Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 4 (CD review)

Also, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Simon Trpceski, piano; Vasily Petrenko, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Avie AV2191.

Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943) wrote his Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 1, in 1891, while he was still a teenage student at the Moscow Conservatoire. But he didn't revise it in the form we know today until 1917, well after audiences grew to love his Second and Third Concertos. Consequently, it never did match the popularity of the other works, perhaps rightly so, too, as it is a rather youthful piece, full of helter-skelter ideas. Apparently, the young Rachmaninov tried to put everything into it but the kitchen sink.

In any case, with pianist Simon Trpceski and conductor Vasily Petrenko (who earlier gave us the two middle concertos) the First Concerto is dreamy when it needs to be dreamy, powerful, dramatic, sentimental, and sensitive when it needs to be powerful, dramatic, sentimental and sensitive. Trpceski and Petrenko play as one, with the pianist providing the substance and the conductor and orchestra filling in the accompaniment as though a part of the piano. In other words, they work well together.

By the time Rachmaninov wrote the Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 40, in 1926, he was an established superstar pianist and composer. Audiences expected everything from him to be of the caliber of his previous work, particularly the Second and Third Piano Concertos and the Second Symphony. The Fourth Piano Concerto didn't live up; never has. Which is not to say there aren't some good, even wonderful things in it, which Trpceski and Petrenko are more than happy to share. For instance, there is the clearly modern introduction, the sometimes disjointed but entirely intoxicating rhythms, and, of course, the occasional but unmistakable elements of jazzy American blues, no doubt the influence of Rachmaninov having heard George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue the year before.

Nevertheless, despite the disappointments of the First and Fourth Piano Concertos, the composer was not out of the ball game. In 1934 he wrote his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43, based on Niccolo Paganini's Caprice No. 24, and it has won over listeners ever since with its interplay of virtuosic piano parts and a dark Dies Irae chant.

Again, the pianist and conductor are at one, the piano hopping, skipping, and jumping around the Paganini variations, and both the piano and the orchestra countering with the funeral tune. Trpceski displays his dazzling finger work and Petrenko his unfailingly sympathetic support to produce a remarkably moving new interpretation of the score.

Avie recorded the performances at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool, England, in 2009 (Rhapsody), 2010 (Concerto No. 1), and 2011 (Concerto No. 4). In each case, the sound is somewhat close, with a broad stereo spread and a relatively clean piano tone but not the best midrange transparency or orchestral depth. However, an exceptionally wide dynamic range and a strong impact help make up for any minor drawbacks. Besides, the size and warmth of the sonics tend to complement the Romantic nature of the music.

JJP