Sviatoslav Richter - Sergey Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2, Preludes (2012)

Posted By: Designol

Sviatoslav Richter (piano) - Sergey Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2, Preludes (2012)
Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, USSR Radio-TV State Symphony Orchestra
conducted by Kurt Sanderling

EAC | FLAC | Image (Cue&Log) ~ 368 Mb | Mp3 (CBR320) ~ 201 Mb | Scans included
Classical | Label: Praga Digitals | # PRD/DSD 350 056 | Time: 01:15:39

In celebration of their twentieth anniversary, this essential release from Praga focuses on the artistry of the great Russian pianist Sviatoslav Richter. In an all-Rachmaninov program, Richter is heard in the first two Piano Concertos accompanied by the great conductor Kurt Sanderling in live performances recorded in the 50s - well before he began touring internationally. Praga's hybrid SACD pairs remastered monophonic recordings of the concertos with four of Richter's favorite Preludes recorded in stereo during his first tour of North America in 1960. Praga has employed the best of today's cutting-edge restoration techniques to present these important historical recordings in all their original glory.

Praga’s first release in a series of SACD remasterings devoted to Sviatoslav Richter and Rachmaninov’s music restores the great pianist’s 1955 First concerto and 1959 Second concerto collaborations with Kurt Sanderling. Although collectors may know these performances via previous CD incarnations, Praga’s treatment radically transforms the dynamically constricted and timbrally murky mono originals. As a consequence, the strings and woodwinds gain new-found warmth, presence, and definition, and previously masked soft timpani strokes make themselves felt, while Richter’s piano is equalized to brighter effect.

Pianistically speaking, Richter is at the top of his game in the First concerto, and his lean, incisive approach imparts a taut edge to the busy keyboard textures, especially at the finale’s outset and in the first movement’s daunting cadenza. Collectors familiar with Richter’s celebrated DG recording of the Second concerto will find similarities not only in the pianist’s monumental yet hypnotically sustained first-movement tempos, but also in his wonderful long-lined legato phrasing in the second movement and dazzling fingerwork in the third. However, DG’s infinitely superior sound wins the day.

Praga’s booklet notes credit the four incandescently-played Rachmaninov Preludes from Carnegie Hall to Richter’s October 28, 1960 recital. They’re actually the December 26, 1960 Carnegie performances—RCA released the full recital as a two-disc set in 2001 (Richter Rediscovered). Praga’s transfers slightly tone down the audience coughs, but I prefer RCA’s fuller equalization. The French booklet notes also appear in a hapless English translation.

Review by Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com







Tracklist:

Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, Op.18
01. I. Moderato (11:26)
02. II. Adagio sostenuto (11:47)
03. III. Allegro scherzando (11:47)

Piano Concerto No.1 in F sharp minor, Op.1
04. I. Vivace (12:32)
05. II. Andante (06:22)
06. III. Allegro vivace (07:54)

07. Prelude Op.23 No.1 in F sharp minor (03:48)
08. Prelude Op.32 No.9 in A major (02:24)
09. Prelude Op.32 No.10 in B minor (05:24)
10. Prelude Op.32 No.12 in G sharp minor (02:11)


Exact Audio Copy V1.0 beta 1 from 15. November 2010

EAC extraction logfile from 4. July 2012, 21:53

Serge Rahmaninov / Piano Concertos No.1 & 2

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Track | Start | Length | Start sector | End sector
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-
1 | 0:00.00 | 11:26.18 | 0 | 51467
2 | 11:26.18 | 11:47.22 | 51468 | 104514
3 | 23:13.40 | 11:47.45 | 104515 | 157584
4 | 35:01.10 | 12:32.18 | 157585 | 214002
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7 | 61:49.38 | 3:48.48 | 278213 | 295360
8 | 65:38.11 | 2:24.51 | 295361 | 306211
9 | 68:02.62 | 5:24.46 | 306212 | 330557
10 | 73:27.33 | 2:11.32 | 330558 | 340414


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==== Log checksum D60487A6856372015DA433A2BEB42C4D832D9B82FFAB8E2C6203ADA6BA75FF07 ====

foobar2000 1.3.8 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
log date: 2015-11-21 10:24:32

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Analyzed: Serge Rahmaninov / Piano Concertos No.1 & 2
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

DR Peak RMS Duration Track
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
DR11 -2.79 dB -19.38 dB 11:26 01-Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, Op.18 - I. Moderato
DR14 -2.22 dB -22.30 dB 11:47 02-Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, Op.18 - II. Adagio sostenuto
DR12 -1.34 dB -18.53 dB 11:48 03-Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, Op.18 - III. Allegro scherzando
DR11 -2.09 dB -17.76 dB 12:32 04-Piano Concerto No.1 in F sharp minor, Op.1 - I. Vivace
DR12 -3.24 dB -21.51 dB 6:22 05-Piano Concerto No.1 in F sharp minor, Op.1 - II. Andante
DR12 -1.42 dB -17.97 dB 7:54 06-Piano Concerto No.1 in F sharp minor, Op.1 - III. Allegro vivace
DR15 -6.12 dB -26.78 dB 3:49 07-Prelude Op.23 No.1 in F sharp minor
DR10 -4.85 dB -19.86 dB 2:25 08-Prelude Op.32 No.9 in A major
DR9 -4.37 dB -20.17 dB 5:25 09-Prelude Op.32 No.10 in B minor
DR11 -5.24 dB -21.73 dB 2:11 10-Prelude Op.32 No.12 in G sharp minor
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Number of tracks: 10
Official DR value: DR12

Samplerate: 44100 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 16
Bitrate: 629 kbps
Codec: FLAC
================================================================================


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