Customer Rating: 
Summary: Rachmaninoff in the Hands of a Master
Comment: Since the LP turntable bit the dust, I'd forgotten the power of the Rachmaninoff Sonata in Van Cliburn's hands. I don't think the piano is capable of producing what he brings out of it, but his playing defies me. The hugeness of this masterpiece could overpower lyricism and form, but in Van Cliburn's hands there is nothing lost. Listen to the individual and inter-woven melodies, the harmonic and rhythmic progressions, as well as the overall piece. I'm brought to tears over and over again by the emotions and power of this Sonata and cannot imagine anyone but Cliburn able to wrap their hands around it. But it's not just his huge hands and powerful playing. It's the subtleties of the construction that don't get lost in the playing. Intelligent and beautiful interpretation. The sonata alone would make it worthwhile to own this CD. Other compositions, all richly and/or lyrically played, is icing on the cake. If you love Rachmaninoff, you'll love Van Cliburn's playing of it. My one regret? The 2nd and 3rd Concertos are not part of this set.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Evening
Comment: The choices, the performances, the music are all excellent. If you think you might like Cliburn (at his best) and/or Rachmaninoff (at his best) this will be a great way to start.
Customer Rating:
Summary: this cd is a treasure not be missed
Comment: i am a big fan of rachmaninov and have a large collection of his solo piano works and this disc is the best of them all. avid reader is absolutely correct-there is no recording of the e-flat minor etude like this one. it still gives me goosebumps every time i hear it. don't miss this cd if you love rachmaninov!
Customer Rating:
Summary: One of the finest piano recitals on disc
Comment: I've had this recording since its original release on LP many years ago. But I retired my turntable years ago and hadn't heard this recital in perhaps 10 years. I happened across this CD today and was reminded all over again that this is perhaps the most satisfying piano recital disk I've ever heard.
Cliburn was pretty much amazing at anything he chose to perform, but his Rachmaninoff was always something special. A brief background on the recordings themselves. The Sonata No. 2 was recorded at a Moscow recital in the early 1960s by the Soviet Union's Meloydia. Because of this, the audio quality has the thin, somewhat tinny sound of most Soviet recordings of this era. It's by no means unlistenable, simply to the same standard as US and Western European audio engineering of the era. The remainder of the disk consists of studio recordings from the early 1970s and represent, if I'm not mistaken, Cliburn'a final studio recordings. The sonics on these are rich and full. Overall, the CD remastering sounds much better than I recall from the LP.
As for the performance - are are simply beyond reproach. On initial hearing, I'm simply astounded at the power and beauty of his tone at the piano, a quality that even the somewhat limited recording of the Sonata can't diminish. He shapes each piece loving, caressing a phrase here, accenting another phrase in a unique but ultimately convincing mannter.
With repeated hearings, new insights on the music emerge. Cliburn is always intent on keeping a primary melodic line in the forefront. But if you listen carefully, you will also notice that he never sacrifices the clarity of the inner voices. In short, he's really thought through his conception of each of these works and expresses to the listener. And he never got lazy, he always made sure every note was articulated as written.
If you're a lover of piano music, this disc has to be in your collection. You will listen to it again and again with repeated pleasure.
Customer Rating:
Summary: beautiful
Comment: I got this CD specifically for the Prelude in G minor. It's very easy to let this prelude get too fast and bangy, and listening to how Cliburn played it made me more aware of the musical possibilities and the beauty. Listening to him play it gave me the encouragement to keep on working at learning to play it well.
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