Ukranian-born pianist Valentina Lisitsa became a YouTube sensation a few years ago by uploading her entire self-produced album of Chopin Études onto the site. It was not long after she mortgaged her home to hire the London Symphony Orchestra for this Rachmaninov project that Decca took notice of her, and signed her to a multi-album contract.
On evidence here, Lisitsa has formidable technical chops, with playing distinguished by quick tempos that hew close to Rachmaninov’s own, exceptional clarity of texture, and razor-sharp rhythm and attacks (along with a penchant for full-bodied, Horowitz-style chords). These qualities come forth most strongly in Concerto No. 3, where the pianist’s accuracy and detail at such high speeds certainly impresses. It’s less manically driven than Martha Argerich on Philips, but hers was a feat of pianistic derring-do. By contrast, Lisitsa’s virtuosity sounds a bit too comfortable. Such an approach tends to squeeze out poise and emotion, and makes the performance engaging only on a surface level. The same can pretty much be said of her fleet and efficient Concerto No. 1, though in No. 4 Lisitsa’s focus and drive does lend shape and clarity, making the music sound less discursive than usual.
Concerto No. 2 comes off best, as Lisitsa exhibits genuine feeling and tenderness in the enchanting Andante second movement. Conductor Michael Francis at last makes his presence known in this work, pointing up Rachmaninov’s gorgeous orchestral colors and dynamic shadings. The Finale is moving enough that you wonder where Francis was in the other pieces, for instance the Paganini Rhapsody, which receives a run-of-the-mill reading (albeit brilliantly played by Lisitsa). The London Symphony Orchestra does its usual professional job, but you can hear them deliver more inspired performances for Previn and Ashkenazy on Decca. As you might expect with such a project, the recording gives priority to the piano over the orchestra, though it’s still perfectly listenable.
Those coming to Lisitsa from YouTube likely will be gratified by this recording, as will those intrigued to hear the latest Rachmaninov concerto artist. Otherwise, recordings by Hough, Wild, Kocsis, and Ashkenazy remain the recommended options.
