Search - Rachmaninoff, Horowitz :: Piano Concertos 2 & 3

Rachmaninoff's two most popular concertos in their most famous recordings. The second dates from 1929, and the original recordings are disfigured by lightweight sonics so the full glory of the Philadelphia strings is muted. But the composer's pianism is preserved in a recording of the highest historical and musical value. It differs from the one in RCA's complete Rachmaninoff set in employing the alternate takes used in all releases of the work from the mid-1940s on. The third is another hallowed performance--Horowitz's first concerto recording. Made in 1930, its fearless, driving energy created a sensation, and even with the standard cuts of the time it's still a high-voltage trip. Good transfers. --Dan Davis