Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 and Grieg: Piano Concerto Sa Chen; Orquestra Gulbenkian & Lawrence Foster

• Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943): Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18
• 1 I. Moderato - Allegro 11:25
• 2 II. Adagio sostenuto 12:04
• 3 III. Allegro scherzando 12:01
• Edvard Grieg (1843-1907): Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16
• 4 I. Allegro molto moderato 13:52
• 5 II. Adagio 06:35
• 6 III. Allegro moderato molto e marcato 10:51
• Total Runtime 01:06:48

Info zu Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 and Grieg: Piano Concerto

Sa Chen has been called “a brilliant pianist” by Emmanuel Ax. Here she performs what are probably two of the best known of all piano concertos.

“I play all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order. ”That was how Eric Morecambe answered the taunt of conductor ‘Andrew Preview’ (André Previn), who was questioning his rather ‘unusual’ treatment of the introductory theme of Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto. Nowadays, the sketch from the 1971 Christmas show of the famous comedy duo Morecambe and Wise has attained cult status and can be viewed on the Internet. Many years later, Previn let slip that taxi-drivers still regularly addressed him as ‘Mr Preview’. In fact, the sketch was not the first to parody Grieg’s indestructible concerto: that honour belongs to Franz Reizenstein, with his Concerto Popolare dating from 1959. Grieg’s masterwork also did well in films such as The Seventh Veil (1945) and Lolita (1997), not forgetting television series such as Twin Peaks and The X-Files. It was even used to sell sport shoes and cars.

Like Grieg’s Piano Concerto, Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 has also ensconced itself in the collective consciousness as the stereotypical ‘romantic’ piano concerto. This music has also been used in films, including Brief Encounter (1945), The Seven Year Itch (1955) and Hereafter (2010). And Rachmaninoff’s melodies turned out to be even better suited to light music, judging by songs such as ‘I Think of You’, ‘Ever and Forever’ and ‘Full Moon and Empty Arms’ sung by Frank Sinatra and, of course, Eric Carmen’s ballade ‘All by Myself.

“She projects the rolling passagework and multi-layered textures of the Rachmaninov's first movement with plenty of power and sweep...Chen's well-modulated, regulation pianism does justice to the Grieg Concerto's solo part but she offers little that her recorded competitors have not done better.” (Gramophone)

“A truly idiosyncratic music mind which has something new to say without ever breaking away from the score.” (PIANIST)

“...one of the brightest performers of her generation...” (Simon Bates, Classical FM)

“...Sa Chen and Lang Lang are, along with Yundi Li, the leading lights of a growing wave of dazzling young Chinese pianists...” (Tim Parry, BBC Music Magazine)

Sa Chen, piano
Orquestra Gulbenkian
Lawrence Foster, conductor

Keine Biografie vorhanden.

Booklet für Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 and Grieg: Piano Concerto