Search - Sergey Rachmaninov, Earl Wild :: Earl Wild's Legendary Rachmaninoff Song Transcriptions

This is gold mine

LVC | Hong Kong | 11/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a gold mine of wonderful melodies, beautifully transcribed and played by Earl Wild. Some of the transcriptions available from Wild was just too hard to play. Regrettably, CD's of these beautiful songs themselves can not be found on Amazon in the original vocal/piano form."

Rachmaninoff Song Transcriptions/Earl Wild

Joel M. Lebow | Pennsylvania, USA | 10/23/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Earl Wild's performances are always an event not to be missed. He is such a magnificent musician, technician, and an unmannered performer. He plays the Rachmaninoff song transcriptions as probably no other musician can or perhaps ever will. Why do I give this recording 4 instead of 5 stars? Here again, a personal view. The songs are mostly similar in intensity, style and mood. They have little variety as played one after another. I believe that the record played a few pieces at one listening gets an emphatic 5 stars. IF one attempts to listen to the entire disc from beginning to end--one's attention begins to wander and the experience of great performances (which they are) is diluted by the nature of their content."

Fabulously good

Michael Squires | Blacksburg, VA USA | 09/21/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Earl Wild's transcriptions are sumptuously performed and faithfully imagined; that is, he captures Rachmaninoff's idiom with great talent. Each track has exceptional beauties, and the collection as a whole allows the listener to compare two versions of the same song; for instance, the famous "Vocalise" is performed adoitly, then re-recorded later in a slower, graver, darker mode; although I prefer the second, each is perfect in its individual way. The whole collection is highly recommended, especially for those who relish Rachmaninoff's burnished sonorities."