Anton Rubinstein Piano Concerto 5

[jameswesthead]

 I have just received an email from Edward Taylor - Copyright and Licensing Manager at Hyperion telling me that they have no plans to record the Rubinstein 5th Piano Concerto. A pity because the orchestral playing on the Marco Polo version is inadequate.

[Alan Howe]

Have you tried Zamparas on Centaur?>>
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Drilldown?name_id1=10439&name_role1=1&comp_id=35481&bcorder=15&name_id=111128&name_role=2

[Mark Thomas]

Yes, I thoroughly recommend the Centaur release. Zamparas doesn't quite match the peerless Ruiz on the old Genesis LP (and re-released on CD) - but then who could? However, he does a very good job, and the orchestral contribution is excellent. Much better than the Marco Polo release.

[Gareth Vaughan]

The old Genesis recording with Adrian Ruiz and the Nürnberger Symphoniker under Zsolt Deàky is still available here: http://genesisrecords.com/
However, since the 5th PC is the only work on this disk one may justifiably feel rather short-changed. Ruiz plays splendidly, the orchestra rather less so, though still jolly good and, as Mark says, better than the band on the Marco Polo disk.

[jameswesthead]

As an update, I've just ordered the Genesis CD from USA. I was aware of it (I still have the LP), but was hoping that Hyperion would come up with a local replacement. I did not know of the Centaur CD.

[Alan Howe]

I did not know of the Centaur CD.

It's always worth consulting ArkivMusic - as well as the various national incarnations of Amazon.

[FBerwald]

Has anyone sampled the Zamparas performance. There seems to be a recording of PC no 3 & 4 as well by the same pianist.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Zamparas recorded them all for Centaur. I don't  know these performances but Alan has recommended no. 5 and that's good enough for me.  Perhaps Alan knows the others too.

[Alan Howe]

Actually, it was Mark who recommended the Centaur CD - and that's an even better recommendation! (I only drew attention to its existence.)

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks, Alan. Yes, I'm certainly a fan of Zamparas' rendition of Rubinstein's Fifth. He can be a little wayward at times, his tempi can be slightly slower than other interpretations, but he has technique to spare and he brings a certain craggy splendour to the part which is entirely in keeping with this mountain of a work. Ruiz on Genesis remains my all-time favourite soloist, but then his was the only recording for many years and has become my benchmark. He's let down by the Nürnberger Symphoniker unfortutely and on the Centaur disk the orchestral contribution is very much better, although I'd have preferred the recording balance to be rather more in their favour. Overall, though Zamparas' is the recording to go for IMHO.

[FBerwald]

Mark, thank you for the suggestion. I'm leaning towards buying the Adrian Ruiz version now. I do hope Hyperion records this [despite their earlier denial]...

[Mark Thomas]

Ruiz is s superb soloist on the Genesis recording, but the orchestra isn't really up to the task and the ex-LP sound is rather thin and restricted. I wouldn't be without Ruiz or Zamparas but, if it came down to only one, on balance I'd choose the Centaur disc.

[FBerwald]

That "Ruiz is s superb soloist" is the main reason I want to go for this recording. The orchestra that isn't up to task is ok because I want to hear the brilliant Piano in this sleeping giant of a concerto.

[Mark Thomas]

Fair enough, Feby.