Live concerts without an audience

This great music has had a long recording history, starting with the complete works by Rachmaninov himself (Naxos), which inspired other piano giants to produce versions as innumerable as they are unforgettable. Michelangeli, for example, recorded the Fourth Concerto in stereo in March 1957 for EMI, one of the most important piano discs of all time, never withdrawn from the catalog!

Lise de la Salle possesses all the virtuosity, dynamics, passion, fluidity and suppleness that perfectly convey the dreamy, nostalgic atmosphere of Rachmaninov's oh-so-Russian language. The artist launches into her work with spontaneity, possessed by the very moment of inspiration. Sometimes, with her rubati In extreme cases, the young performer pushes musical freedom to the limits of cohesion, rendering the structure somewhat episodic. But Fabio Luisi, an ideal partner, takes the initiative every time, ensuring the continuation of the discourse. The Philharmonia Zürich, the opera's orchestra, excels in all registers, with beautiful solos, even if the strings seem few and far between for such dense symphonic writing.

Recording quality live varies: spacious and airy in the first concerto - recorded in the Tonhalle - it suffers from a certain thickness in the others, captured in the Opera House. Here and there, the image of the piano wavers. La Rhapsody on a theme by PaganiniThis more transparent version highlights the soloist's brilliant fingers and breathtaking élan.

But who says livesays public ! After such demonstrations, all you want to do is hear and "share" the audience's reaction. Disappointing! On five occasions, abrupt and deafening silences follow the final bars - obviously edits! Eliminating the applause erases the mood of the concert. Nevertheless, this fine boxed set, with the talented Lise de la Salle, deserves its place in the discography initiated nearly eighty years ago by Rachmaninov himself!

Sergei Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos 1-4, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Lise de la Salle, Klavier; Philharmonia Zürich; Fabio Luisi, Leitung. Philharmonia Records PHR 0104 (3 CDs)