# 100 Favorites: # 65



## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

*Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 - 4
Tamás Vásáry, Yuri Ahronovitch, London Symphony Orchestra (DG)*










Pianist Tamás Vásáry and conductor Yuri Ahronovitch offer an uncommon take on these famous concertos. Rather than focusing on the dramatic and virtuoso aspects of the music like most performers do, Vásáry & Ahronovitch de-emphasize the "showpiece" aspects of these works. Instead, they draw the listener's ear to Rachmaninov's distinctive poetry, colors, and lyricism. The music is still voluptuous, but it's subtly shaded. Dynamics aren't as extreme. Tempos are occasionally slower than normal. Rather than enervating the music, the understatement and deliberate pace illuminates myriad details and underlying structures that other interpreters miss.

As with the best recordings of Brahms' Piano Concertos with their emphasis on integration between soloist and orchestra, Vásáry & Ahronovitch are joined at the hip. The result is performance that gives equal weight to Rachmaninov the composer and Rachmaninov the virtuoso pianist.


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