Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2

There are almost 300 recordings of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2—and no wonder, given its status as one of classical music’s best-loved concertos. Its secret lies in the composer’s skill in placing technical pianistic demands at the service of the heart-rending music: Rachmaninoff never needlessly dazzles despite there being plenty to marvel at. Combine this with achingly beautiful and masterful orchestrations and the result is irresistible, a piece whose popularity has endured ever since its wildly successful premiere in 1901. The Berlin Philharmonic and soloist Kirill Gerstein understand all this, and correspondingly their performance goes deep inside the music. Virtuoso Gerstein tackles the technical challenges with expected ease and yet uncovers every last iota of detail as he goes, as does the Berlin Philharmonic which brings a winning freshness and vitality to the score. Everything is microscopically and scintillatingly recorded—so much so that even listeners who have spent years with this concerto will discover new things. Forensic playing aside, this is one of the most passionate performances on record, its sweeping, soaring opening minutes and explosive finale unrivalled in their sheer power.