Mariinsky: Denis Matsuev — Rachmaninov & Prokofiev Piano Concertos No. 2 — Gergiev (Hybrid SACD)

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Product Details:

• Product Type: Hybrid Super Audio CD (SACD)
• Brand / Label: Mariinsky
• Composers: Sergei Rachmaninov; Sergei Prokofiev
• Works: Rachmaninov — Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18; Prokofiev — Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16
• Soloist: Denis Matsuev (piano)
• Orchestra: Mariinsky Orchestra
• Conductor: Valery Gergiev
• Recording: Live in DSD, 25 & 26 June 2016, Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg
• Release Year: 2017
• UPC: 822231859925
• Catalogue Number: MAR0599
• Genre: Classical / Piano Concerto

Product Features

• Format: Hybrid SACD (plays in all CD players; high-definition stereo and surround layers readable by SACD players)
• Discs: 1
• Total runtime: 62 minutes 58 seconds
• Channels: Multi-channel 5.0 and stereo mixes
• Recording format: DSD (Direct Stream Digital)
• Booklet notes in English, French, German, Russian
• Producer / engineer: Vladimir Ryabenko
• Condition: Brand New, Factory Sealed

Overview

Two towering Russian piano concertos on one SACD, with Denis Matsuev as soloist and Valery Gergiev leading the Mariinsky Orchestra — the partnership at the heart of the label's Prokofiev and Rachmaninov series.

Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 needs little introduction: one of the most loved concertos ever written, all surging melody and dark Russian warmth, the work that re-established the composer's confidence after a crippling depression. Matsuev plays it with the big tone and command the piece demands, recorded live in the Mariinsky's own hall.

Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2 is its near-opposite — fierce, modernist, and brutally difficult, with a first-movement cadenza that's among the most punishing in the repertoire. Where the Rachmaninov seduces, the Prokofiev attacks, and Matsuev's combination of power and control is ideally matched to it. Pairing the two on a single disc throws each into sharp relief.

Recorded live in DSD over two June evenings in 2016, this hybrid SACD plays on any CD player while offering high-resolution stereo and 5.0 surround to those equipped for it.

A compelling choice for lovers of Russian piano music, Matsuev and Gergiev followers, and audiophiles after reference-quality concerto sound.

Interesting Facts

• Rachmaninov dedicated his Second Piano Concerto to Nikolai Dahl, the physician whose treatment helped him recover from a long creative depression.
• Prokofiev's Second Concerto was reconstructed by the composer after the original score was destroyed in a fire following the Russian Revolution.
• Denis Matsuev won the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1998 and is renowned for his formidable technique and stamina.
• Both works were recorded live in DSD in the Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre, the venue built under Gergiev's direction.
• The first-movement cadenza of the Prokofiev concerto is considered one of the most physically demanding passages in the piano repertoire.
• The recording carries both multi-channel 5.0 and stereo mixes, produced and engineered by Vladimir Ryabenko.

Track Listing

Rachmaninov — Piano Concerto No. 2

1. I. Moderato — 9:52
2. II. Adagio sostenuto – Più animato – Tempo I — 9:53
3. III. Allegro scherzando — 11:21

Prokofiev — Piano Concerto No. 2

1. I. Andantino – Allegretto — 11:22
2. II. Scherzo: Vivace — 2:21
3. III. Intermezzo: Allegro moderato — 6:31
4. IV. Finale: Allegro tempestoso — 11:38

Total duration: 62:58

Publishers

© & ℗ 2017 State Academic Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, Russia. Recorded live in DSD; producer, editor, mixing and mastering by Vladimir Ryabenko.

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