It appears to be a hard piece to mess up, just about everyone play it well - and in the same way (except Pletnev). Probably just me, but I think it’s interesting. We’ve been at a little with the Prok-3 before but some pieces, no matter how complex they may seem, appear to be simple and straightforward to characterize. Every pianist come to the same conclusions, and play them in much the same way - and even young students for the most part sound convincing if they’re up to it technically. Whereas with other pieces which are seemingly simple, like a Beethoven Bagatelle or Bach Sarabande, there is a whole landscape of different interpretations out there - most trivial or unconvincing - and two which are not might be miles apart interpretatively. I guess you could either see it as a difficulty - easy or difficult to wrap your head around and make sense of - or as a diffuseness of sorts, where the performer has more or less artistic freedom with completing the picture.
Dats rite. Randomly, much of Rachmaninoff’s music plays into da average pianistic strengths
That being said, his works are often ruined by sappy style drama queen perfs.
Da simplest way to put it is da lush (and not very original) writing invites a sort of decadent interp n den da works just cross da line into being blatantly second-rate
In all of Rach’s perfs of his own works, one can hear da emotional restraint and gensui “modernist” phrasing.
Diz was noted even before 1919 when he decided to becum an ultra-modern mofo like da Hoff, da earliest accounts of Rach playing his works - even in da student days, mention dat he performed dem “unconventionally” and DAT is whut makes da muzic come to life
Hell, Rach even makes the 4th concerto sound gud.
Some performers like Ginzburg avoided Rach’s works becus dey did not want to disservice da muzic and make second-rate copies of da Rach’s own perfs
Quite possibly he wuz right
I do considah learning sum Rach preludes n da second son (revised version which is inferior yet more listenable to the average fartah in da audience)
Well… it’s from a pianist who was in the end stage of HIV at the time.
Not necessarily saying it would have been different 20 years earlier though. Maybe aside from those short years 1969-1976 Bolet never had that confidence at the piano, and often hid under a cloak of formality when he should have just let go and opened up. When he did he was truly inimitable however, he’s easily one of my favourite pianists.
Bolet was a far more exciting pianist before he became properly famous. At least, and unlike some, when he plays slowly he tends to bring something to the table in terms of control or detailing.
style drama queen perfs.
approved
:wim: 
cummah
should do a tube vid and dispprove da 