A Tribute to Rachmaninoff (2011)

Vladimir Feltsman's A Tribute to Rachmaninoff was released in 2011, though the live recording of the Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor dates from 1992. Recorded at a concert dedicated to the memory of Yakov Flier, who was a piano teacher for both Feltsman and conductor Mikhail Pletnev, the occasion was notable for the high levels of excitement and energy in these artists and the Russian National Orchestra. Feltsman's playing is tumultuous and passionate, and Pletnev's direction is in complete sympathy with the soloist, so ... Read More

Vladimir Feltsman's A Tribute to Rachmaninoff was released in 2011, though the live recording of the Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor dates from 1992. Recorded at a concert dedicated to the memory of Yakov Flier, who was a piano teacher for both Feltsman and conductor Mikhail Pletnev, the occasion was notable for the high levels of excitement and energy in these artists and the Russian National Orchestra. Feltsman's playing is tumultuous and passionate, and Pletnev's direction is in complete sympathy with the soloist, so much so that the interpretation is a shared creation. Regrettably, the sound is inferior, in part from distortion in the recording and strange microphone placement that puts the piano at a distance, but also from the audience's frequent coughs and program rustling. This won't spoil the music for dedicated fans who can get past such things, but it may prove detrimental to other listeners' enjoyment. Feltsman's 2010 studio recordings of the Elegy and the six preludes are much easier to... Read Less