Upon hearing this CD, one wonders why these 1985 recordings were re-issued. There are at least a dozen fine recordings of each of these works in the catalog, many of those more or less definitive. Though the performances may interest some listeners looking for a “Germanic” view of this music, they shed little new light on the works at hand. These are also among the longest, slowest versions currently available for both works. The concerto takes almost 37 minutes and unlike other broad performances, such as the majestic ones from Svatlisav Richter or John Lill, this one simply seems cautious, an effect heightened by some playing in the cracks at a few key points. The Rhapsody comes in at a little over 25 minutes, a timing some two to four minutes over the usual, and is deadly dull. Here the orchestral playing is generally good, and the recording is expansive and warm. A curiousity, then, and little more.
