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Was off the beaten track today and needed gas; and spied a hole in the wall thrift store. Would they have records? I went to see.Sure enough there was a pile in the corner, mostly crap, but there--close to the bottom--was a seal copy of Horowitz' final recording of the Rachmaninoff 3rd Piano Concerto. So bizarre to see cornerstones of Western Civilization like this, strewn across a dusty floor and partially buried under kiddie toys and long-lost golf clubs. I love the vinyl treasure hunt.
If this thrift store score weren't surreal enough, my memory of picking up the Lp the first time around is even more so. I can barely remember the Woolworth's in which I first laid eyes on the cover (in '79, '80?): the store had a basement with all the "cool" stuff: Aquariums, "real" stereos, sporting goods, and their Lp selection. I think I must have been 14-15 years old. My long-gone grandmother used to buy me sundaes at the Woolworth lunch counter. Wonderful times.
I recall being SO disappointed with the piece! Where were the big melodies?? Apart from a few glorious, ecstatic, and unfortunately fleeting Russian-esque outbursts (1/3 of the way thru the 1st mov't, 1/2 way thru the 2nd), it all sounded like note-spinning to me. What a piece of crap compared to the 2nd Piano Concerto, I though to myself. The lyrical melody in the finale was its only saving grace to my young ears.
35 years have passed. I've seen this Lp off and on elsewhere, but have avoided it. I've read the Horowitz misses more than a few notes and--if that weren't bad enough-- who wants a late RCA pressing, let alone recording?
I've since listened to Argerich's (talk about wrong notes!), Ashkenazy's (Previn and Haitink), Wild's (surprisingly lovely, poetic and feverish), Cliburn's (sensitive but strings get a little harsh right in the most exquisite moments) and many more which I can't recall at the moment. All I can tell you is that none (save for Wild) put me in the zone like the Horowitz (eventually) did.
Maybe it's imprinting, but the Horowitz fit like an old glove. The phrasing and ebb and flow just feels so right. The piece was recorded "live" (w/ patches) in Carnegie Hall, and IMHO it's very serviceable, if a bit flat and up front.
Edits: 07/26/15Follow Ups:
...into the room where some of the boxes are stored and randomly chose first a box then a couple of albums. The Horowitz/Rachmaninoff No.3 was one of them! There are probably forty boxes spread out in three rooms with about seventy-five or so in each box so if you had asked me to pull it out, I would have told you......; well, told you something. BTW, my copy has a very nice booklet included with the record. I am currently enjoying the performance; albeit with a set of cans as the system will not be set up for a couple of weeks after everything gets settled.
Later Gator,
Dave
...remember the most was the unique smell that those stores had. Especially the ones with real lunch counters. In the late 90s/very early 00s I went into a Woolworth's (Kresge's?, McCrorys?; I do not remember now) in Lauderhill Mall near Ft. Lauderdale, FL to get something and I stopped almost as if I had walked into the door; it was THAT smell. It hit almost like a hammer; I had not smelled it for maybe twenty years or more!
Later Gator,
Dave
I used to play that one quite a lot. I think I will dig it out tonight ...
Dave
many others make it sound like an arduous and undesirable practice assignment.
Nice, but I'll take the Byron Janis (Mercury)Rach 3 over anybody's. Check out Janis' Rach One as well. It's a real treat, and the sonics are amazing.
During my SACD phase, Janis' Rach 3rd on Mercury recording was one of my first purchases.His technique and muscularity are undeniable but for me, he's not big on "soul." His Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev leave me feeling a bit short-changed in the reflective moments. I like a little angst!
Since you're a fan of Janis though, do look out for the Audio Clinic Lp (on Japanese Philips) of his Prokofiev 3rd, which is spread over two sides on pristine and silent vinyl. They may or may not have used back up master tapes, but the sound is fabulous, surpassing the Golden Imports, SACD and original Merc. You can really hear into the recording and the final pages--with all the cascading notes in the high treble--come across with welcome clarity.
The cover looks like the Strauss pictured below, and it's not collectable.
Edits: 07/27/15
I hear plenty of soul in Janis--especially compared to Argerich and Wild, who sound like they're trying to set speed records at the expense of the music. Thanks for the tip about the Prokofieff 3rd. I'll look for it. I guess my favorite is Van Cliburn on that one at the moment.
You are SO right! It's demented to say that Janis was not big on "soul". ;-)
Unfortunately, both of the commercial Janis recordings of the Rachmaninoff Third have cuts in them (not as many as on the Wild recording, but still. . . ).
It's also demented to complain about Argerich's wrong notes (which are the result of a transcendent technique being pushed to its very limits, thus producing incredible excitement!), and then kind of turn a deaf ear to the wrong notes of Horowitz (who, certainly, was for decades a great pianist) in an unfortunate performance from his geezer period.
I could not disagree more! Compare Janis to Horowitz or even Cliburn!
Where's the whimsy????
Was I reading an internet forum post or a dedicated newspaper column? This is also surreal enough for us just want something to read. Thanks +1!
(one thing though, an English pressing may not bring you back the whole sandae. :))
Nt
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