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Piano - Freddy Kempf
GLINKA Ruslan and Lyudmila Overture
TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No.1
RACHMANINOV Symphony No.2
Glinka's sparkling Overture serves as a colourful curtain-raiser to Tchaikovsky's immortal First Piano Concerto, which was famously (and shockingly) dismissed by Rubinstein as being 'bad and vulgar'. From its broad opening tune, supported by crashing piano chords, to its thrilling finale, this is music of supreme confidence and unfettered imagination, and remains one of the great war-horses of Romantic concertos for keyboard.
Despite his assertion that he had no idea how to compose a symphony, nor any desire to write one, Rachmaninov succeeded in completing no less than three, by far the most popular of which is the Second. Completed in 1908, this great and passionately lyrical outpouring combines characteristic sweeps of melody with infectious rhythmic verve.
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