# 100 Favorites: # 67



## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

*Rachmaninov: Preludes
Vladimir Ashkenazy (Decca)*










The first version of Rachmaninov's Preludes that I heard was Alexis Weissenberg's. But his approach didn't appeal to me. Weissenberg seemed intent on wrestling the music to the ground, as if he could subdue the music by dominating it. After hearing Ashkenazy's account, Weissenberg's shortcomings became even more apparent. Ashkenazy plays with authority and power -- but he also finds many moments of sublime stillness and poetry. In his performance, the music unfolds with an unforced naturalness, regardless of whether it's thunderous or gentle.

Richter's (incomplete) recordings of Rachmaninov's Preludes are staggering, with moments of breath-taking virtuosity. I wouldn't want to be without them. But Ashkenazy's set is the version that I'm drawn to most frequently. To my ears, there's something inevitably right about his approach.


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