Rachmaninov‘s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18 is a Stereo Pure DSD 256 recording with pianist János Balázs accompanied by the Budafok Dohnaányi Orchestra conducted by Gábor Hollerung.

The album is Exclusively Available in Stereo Pure DSD 256 plus Stereo DSD 512, DSD 128 and DSD 64 at NativeDSD.

Rachmaninov’s work is one of the emblematic works of the late Romantic period, with almost every aspect of the style. If one were to describe the work with a single simile, the conquest of infinity would come to mind. This can be interpreted equally as the work’s emotional dimensions, its dazzling virtuosity, its composer’s exacting demands, its consistent dramaturgical contrasts, its theatricality in the best sense and, of course, its captivating realization of one of the most puzzling questions of Romanticism: glorification.

The brilliant opening of the play presents us with a brooding, struggling man, with an attitude of ‘how to begin’. All the more poignant is the melody, which is nothing less than a continuous stream of 44 bars – almost three times the usual 16 bars of a classical theme. The second theme of the movement strives upwards, leading the musical flow to the climax of the movement. The second movement focuses on an intimate yet compelling theme, and the entire movement is essentially built on this single theme. Just as in the two outer movements the piano and orchestra are almost equal partners, the second movement is clearly the pianist’s, sensitively followed by the orchestra. The third movement is perhaps the most brilliant and virtuosic movement for the soloist.

At the same time, our composer also reveals his scholar’s side. At the heart of the movement is a short but highly effective fugato. This theme leads the work to its climax, a glorification of romantic thought. The movement ends are also interesting. The first movement quietens down and we expect an almost intimate conclusion, which instead turns into a short, theatrical finale. The second movement ends in a clearly intimate silence. The third movement, on the other hand, leads us to a powerful different emotional climax at the end, which is brought to a close with a noisy, impactful conclusion.

Rachmaninov’s piano concertos are always a great challenge for pianists, as the composer wrote them for himself, exploiting his own amazing physical and mental gifts. These works set a standard for all pianists. In the performance heard on this recording, János Balázs – who can clearly be regarded as the heir to György Cziffra – takes possession of Rachmaninov’s piano concertos with playful ease and is thus the proud possessor of the infinite.
– Gábor Hollerung, conductor

Budafok Dohnaányi Orchestra
Gábor Hollerung, Conductor
János Balázs, Piano