‘The Earl Wild set with Horenstein originally derived from RCA. It was produced by Charles Gerhardt and was recorded in the Kingsway Hall in 1965. They worked marvelously together, with Horenstein producing an unexpected degree of romantic ardour from the orchestra and both artists finding the natural feeling for the ebb and flow of phrases, so readily demonstrated in the composer’s own performances, and which now have become a hallmark of Rachmaninovian interpretation. Earl Wild’s technique is prodigious and sometimes (as in the first movement of the Fourth Concerto) he almost lets it run away with him. What is surprising is how closely the interpretations here seem to be modeled on the composer’s own versions – not slavishly, but in broad conception. This applies strikingly to the First Concerto and the Rhapsody. The digital re-mastering has been a great success, the overall balance is truthful and the hall ambience brings a rich orchestral image and plenty of brilliance… all in all, this is a first class and very rewarding set, and the sumptuousness of the sound belies the age of the recording’. Penguin Guide to Compact Discs.
2 Ratings
