Khatia’s new release is brilliant, contemporary and commendable, yet…
mainFrom the Lebrecht Album of the Week:
It’s raining Rachmaninov concertos and I’m not sure the roof can take any more. The past couple of weeks have brought Vanessa Benelli Mosell on Decca, Marc-André Hamelin on Hyperion and now the exuberant Khatia Buniatishvili on Sony…
Read on here.
And here.
And here.
Why at all bother with this minor talent when we have a Rach 3 from a certain Argentinian from Berlin, 1982 (or maybe ’81) that blitzkrieged the city on that fateful night and that three and a half decades later no one present (or afar) has yet fully recovered.
So how do these recordings set themselves apart from the other 373 listed on the http://www.jpc.de, including the composer’s own recording with Stokowski? Do they break the 14 minute record for the last movement?
The Philadelphia Orchestra Rachmaninoff 3 with the composer as soloist is with Ormandy conducting, isn’t it? Moreover, the finale is cut so comparisons in timing would be a bit tricky.
Looks like you are both right:
http://tinyurl.com/mx38xjr
It does break the record. Buniatashvili’s account is 13:06 in the last movement with NO cuts.
“Why do record labels always credit the executive producer and never the orchestra soloists?”
I agree. If an orchestral soloist in a concerto (e.g. the oboe in the Brahms violin concerto, or the flute in the Dvorak cello concerto) is important enough to merit a solo bow at the end of the performance, then they’re important enough to be mentioned on a recording. As a flutist, I have bought recordings of the Dvorak (Yo-Yo Ma ok fine) to hear the flute playing (Baxtresser YES PLEASE)
That said, I do have several recordings of the Brahms violin concerto where the oboist is mentioned on the back: a couple Schellenbergers, a Mayer, a Klein, and even a Bourgue.
Khatia Buniatishvili’s Rach falls in line with most of her output: directionless and she doesn’t practice. She could conquer the world if she would only submit to a proper teacher.
That said, I thought the Hamelin release was very good. It wasn’t a typical reading, but nothing from Hamelin is typical. Perhaps this is why NL thought it was sub-par? He was trying to find some connection musically with the Medtner so perhaps that’s why it seemed underwhelming. The Medtner is a tough nut to crack as it is.
Vanessa Benelli Mosell’s recording was shockingly matter of fact, at least in the concerto. She does have the chops for it. No one can deny that.She has better technique than Khatia anyway. She’s a new music specialist and young. She’ll grow into the repertoire given a chance. Her Corelli variations was much better. It was more her thing than the concerto.
If one listens to her with one’s ears (rather than with one’s eyes) this woman’s playing is thoroughly unmemorable.
judging from the cover picture of your story it is really exuberant … plenty to see ( hopefully to listen to too 🙂 go K(h)atia , go !
This filthy comment is very much in line with this critics’ review.
How many male artists are judged by their physicality? How is it possible that this blatant sexism still rears its ugly head nowadays?
What’s your problem? My wife almost swoons every time Jonas Kaufmann appears in London or we play a DVD featuring him on TV.
So what?
Your wife is not a critic, and sexism is affecting her as well.
I’ve always been enticed by Khatia’s Rach, if you know what I mean.