Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 2; Etudes-Tableaux

OK Concerto, excellent Etudes-Tableaux.

Kissin was a bit too young at the time for this concerto; that said, his tone is ravishing (slightly metallic on this particluar piano, but that's in terms of bells, not anvils). Overall, the playing is technically sound, but one could question the use of pedal here and there, smearing articulation, and at times--no fault of his own-- Kissin is drowning in the swells created by Gergiev. The Etude-Tableaux are excellent; several could actually be considered signature readings of the pieces. Buy this recording for the etudes, and use the concerto for points of comparison with the likes of Cliburn, Duchable (a personal favorite), Ashkenazy and Weissenberg. August 3, 2007

Young pianists should avoid Rachmaninoff No. 2

Even keyboard supermen, if at a tender age (like 16), should avoid some repertoire that require more depth and life experience.
A typical piece of such sort is Rachmaninoff's No. 2 Piano Concerto. Don't think that it is so well known that even jazz players improvise on it that a kid could bring the music out alright.
I am not a diehard fan of Kissin, or of any pianist.
Honestly, the showmanship of young Kissin is rather inapt for this piece, demonstrating his lack of technical control, plus the fact that he and Gergiev are scarcely in sync in this recording.
I regret that people do not have the guts to say this straight out (except the only honest reviewer of March 2006). June 29, 2007

mediocre C-minor

To put this streight Kissin doesn't understand Rachmaninov's music at all. He makes mistakes high-school students at Moscow conservatoire are tought to avoid at a very early age. I don't mean that my understanding is inevitably right, tastes are different in the end.
However some pieces sound so bad, you can't help feeling sorry for the pianist. His rubatos lack elementary taste. His pedal is a disgrace and at times a disaster! In the end amazing second concerto sounds cheap and pitiful.
If you want to listen to a beautiful interpitation, get Richter's.
March 27, 2006

Powerful Rachmaninoff

Because Rachmaninoff's music mirrors the Russian culture, I have often noted that no one plays Rachmaninoff like a Russian. Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 and Etudes-Tableaux, played by the Russian Evgeny Kissin, is unparalleled in mastery, beauty, and power. The album begins with one of the most sensitive interpretations of Rachmaninoff's second piano concerto that I have heard (on par with Vladimir Ashkenazy's, a fellow Russian). Kissin understands the flow of the piece from beginning to end. As a result, he builds the tension by accentuating the rich chord progressions that fill the piece. He then resolves that tension with the precision of a story-teller and the sensitivity of a master artist. Though the music stretches the ability of even the greatest pianists, Kissin plays through the difficulty in order to paint a landscape of musical progression. He hears and invites his audience to hear the intricate sub-plots that recur all throughout the work. Perhaps Rachmaninoff's most famous composition is married with a true master artist.

The album ends with six powerful Etudes-Tableaux. Once again, Kissin hears and emphasizes both the predominant theme as well as the innumerable sub-themes, often overlooked by lesser musicians. My favorite is Etude-Tableau No. 5 in E-flat minor. This extremely difficult piece builds tension through increased dissonance until a lofty climax. That dissonance almost becomes unpleasant to the ears, creating an atmosphere of extreme melancholy. I imagine that tension mirroring the inner turmoil that an individual experiences through a difficult time of life. But when that tension and internal cacophony can get no greater and the person is at the point of breaking, grace comes! The beauty of the resolution is far more beautiful against such a dark backdrop. And any person who has been through difficulties can fully enter into the emotion of the music. And anybody who is currently experiencing pain and suffering can take hope, even from this music, that resolution will come. September 24, 2005

Kissin & Rachmaninoff

If one asks what the most striking reality in this CD is, I would without a doubt show the recording date (1988) and the year (1971) Kissin was born in. This interpretation of Rachmaninoff's 2nd concerto is just "too much" for a young man at his 17s. Apart from the technical brilliancy, Kissin shows us that he feels the music in his soul. The Etudes-tableaux are unique in their own way, and Kissin's recordings are among the best. Notice the savagery in No. 1, the beauty in No. 2, and the melancholy in No. 5. Brilliant performances. Highly recommended. March 13, 2005

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