# Earl Wild's Rachmaninoff.



## BenG (Aug 28, 2018)

What do you think of Earl Wild's recording of the rach concerti? Is it worth buying?


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

There are a number of his marvelous Rachmaninoff performances on YouTube to sample.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

I grew up with this set - it was made for Reader's Digest and I wore them out. It was a no-brainer they would appear on CD, being so cherished. Wild's playing is sensational and of a style we don't hear much anymore, and the support of Horenstein is flawless. There are a couple of problems though: one is that there are cuts in the finale of #3 that everyone used to take. The other is that Wild actually makes a mistake in the opening of #2 - there's an extra note in one of the chords that most people will never notice or care about. Did he do it on purpose? Just a slip of the fingers? I don't know, but it bugs the heck out of me.

Another set was made some 15 years ago for Hyperion with Stephen Hough supported by Andrew Litton and the Dallas Symphony - that is now the set to have. It's magnificent, thrilling, and the recorded sound is terrific.


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## S P Summers (Dec 23, 2016)

I listened to the complete set last night, they're incredible. I can recommend without hesitation.

I really like those Hough recordings that mdhaub posted too. Purchase them both, you can't go wrong.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

BenG said:


> What do you think of Earl Wild's recording of the rach concerti? Is it worth buying?


Hell yes. It's not the only way to play the music, it it's fleet, brilliant, and conducted by the great Jascha Horenstein, in sound that still is demonstration quality


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## S P Summers (Dec 23, 2016)

Yeah, I'd say the Wild + Horenstein recordings and the Hough + Litton recordings are the only two sets you need of the Rachmaninov concerti.

As far as I know you can only buy the Hough/Hyperion recordings on CD, Hyperion doesn't offer a digital download of that album for some reason.

https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA67501/2

I purchased it from Amazon.ca a while back: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0002VYF4Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Earl Wild + Horenstein:


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

I have a recording on vinyl of the Cello Sonata performed by Wild and Harvey Shapiro. Wild's playing is spectacular on that. And I have a recording with selections from the preludes which is also excellent.


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