Mikhail Pletnev and Libor Pešek’s 1988 Rachmaninov disc makes a welcome reappearance at mid-price. Pešek launches the concerto with a refreshing athleticism, resisting the temptation to make the opening horn fanfare an imitation of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony. Pletnev matches this energy with his own brisk and fluid pacing, making for a performance that’s stunning in its clarity and power. Yet for all this, Pletnev lends the music a Chopinesque poetic sensitivity (especially in the slow movement) that’s quite affecting.
Ah, but it’s in the Paganini Rhapsody where the sparks really fly. Pletnev invests each variation with a specific vibrancy that perfectly defines its individual character, all the while magically relating each to the whole–and his spectacular playing in the Scherzando Variation 15 will have you reaching for the repeat button. Pešek leads the Philharmonia in a vital and colorful performance and offers a particularly moving rendition of the famous Andante Cantabile variation. This is a fine effort overall, though not one to shake me from my coveted Rubinstein/Reiner classic on RCA. Virgin’s recording indicates a large venue, but there’s plenty of presence, depth, and clarity to the sound.
