Track Listing

1. 1. Moderato - Hans Weber, Sviatoslav Richter, Heinz Wildhagen, Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra, Helmut Najda, Stanislaw Wislocki, Sergey Vasil'yevich Rachmaninov
2. 2. Adagio sostenuto - Hans Weber, Sviatoslav Richter, Heinz Wildhagen, Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra, Helmut Najda, Stanislaw Wislocki, Sergey Vasil'yevich Rachmaninov
3. 3. Allegro scherzando - Hans Weber, Sviatoslav Richter, Heinz Wildhagen, Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra, Helmut Najda, Stanislaw Wislocki, Sergey Vasil'yevich Rachmaninov
4. 1. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso - Allegro con spirito - Elsa Schiller, Sviatoslav Richter, Otto Ernst Wohlert, Wiener Symphoniker, Günter Hermanns, Herbert von Karajan, Rolf Peter Schroeder, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
5. 2. Andantino semplice - Prestissimo - Tempo I - Sviatoslav Richter, Wiener Symphoniker, Herbert von Karajan, Elsa Schiller, Otto Ernst Wohlert, Günter Hermanns, Rolf Peter Schroeder, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
6. 3. Allegro con fuoco - Sviatoslav Richter, Wiener Symphoniker, Herbert von Karajan, Elsa Schiller, Otto Ernst Wohlert, Günter Hermanns, Rolf Peter Schroeder, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3306 in Music
• Released on: 1995-04-04
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds
• Running time: 71 minutes

Customer Reviews

Pure emotion
Richter was the great Russian secret who's fame grew to big for Russia to contain him. Listening to this recording makes one wonder if great artists like exist today. I purchased this disc by chance a number of years ago and I have to say, if like myself, you thought you very perfectly happy with your Ashkenazy / Rachmaninov no.2, then you really are missing out on a great deal by not owning this disc. If you are in any doubt then compare the final few minutes with your favorite recording and I guarantee (just like the first reviewers piano teacher) it will move you to tears. Anything else by comparison pails into insignificance. Incidentally, the Rachmaninov dates from 1959 and the Tchaikovsky from 1963 and the sound quality on both is first class. The Tchaikovsky is adequate, but buy it for the Rachmaninov.

A better alternative
The ones to get are Richter with the Leningrad Philharmonic recorded in the late 1950s, conducted by Kurt Sanderling, originally released on Melodiya vinyl. These will have you in tears all the way through!

This is the definitive version of Rachmaninov No.2
I lent this cd to my piano teacher and she cried her eyes out because it was the best version she'd ever heard of Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2 and of course it's incredibly moving. The Tchaikovsky is awful though. Lightweight and there are even mistakes. This cd is worth getting just for the definitive version of Rachmaninov.