In a catalog crowded with superb performances of Rachmaninov’s First and Third concertos, Nikolai Lugansky’s world-class pianism and Sakari Oramo’s solid, sparkling support (thanks of course to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra) easily hold their own. The D minor particularly stands out for Oramo’s care in bringing out the multitude of solo instrumental lines that less chamber-oriented conductors tend to ignore. Lugansky’s crisp, forward moving rendition of the solo part will please listeners familiar with Zoltan Kocsis’ similarly fleet and light-textured pianism. He lingers just enough in the unaccompanied sections, and like Horowitz, Argerich, and the composer himself, he opts for the easier first-movement cadenza (the more difficult chord-based alternative generally finds favor with young pianists).
Luganski positively pounces on the F-sharp minor concerto’s first-movement cadenza, extracting plenty of expressive juice in the process. His phrasing of the slow movement’s long lines, however, is a shade foursquare and undifferentiated compared to the gorgeous textural variety that Wild, Kocsis, and Pletnev serve up. And while Luganski and Oramo take the finale at a nice, lithe clip, the Ashkenazy/Haitink recording benefits from a wider dynamic range, superior orchestral sheen (especially in the brass), and more sophisticated rhythmic pointing. Consider this well-recorded release mainly for the Third Concerto.
