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31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Drama within melodrama, 7 Feb 2004
Yet again I see that some of the reviewers on this page are lamenting the lack of 'drama' or 'passion' which comes with players who push their performance to the upper limits at the expense of technical clarity.One has cited Martha Argerich's superlative recording of the 3rd concerto and Michaelangeli's 4th: both brilliant pianists, both excellent interpretations, both legendary intellects. Yet, not Russian. Argerich was trained in South America, and Michaelangeli claims to be self-taught (although most probably Italian-based). However Ashkenazy hails from the Russian school where an emphasis upon technical precision is paramount, emotional interpretation all-pervading. Just listen to Richter's similarly note-perfect interpretation on Deutsche Grammophon, or Kissin's on Red Seal. What about Glemser, Ousset, Thibaudet (with Ashkenazy conducting, I might add)? All of these recordings are without pianistic errors, and yet manage to top the summit of Rachmaninov interpretations. Ashkenazy has had the unfortunate label of 'one who tried to chase too many rabbits' - that is, he recorded too much repertoire too fast and without giving himself time to properly settle with the music. This is partially true. But then again, who can blame him for it? A young man, freshly defected from the USSR to the West, humble, technically brilliant, emotionally also, and a lovely character to match: he was signed up by Decca almost instantly, and, after the smash hit that was his first recording with Perlman of the Franck Violin Sonata, set about his attack upon almost the entire piano repertoire (with the major exceptions of Bach, Haydn, Grieg, and a few others). Seen by many (myself also) as the Rachmaninov interpreter 'ne plus ultra', what these reviewers have to bear in mind is: could any of us do as well? Critics slander Ashkenazy for spreading the opening chords of the second piano concerto: well, he has small hands and therefore cannot manage them (I find this problem too, even though my hands are quite large - the chords are awkward for most people, save maybe Richter and Rachmaninov himself). Would it be heresy to say I preferred Ashkenazy's interpretations of Rachmaninov's entire output over Rachmaninov himself? Some would say so, others, the more philosophical of you out there, might just put it down to subjective viewpoint. Why don't you buyers stop listening to reviewers, buy the CD, and find out for yourselves?
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~ Alexander Rudin
~ Vladimir Ashkenazy
~ Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
~ Vladimir Ashkenazy
~ Sergey Rachmaninov
