A clear favorite, April 23, 2003
Reviewer: "grok_" (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
I love Rachmaninoff, especially these piano concertos, and Ashkenazy and Previn provide us with masterful performances. You really need to compare other performances of these concertos to know just how good these are. The beauty of these performances is that everything comes together with such refinement. Previn exhibits a great understanding of these pieces and the LSO responds well (as usual). Ashkenazy is precise and yet expressive at the same time. He articulates each note so clearly. But more than this, Previn and Ashkenazy are magically attuned to each other. The music flows with a perfect balance between piano and orchestra.
These analog recordings from Decca are excellently engineered. The dynamic range is exceptional with a wide soundstage. As with other London/Decca and DG recordings, the midrange brass has a slight edge to it. Also, Ashkenazy is close miked, so his piano extends across 60% of the soundstage, which is not exactly realistic. However, these are minor quibbles that do not detract from a masterful performance and an otherwise expansive, crisp recording.
There is no reason to restrict oneself to a single performance of these marvelous concertos. But, if ever I had to restore my collection, I would purchase this set first.