Rachmaninov's Piano Sonata No 2
Rachmaninov's Piano Sonata No 2
The Gramophone Choice
Piano Sonata No 2. Variations on a Theme of Corelli. Morceaux de fantaisie, Op 3
Bernd Glemser pf
Oehms Classics OC558 (75’ · DDD) Buy from Amazon
Bernd Glemser is described in the booklet as having ‘a particular affinity for the works of Sergey Rachmaninov’. And judging by this CD, that’s not something to quibble with. This is a recording which allows you to concentrate purely on the music and the artist’s interpretation, and not be distracted by any worrying deficiencies in recorded sound, piano tone or pianistic technique: it’s all there. Glemser’s golden, burnished sound is a treat for the ears in the Corelli Variations and, indeed, throughout.
The Piano Sonata No 2 is heard in its original version with a few references to and additions from the revised version. Glemser’s impassioned reading is as tempestuous as it is heartfelt, among the most magnificent on disc. It is also a pleasure to hear the complete Morceaux – the famous C sharp minor Prelude is the second of the set (and a fine, fiery account it is, too) – the highlight of which is the Mélodie, No 3. A fleeting magical moment at 1'39" makes you catch your breath. The revised version of this and the Sérénade, No 5, concludes the disc, the former amounting to Rachmaninov’s transcription of his own work. All in all, then, a disc to relish.
Additional Recommendation
Rachmaninov Piano Sonata No 2. Variations on a Theme of Chopin. Daisies. Lilacs Kreisler (arr Rachmaninov) Liebesfreud. Liebesleid
Yevgeny Sudbin pf
BIS BIS-SACD1518 (64’ · DDD/DSD) Buy from Amazon
After the richly deserved acclaim that greeted his debut disc of Scarlatti, Yevgeny Sudbin moves on to home ground. And here, surely, is a young virtuoso in the widest, most encompassing sense. Sudbin makes an unforgettable case for the Chopin Variations, a florid and uneven work, though at its finest (in, say, Var 21) as memorable as anything in Rachmaninov. Omitting the quickly aborted fugue of Var 12 and choosing the quiet rather than rumbustious coda, he is breathtakingly fleet in Vars 7‑8 and goes through Vars 9‑10 with all guns firing. Hear him in the whirling measures of Var 20 (complete with sky-rocketing ossia) in page after page of dark, lyrical introspection and you will be hard pressed to recall a more talented or deeply engaged young artist.
The Second Sonata, played here in Sudbin’s own Horowitz-based conflation, is equally inspired, going out in a spine-tingling final blaze of glory. In the two song transcriptions he sounds warmly committed to their floral enchantment. Again, whether in love’s joys or sorrows, Sudbin evinces a deft and super-sensitive virtuosity; and even though competition in both the Variations and the Sonata is intense, he creates an entirely individual aura. His own personal and informative notes provide a crowning touch to this well recorded, deeply heartfelt recital.
