RACHMANINOV (THE VERY BEST OF)

The romanticism of Rachmaninov’s music was immortalised in the 1940s film classic of unfulfilled love and stoicism, Brief Encounter. He was not only the finest pianist of his day but also the last truly great late Romantic composer. The technically formidable Piano Concertos may be his best-known works, the Third immortalised in the film Shine, but this 2 CD survey goes much further into his legacy. His sumptuous and lyrical Symphonies and Symphonic Dances feature alongside the sparkling Paganini Variations and the searching solo piano works. His choral masterpiece, the deeply-felt Russian Orthodox Vespers, makes an arresting contrast.

Tracklist

Disc 1
Rachmaninov, Sergey
Glemser, Bernd (piano)
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
Wit, Antoni (Conductor)
1 Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30: I. Allegro ma non tanto 16:42
Glemser, Bernd (piano)
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
Wit, Antoni (Conductor)
Rachmaninov, Sergey
Bible - New Testament - Lyricist
Wimeri, Erja (contralto)
Finnish National Opera Chorus (Choir)
Söderström, Eric-Olof (Conductor)
2 All-Night Vigil, Op. 37, "Vespers": Bless the Lord, O my soul 06:00
Wimeri, Erja (contralto)
Finnish National Opera Chorus (Choir)
Söderström, Eric-Olof (Conductor)
Rachmaninov, Sergey
Biret, Idil (piano)
3 13 Preludes, Op. 32: No. 12 in G-Sharp Minor: Allegro 02:19
Biret, Idil (piano)
Sondeckis, Vytautas (cello)
Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra (Orchestra)
Geringas, David (Conductor)
4 Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14 (arr. for cello and orchestra) 05:30
Sondeckis, Vytautas (cello)
Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra (Orchestra)
Geringas, David (Conductor)
Scherbakov, Konstantin (piano)
5 5 Morceaux de fantaisie, Op. 3: No. 1 Élégie in E-Flat Minor 05:55
Scherbakov, Konstantin (piano)
Glemser, Bernd (piano)
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
Wit, Antoni (Conductor)
6 Variation 18 02:44
Glemser, Bernd (piano)
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
Wit, Antoni (Conductor)
7 Variation 19 00:34
Glemser, Bernd (piano)
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
Wit, Antoni (Conductor)
8 Variation 20 00:37
Glemser, Bernd (piano)
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
Wit, Antoni (Conductor)
9 Variation 21 00:27
Glemser, Bernd (piano)
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
Wit, Antoni (Conductor)
10 Variation 22 01:47
Glemser, Bernd (piano)
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
Wit, Antoni (Conductor)
11 Variation 23 00:50
Glemser, Bernd (piano)
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
Wit, Antoni (Conductor)
12 Variation 24 01:17
Glemser, Bernd (piano)
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
Wit, Antoni (Conductor)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra)
Bátiz, Enrique (Conductor)
13 Symphonic Dance, Op. 45, No. 1: Non allegro 11:27
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra)
Bátiz, Enrique (Conductor)
Biret, Idil (piano)
14 Études-tableaux, Op. 39: No. 9 in D Major: Allegro moderato 04:06
Biret, Idil (piano)
Grebanier, Michael (cello)
Guggenheim, Janet (piano)
15 Cello Sonata in G Minor, Op. 19: III. Andante 06:14
Grebanier, Michael (cello)
Guggenheim, Janet (piano)
Disc 2
Glemser, Bernd (piano)
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
Wit, Antoni (Conductor)
1 Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18: II. Adagio sostenuto 11:05
Glemser, Bernd (piano)
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
Wit, Antoni (Conductor)
Biret, Idil (piano)
2 7 Morceaux de salon, Op. 10: No. 5 Humoresque in G Major 04:11
Biret, Idil (piano)
Biret, Idil (piano)
3 10 Preludes, Op. 23: No. 2 in B-Flat Major 03:42
Biret, Idil (piano)
Rachmaninov, Sergey
Tchaikovsky, Modest - Lyricist
Mescheriakova, Marina (soprano)
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
Halász, Michael (Conductor)
4 Francesca da Rimini, Op. 25: Act I: Francesca's Aria 02:49
Mescheriakova, Marina (soprano)
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
Halász, Michael (Conductor)
Rachmaninov, Sergey
Biret, Idil (piano)
5 6 Moments musicaux, Op. 16: No. 3 Andante cantabile 06:16
Biret, Idil (piano)
Biret, Idil (piano)
6 5 Morceaux de fantaisie, Op. 3: No. 2 Prelude in C-Sharp Minor 04:41
Biret, Idil (piano)
Rachmaninov, Sergey
Bible - New Testament - Lyricist
Finnish National Opera Chorus (Choir)
Söderström, Eric-Olof (Conductor)
7 All-Night Vigil, Op. 37, "Vespers": Troparion for the Virgin Mary (Bogoroditse Dyevo) 03:23
Finnish National Opera Chorus (Choir)
Söderström, Eric-Olof (Conductor)
Rachmaninov, Sergey
Biret, Idil (piano)
8 10 Preludes, Op. 23: No. 5 in G Minor: Alla marcia 04:02
Biret, Idil (piano)
Biret, Idil (piano)
9 6 Songs, Op. 38: No. 3. Margaritki (Daisies) (version for piano) 02:25
Biret, Idil (piano)
Rachmaninov, Sergey
Nemirovich-Danchenko, Vladimir Ivanovich - Lyricist
Grishko, Vladimir (tenor)
Ukraine State Radio Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
Sirenko, Vladimir (Conductor)
10 Aleko: The Young Gypsy's Romance - See, beneath yon firmament 01:29
Grishko, Vladimir (tenor)
Ukraine State Radio Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
Sirenko, Vladimir (Conductor)
Rachmaninov, Sergey
Scherbakov, Konstantin (piano)
11 Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 36 (1931 version) 05:27
Scherbakov, Konstantin (piano)
Biret, Idil (piano)
12 Études-tableaux, Op. 33: No. 8 (5) in G Minor: Moderato 03:53
Biret, Idil (piano)
Ireland National Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
Anissimov, Alexander (Conductor)
13 Symphony No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 27: III. Adagio 14:47
Ireland National Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra)
Anissimov, Alexander (Conductor)

Total Playing Time: 02:14:39