Noriko Ogawa, Malmo Symphony Orchestra, Owain Arwel Hughes - Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3 (1997) CD-Rip

Lovers of Rachmaninov's Second and Third Piano Concertos should rush to buy, while it's still available, this magnificent CD by Noriko Ogawa, Owain Arwel Hughes, and the Malmo [Sweden] Symphony Orchestra. The Ogawa-Hughes-Malmo recording belongs alongside legendary performances by Argerich, Ashkenazy, Horowitz, Janis, Kapell, and the composer himself, and it is second to none in overall excellence. Ogawa can produce huge sonorities but she chooses to emphasize Rachmaninov's lyrical lines,performing both concertos as an equal partner with the orchestra. Arwel Hughes draws out details of the concertos' rich scoring and the Malmo players respond with pure burnished tones, especially from woodwinds and brasses. This CD contains 80'04 minutes of clear BIS digital sound. No matter how well you know both concertos, each hearing will reveal something new and intensely beautiful.