Catalogue

Summary:

“Expectations are fully realised in performances of the highest order…Trpčeski was put on this earth to play this music and Petrenko to conduct it…This is a riveting disc, another major landmark for Trpčeski and one on which Rachmaninov finds interpreters thoroughly attuned to his emotional world.” – Gramophone (editor’s choice)

“[Nos 1 & 4] have never been such sure-fire crowd-pleasers, but Trpčeski certainly plays them with fire and passion. No. 1 emerges as big-boned and compelling, while he plays up the leanly modernist aspects of No. 4…Trpčeski is aided throughout by the unanimity of feeling produced by Vassily Petrenko’s direction of the orchestra, conductor and pianist working hand in glove.” ★★★★ – BBC Music Magazine

“Trpčeski relishes Rachmaninov, thrilling his audience with virtuosic passages which easily demonstrate why these pieces in particular were important vehicles for Rachmaninov the exiled pianist. Petrenko maintains timing and tension, whilst never allowing lush lyricism to become stodgy or overwhelming…this is a musical combination which works superbly.” ★★★★★ – Classic FM

“Trpčeski captures the music’s protean mood switches to perfection, his mercurial fingers dashing off the vivace flourishes of the outer movements and the most brilliant Paganini variations with insouciant bravura and brio…These performances are a meeting of dazzling musical minds, offering an untraditional approach that never sounds wilful, attention-seeking or eccentric.” ★★★★★ – The Sunday Times

“The virtuosi Macedonian Simon Trpčeski and St Petersburg-born Vasily Petrenko combine in taut, poetic performances with notably coruscating brass playing from an RLPO on impressive and expressive form.” – The Observer

“Simon Trpčeski, Vasily Petrenko and the RLPO bring understanding and instinct to their performances, and take to heart the different temperaments that each of the three works on this recording manifests…the judicious variety of touch and colour, and ability to reveal important details of the music, combine with an expressive maturity to make these performances utterly compelling.” ★★★★★ – The Daily Telegraph

Simon Trpčeski’s recording of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 3 was one of the most acclaimed and best-selling classical releases of 2010. His frequent collaborations with Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra are justly celebrated. Together they complete the Rachmaninov canon with this highly-anticipated follow up of Concertos Nos. 1 and 4, and the Paganini Rhapsody.

Rachmaninov Concertos 2 and 3 made the Top 3 of the UK Specialist Classical Chart and won a Diapason d’or de l’année

Tracklist:

SERGEI RACHMANINOFF (1873–1943)

Piano Concerto No. 1 in F sharp minor, No. 1, Op. 1 (26:50)
1. I. Vivace (12:17)
2. II. Andante (6:32)
3. III. Allegro vivace (7:57)

Piano Concerto No. 4 in G minor, No. 4, Op. 40 (27:03)
4. I. Allegro vivace (9:59)
5. II. Largo (7:34)
6. III. Allegro vivace (9:30)

Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini in A minor, Op. 43 (22:54)
7. No. 1 Introduction – Allegro vivace (0:08)
8. No. 2 Variation 1 – Precedente (0:21)
9. No. 3 Theme – L’istesso tempo (0:20)
10. No. 4 Variation 2 – L’istesso tempo (0:19)
11. No. 5 Variation 3 – L’istesso tempo (0:27)
12. No. 6 Variation 4 – Più vivo (0:29)
13. No. 7 Variation 5 – Tempo precedente (0:31)
14. No. 8 Variation 6 – L’istesso tempo (1:01)
15. No. 9 Variation 7 – Meno mosso, a tempo moderato (1:11)
16. No. 10 Variation 8 – Tempo 1 (0:35)
17. No. 11 Variation 9 – L’istesso tempo (0:33)
18. No. 12 Variation 10 – Poco marcato (0:56)
19. No. 13 Variation 11 – Moderato (1:22)
20. No. 14 Variation 12 – Tempo di minuetto (1:17)
21. No. 15 Variation 13 – Allegro (0:30)
22. No. 16 Variation 14 – L’istesso tempo (0:44)
23. No. 17 Variation 15 – Più vivo scherzando (1:10)
24. No. 18 Variation 16 – Allegretto (1:33)
25. No. 19 Variation 17 – [Allegretto] (1:33)
26. No. 20 Variation 18 – Andante cantabile (2:49)
27. No. 21 Variation 19 – A tempo vivace (0:27)
28. No. 22 Variation 20 – Un poco più vivo (0:35)
29. No. 23 Variation 21 – Un poco più vivo (0:25)
30. No. 24 Variation 22 – Un poco più vivo, alla breve (1:36)
31. No. 25 Variation 23 – L’istesso tempo (0:49)
32. No. 26 Variation 24 – A tempo un poco meno mosso (1:13)

Total duration: 77:09

Recorded at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, 1 – 3 February 2010 (Piano Concerto 1), 26-28 January 2011 (Piano Concerto 4), 9 April 2009 (Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini)
Producer: John Fraser | Engineer: Dave Pigott | Editor: Julia Thomas
Post-Production & Mixing: Philip Hobbs