Rachmaninov's Moments Musicaux

SDC Legendz Pianistz
1

There so few great recordings of this personal favorite of his works. Can someone recommend one?

Conditions:

  1. Complete Set (I know Gavrilov does a wicked rendition of 3-6)
  2. Modern Recording
2

My favorites are Pogorelich from Utrecht 2000 (you have them on YouTube I think) and Lazar Berman. I think Lugansky is also ok.

Btw. Gavrilov did 3-6.

3

Thanks, I have a recording of Pogo in 2001. Lazar Berman I would imagine would be phenomenal in this work.

Yeah, I’d describe Lugansky as just ok… as pianist, in general.

Gavrilov is stupendous, agreed.

4

After hearing Pogorelich play the first MM, I just can’t hear anyone else. Everyone else sounds facile.

5

Yeah, that’s what I think as well… Because of him I started to felt that this is one of the greatest things that Rach ever wrote…

6

da POGO zound lyk zum ‘salon muz*c’ to mah-bad-zelf, da perfect Rach perf

…

fo da :chop: comp

7
  1. Berman (studio, live, everywhere)
    2-101. 100 empty places
  2. all the others. A special mention for Zilberstein, whom I saw live and had great strength in the last one. There are also Lazic, Lugansky, etc.

I had a Pogorelich recording from 2001, but I have to look for it and listen to it again. Unfortunately, I got it at a time in which I was not particularly fond of those pieces.

8

Force of nature at 25:24. If you don’t like Richter, then just watch the charming page turner! :wink:

9

Thanks for this! Also, what a wonderful channel!

10

Only guy I’ve communicated with online who doesn’t like Richter is Mark Ainley of Piano Files.

11

I noticed before that Ainley is boycotting a lot of Russian historic pianists, or he hardly highlights them…he has his limitations. :wink:
As for online Richter haters, I recall a Belgian guy called Marcel Mombeek (a would-be pianist) who really hates SR, his anti-Richter comments are everywhere on YT.

12

Aside from disliking Richter, I’ve noticed that he doesn’t listen to Russian pianists who were recorded in the Soviet Union. Sofronitsky is the one exception to this, but again he hasn’t really explored Soronitsky because of the SU quality. I once teased him that if his love Youri Egorov had never left the SU, and had only recorded there, Ainley would never listen to him :whale:

13

I have never heard a set I’m satisfied with, but the contenders for me are Berman, Berezovsky and Pogorelich. Berman is good and imposing, but a little sluggish and boring. Berezovsky cool and impressive, but a little robotic and shallow. Pogo is detailed and fierce, but a little nuts and out of his mind.