Post by Fugue January 6, 2011 (1 of 7)
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Has anyone compared this to Weissenberg's DG RBCD? No doubt it sounds better, but how does the performance compare? Weissenberg plays with such astonishing ferocity that it seems unlikely that anyone would come close! He and Mustonen seem quite different temperamentally.
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Post by armenian January 7, 2011 (2 of 7)
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I have this SACD, good performance with good sound. I do have a few concerto recordings by Weissenberg on LP but not this sonata so can not comment.
I wish Sudbin would perform this work, his performance of the second sonata is good enough to make me wish for the first. For absolute technical mastery a performance by Arcadi Volodos would be my dream choice.
Vahe
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Post by Fugue January 7, 2011 (3 of 7)
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I've read several good reviews, although none compared it to Weissenberg's, so I went ahead and ordered it.
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Post by trntbl January 9, 2011 (4 of 7)
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aulis said:
Just listened this with my new system, truly great piano sound. It is nicer to hear Mr. Mustonen form a disk than to attend a recital, his playing antics are quite extreme.
I agree, this is Mustonen's best recording so far, in fact quite normal compared to his usually eccentric playing, and the recorded sound is very good. But hearing Mustonen in recital is even better!
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Post by Fugue January 9, 2011 (5 of 7)
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Gramophone magazine refers to it as a "savage" performance--not an adjective that I would normally associate with Mustonen!
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Post by lennyw January 19, 2011 (6 of 7)
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Sadly, a neglected work, and in my opinion far superior to Sonata No.2.
Weissenberg's is thrilling, but it isn't Rachmaninov. In my opinion there are two recordings which really capture the work as it "should" be (I know, a very subjective thing):
Fiorentino's on APR was the performance that made me fall in love with the piece. There are some technical problems, but overall it's a glorious performance. The second I shall recommend with some embarrassment, as I produced it: Yuri Paterson-Olenich on Prometheus Editions. Recorded on Neumann Valve mics, it sounds best on valve based equipment.
Funnily enough, Yuri's favourite performance is my least favourite: Berezovsky's on Teldec. So what do I know!
Haven't heard Mustonen's, but have never found his playing to be to my taste. May pick it up if I see it on special somewhere.
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Post by Fugue January 19, 2011 (7 of 7)
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lennyw said:
Weissenberg's is thrilling, but it isn't Rachmaninov. In my opinion there are two recordings which really capture the work as it "should" be (I know, a very subjective thing):
Yes, he does treat it as if Prokofiev or Shostakovich wrote it! I can see how his relentless intensity could be wearing. Mustonen's is definitely less intense, but it still maintains sufficient power. The SACD sound is superior to Weissenberg's. In the long run, while not as viscerally thrilling, Mustonen's might be more musically satisfying. If you are not a fan of his style, then this might not be to your taste. I only have one or two other recordings by him, and I hear nothing objectionable on them. If you see it for a bargain price, then I would definitely pick it up!
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