Stephen Hough, Dallas SO, Andrew Litton – Rachmaninov: Complete Works for Piano and Orchestra (2004) MCH SACD ISO + FLAC 24bit/96kHz

Stephen Hough, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Litton –
Rachmaninov: Complete Works for Piano and Orchestra / Paganini Rhapsody (2004)
PS3 Rip | 2x SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & 5.1 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 144:42 minutes | Scans included (PDF) | 6,39 GB
or FLAC Stereo 2.0 (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/96 kHz | Scans included (PDF) | 2,72 GB

The combination of Dallas and Litton offers a conductor who adores Sergei Rachmaninov (he has recorded all the symphonies) and understands the works from a pianist’s perspective, an orchestra with a glorious and old-fashioned string sound of the kind with which the composer would be familiar, a hall to record in which is one of the best in the world, and let’s not forget Stephen Hough who has already won two Gramophone ‘Record of the Year’ accolades for his concerto recordings. As the results here triumphantly show, all our hopes have been fulfilled, and more.

As everyone with a thesaurus knows, urgency rhymes with emergency. And these performances of Rachmaninov’s works for piano and orchestra by Stephen Hough with Andrew Litton leading the Dallas Symphony are nothing if they are not urgent. Hough’s tempos are quick and strong and vital, with plenty of rubato and lots of accelerando. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that. Go back and listen to the old Rachmaninov recordings to hear the roots of Hough’s impetuous and romantic interpretation. But those are only the roots: Hough is himself a consummate virtuoso with a blazing technique and a passionate temperament and he has something to say about Rachmaninov, and in Rachmaninov’s style, he says it urgently, often even ecstatically. Listen to the climax of the closing movement of the Concerto in D minor: Hough pushes forward by holding back and explodes in incandescent chords of surpassing bliss. Not since the ’50s Horowitz recording has any pianist so perfectly represented the heart of the music by being so true to himself. Litton, an old hand at Rachmaninov, is a superb partner and the Dallas Symphony sounds like a thoroughbred orchestra. If you love Rachmaninov’s works for piano and orchestra – and what red-blooded listener doesn’t? – hearing Hough’s recording is an emergency. Hyperion’s live sound is faithful and true.

Tracklist:
SACD ONE
01. Piano Concerto No 1 in F sharp minor Op 1 – Movement 1: Vivace
02. Piano Concerto No 1 in F sharp minor Op 1 – Movement 2: Andante
03. Piano Concerto No 1 in F sharp minor Op 1 – Movement 3: Allegro vivace
04. Piano Concerto No 4 in G minor Op 40 – Movement 1: Allegro vivace
05. Piano Concerto No 4 in G minor Op 40 – Movement 2: Largo
06. Piano Concerto No 4 in G minor Op 40 – Movement 3: Allegro vivace
07. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 01. Introduction: Allegro vivace
08. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 02. Variation 1: Precedente
09. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 03. Theme: L’istesso tempo
10. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 04. Variation 2: L’istesso tempo
11. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 05. Variation 3: L’istesso tempo
12. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 06. Variation 4: Più vivo
13. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 07. Variation 5: Tempo precedente
14. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 08. Variation 6: L’istesso tempo
15. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 09. Variation 7: Meno mosso, a tempo moderato
16. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 10. Variation 8: Tempo I
17. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 11. Variation 9: L’istesso tempo
18. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 12. Variation 10: Poco marcato
19. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 13. Variation 11: Moderato
20. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 14. Variation 12: Tempo di minuetto
21. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 15. Variation 13: Allegro
22. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 16. Variation 14: L’istesso tempo
23. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 17. Variation 15: Più vivo scherzando
24. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 18. Variation 16: Allegretto
25. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 19. Variation 17: [Allegretto]
26. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 20. Variation 18: Andante cantabile
27. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 21. Variation 19: A tempo vivace
28. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 22. Variation 20: Un poco più vivo
29. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 23. Variation 21: Un poco più vivo
30. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 24. Variation 22: Un poco più vivo, alla breve
31. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 25. Variation 23: L’istesso tempo
32. Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini Op 43 – No 26. Variation 24: A tempo un poco meno mosso
SACD TWO
01. Piano Concerto No 2 in C minor Op 18 – Movement 1: Moderato
02. Piano Concerto No 2 in C minor Op 18 – Movement 2: Adagio sostenuto
03. Piano Concerto No 2 in C minor Op 18 – Movement 3: Allegro scherzando
04. Piano Concerto No 3 in D minor Op 30 – Movement 1: Allegro ma non tanto
05. Piano Concerto No 3 in D minor Op 30 – Movement 2: Intermezzo. Adagio
06. Piano Concerto No 3 in D minor Op 30 – Movement 3: Finale. Alla breve
Produced by Andrew Keener. Engineered by Jeff Mee
Recorded in May 2004 at Eugene McDermott Concert Hall, Morton H Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas, USA