inability to play the tougher one, as evidenced by his near-flawless reading of the entire work). The original cadenza is frequently passed over by scores of pianists thinking that two minutes' difficult music at just the right time will make theirs the best recording. Mikhail Rudy is obviously more interested in making music and giving these works the performance they deserve than in showing off for the easily impressed types that eat up Rachmaninoff.

Also included is the seldom-heard alternate (original) finale of the Fourth, a piece that gets glossed over and neglected more than is morally just. The Fourth is a fine concerto, full of energy and jazz and beautiful orchestration. Nice to hear the composer's original concept of the work.

By the way, the Tchaikovsky is fantastic too.

If you would like a great cycle of the Rachmaninoff Concertos, I couldn't recommend this more highly. Just please, for the love of God, stay away from grotesque recordings of his work like those by Argerich and Lang Lang. They desecrate fine music, slap their big names on it and sell a bazillion copies. But while they're doing that, Mikhail Rudy is busy making fine music.

Can't wait to hear his Prokofiev cycle, if he ever records them.