
Rachmaninov & Prokofiev - Piano Concertos No.2
£10.76
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Label: Mariinsky
Cat No: MAR0599
Format: SACD
Number of Discs: 1
Genre: Orchestral
Release Date: 2nd February 2018
Contents
Artists
Denis Matsuev (piano)Mariinsky Orchestra
Conductor
Valery GergievWorks
Piano Concerto no.2 in G minor, op.16Piano Concerto no.2 in C minor, op.18
Artists
Denis Matsuev (piano)Mariinsky Orchestra
Conductor
Valery GergievAbout
Composed between 1900 and 1901, Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor marked a resurgence in his creative powers after a disastrous premiere to his First Symphony in 1897. Its mix of virtuosity and lyricism has made it one of his most celebrated works, and it is often described as the greatest piano concerto ever written, regularly occupying the top spot in the Classic FM Hall of Fame. Its influence has spread to popular culture, with filmmakers making regular use of Rachmaninov’s emotive melodies. The Adagio sostenuto second movement is also well-known as the basis of Eric Carmen’s power ballad All By Myself. Denis Matsuev’s regularly performs and records Rachmaninov’s music and has collaborated with the Serge Rachmaninoff Foundation. He was chosen by the organisation to perform and record unknown pieces on the composer’s own piano at his former house on the Villa Senar estate, Lucerne.
Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No.2 is a tour de force among piano concertos, and even the composer himself battled anxiety when performing it. The music demands amazing technical prowess, evident in the frenetic scherzo, in which both hands play almost 1500 semiquavers in unison and without a moment’s pause. Matsuev, who has previously recorded Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto for the Mariinsky Label, is well equipped for the task, choosing to perform the piece for the first live 360-degree broadcast from the Mariinksy Theatre, streamed by Russia Today in December 2016 to mark the 125th anniversary of Prokofiev’s birth.
“Matsuev and Gergiev offer impressive Prokofiev…a tremendous performance, gripping from first note to last.” – Classics Today
“The Third Piano Concerto certainly packs a mighty punch through Denis Matsuev’s brilliantly athletic playing...” – BBC Music Magazine
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