Customer Reviews

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2; Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor"

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
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Van Cliburn's performances, full of all the virtuosity of a true piano artist, has gotten even a competition named after him- the Van Cliburn competition in which hopeful and promising new pianists are discovered. Van Cliburn was a musical genius. His skill and unrivaled technique made him a star, even for one so young. On this recording, Van Cliburn plays two concerti that are considered virtuosic pieces and he's doing one hell of a terrific performance. It's a great album to have if you like the music of Beethoven and Rachmaninov and also the stylings of Van Cliburn. It's incredible and you will not be disappointed. This is how these concertos should be played. Van Cliburn is a role model for pianists all over the world.

Beethoven's Emperor Piano Concerto, Number 5, his last piano concerto, is his most brilliant. The monumental piece has a dignified grandeur and lyrical splendor that made the piano much more than a solo instrument. It made the piano a symphony in its own right. The first movement is classical in structure but the piano is given a lot more attention. Also, it's more Romantic ultimately than classical. For years to come afterward, piano composers were greatly influenced by this concerto and its romanticism. The second movement, the adagio, is heart-warming and lyrical, a romantic piece that was even used prominently as the love theme in the film about Beethove and his true love, Immortal Beloved. The finale, the Rondo, is a dazzling and passionate as fireworks and concludes the concerto in the typical Beethoven heroism and triumph. Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 is his best. It's one of the most difficult and technically demanding concerti in all of the piano repertoire. Rachmaninov, recovering from a bout of depression in which he almost stopped composing altogether, returned to life with this impressive concerto. It's dark, it's furious, it's dramatic, it's romantic. In a very novel style, which makes the piano more dynamic, the piano becomes a second orchestra next to the orchestra that its being pitted against. Van Cliburn is at his best here and the sound of the recording is well-edited and remastered for digital cd's. It's a must have.

Although there are plenty of good renderings of the Emperor to go around (two of my favorites are Rudolf Serkin with Seiji Ozawa and Krystian Zimerman with Leonard Bernstein), this CD should be seriously considered. The tempos are just right, and the recording, considering it was made in the 50's is astonishing. Cliburn doesn't make me feel as though he is rushing to get to the end, as have so many others. But the real jewel here is the Rachmaninoff. It is everything a concerto should be...dazzling piano virtuosity, beautiful orchestral support and heartbreaking tender moments. Listening to this puts a lump in my throat every time.

Rachmaninov sought organic unity between the orchestra and the piano in his concerti. Van Cliburn and Chicago Symphony are simply masterful in their collaboration. You will feel like Cliburn's piano is a genuine part of a symphony, not merely a solo instrument in a concerto.

Cliburn's genius is that while keeping true to Rachmaninov's vision of organic unity, his piano still stands out like a flame. Some times slow-burning, some times like a flame thrower, but it BURNS throughout the concerto.

The opening of the 1st movement is incredibly powerful and heavy. The build-up towards the end of the movement is breathtaking. 2nd movement is one of the most beautiful rendition I've heard. and the opening of the 3rd! you just have to hear this CD.

There are a lot of younger musicians who will play Rach 2nd with greater technical clarity and with brighter and lighter color of tone. Cliburn plays so HEAVY. You can feel the gravity pressing you to the ground as you listen to this. I think, however, this is the best way to play Rachmaninov. Everything that is Rachmaninov: his fury, sorrow, irony, and romantic melodies and suspense, sound so real and compelling with Cliburn's gravity. You have to own this CD

This is truly the best recording and interpretation of Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto I have ever heard. Even though I have listened to this recording countless times, I have yet to uncover a flaw in this piece. The best recording of Rachmaninoff's Second available!

While I'm glad I have this cd, I wish I would have paid a few dollars more and purchased the Van Cliburn cd that couples the same Rachmaninoff recording found here with the Tchaikovsky concerto. The Rachmaninoff is first rate, with thunderous climaxes, melancholic phrases, and a wonderfully poetic adagio. Also, the huge chord in the final movement that leads to the final few bars brings me goosebumps. I must admit some disappointment with the Beethoven however. Although recorded only a year earlier, the sound quality is not nearly as good. Van Cliburn's playing sounds wonderful, but I often had the sense that he and the orchestra were not entirely together. Pay the few extra dollars and buy the coupling with the Tchaikovsky (which is a legendary recording).

I'm new to classical music, and I was lucky enough to make this my first purchase. What a great place to start! As a jazz fan, the only thing I can relate it to is purchasing Miles Davis' Kind of Blue as your first jazz album. What emotion on this album. If you love music, you'll feel this album in your gut, heart and mind. It's wonderful.

...It would be this recording and this interpretation that probably they would choose to hear its music. Although some deficiencies techniques, the clarity and quality of the sound are fantastic, what, allied to a inhaled and sublime interpretation (pianístic and orchestral) it allows to conclude that this disk is precious and must belong obligatorily to any personal disklibrary. Van Cliburn Its for me as the best interpreter of the Rachmaninoff's concertos 2 and 3.