Tharaud Plays Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2; Five Fantasy Pieces Op 3; Vocalise Op 34— Alexander Tharaud, piano; Royal Liverpool Philharmonic/Alexander Vedernikov; Sabine Devieilhe, soprano (Erato 557829 )
From the ArkivMusic website: “French star pianist Alexandre Tharaud takes on the blockbuster ‘Rach 2’ concerto in a performance with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Russian maestro Alexander Vedernikov. It is coupled with more intimate Rachmaninoff for piano six-hands (for which Alexandre is flanked by Alexander Melnikov and Aleksandar Madzar) and the icing on the cake: a sublime Vocalise in the original version for voice and piano, with pure-voiced French soprano Sabine Devieilhe. Alexandre Tharaud’s recorded catalogue is large and eclectic, but this is the first time he has devoted an entire album to Russian repertoire – specifically to the music of Sergei Rachmaninoff. ‘I was still quite young when I first played this concerto,’ explains Tharaud. ‘I adored it … Rachmaninoff’s virtuosity really appeals to young pianists. Today, of course I’m still enthralled by the concerto’s virtuosity, but now I’m more interested in its dark shadows: the sense of despair, of staring into the abyss. My interpretation of Rachmaninoff has changed a lot over the years.’”
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