Rachmaninoff

Description

Virtuoso pianist, composer among the last figures of Russian romanticism, Rachmaninoff experienced great episodes of melancholy, even despair. His tormented nature found expression in music of blazing intensity, combining feverish flashes, almost expressionist, and clear, stripped melodies. The breathless Sonata No. 2 and the six Moments musicaux are, from this point of view, particularly eloquent, and summarize the very singular poetry of Rachmaninoff. Jean-Paul Gasparian is here: after a first recording focused on the Russian school that was particularly noted, he confirms in this third opus his elective affinities and his striking mastery of the repertoire. His deep playing, with a dense and warm timbre, offers a chosen setting for the incandescent lyricism of the Russian composer, reconciling his ardor and nobility.