With so many excellent Rachmaninov concerto recordings crowding the bins of late, you might consider Chandos’ two-for-one reissue of Howard Shelley’s 1989/90 cycle somewhat redundant. It’s not. Abetted by richly atmospheric engineering, Shelley’s intelligent, musicianly virtuosity enlightens, often inspires, and always satisfies. He’s not quite so nimble as Kocsis, nor scintillating as Wild, nor should you expect the fire and ice of Zimerman’s First Concerto or Michelangeli’s Fourth. And despite the Scottish National Orchestra’s robust sonority and the late Bryden Thomson’s tasteful, idiomatic podium work, I miss the Hough/Litton edition’s ravishing soloist/ensemble interplay, or the vivid detailing that distinguishes Antoni Wit’s conducting throughout Idil Biret’s Naxos cycle.
Still, Shelley finds details that other pianists miss. For example, he brings noticeable variety of dynamic shadings and accents to the Paganini Rhapsody’s solo part, while the orchestra gathers strength as the music progresses. The Second Concerto’s finale easily holds its ground in the proverbial dazzle department, and the Third is a master-class in poise and proportion. Wisely, Shelley chooses the now-unfashionable leaner, simpler cadenza that Horowitz, Argerich, Kocsis, and the composer himself preferred. While my budget Rachmaninov cycle preference remains Kocsis/de Waart, Shelley/Thomson certainly is easy to live with, and its many virtues continue to wear well.
