為慶祝2023年拉賀曼尼諾夫誕生150週年，DECCA特別將絕版多年的「拉賀曼尼諾夫作品全集」重新發行。珍貴的錄音文獻，完整收錄。限量發行，值得典藏。
本套專輯為拉赫曼尼諾夫作品的真正全集，從早年學生時期的習作，直到逝世前的作品錄音，首度集合在這套專輯當中，絕對是拉赫曼尼諾夫作品有史以來最完整且最具決定性的全集版本。其中還收錄了拉赫曼尼諾夫於1919-29年間，親自為再現鋼琴（註）所作的紙捲錄音，包含許多小品與改編曲。
拉赫曼尼諾夫（Serge Rachmaninov, 1873-1943）為俄羅斯作曲家、鋼琴家與指揮，四歲時開始學琴，之後到聖彼得堡與莫斯科的音樂學院學習鋼琴、理論與作曲，1891年畢業於莫斯科音樂院鋼琴班，次年則得到作曲家班的文憑。其音樂天分早在音樂院發表第1號鋼琴協奏曲和歌劇《阿雷柯》時就已顯現，不久又發表第1號交響曲等作品，展現了豐富的多樣性。早期的創作受到所崇拜的柴可夫斯基之影響，充滿了濃烈的樂曲情感。這段期間由於《升c小調前奏曲》的成功轟動一時，讓他獲得1898年赴倫敦指揮演出的邀請。進入二十世紀之後，作品日趨成熟，如第2號、第3號鋼琴協奏曲、歌劇《吝嗇的騎士》及《黎密尼的法蘭契絲卡》等，接連得到佳評。
他曾多次帶團赴外演出，也在莫斯科舉行音樂會。直到1917年蘇維埃政權成立，趁海外巡迴演奏之際在美國定居下來。遠離家鄉並經過十年的空白，他才陸續發表第4號鋼琴協奏曲、《帕格尼尼主題狂想曲》和第3號鋼琴協奏曲與《交響舞曲》等重要代表作。1943年逝世於加州。
拉赫曼尼諾夫為二十世紀的音樂史寫下燦爛的一頁：三部歌劇、三首交響曲、四首協奏曲、多首管弦樂曲、鋼琴音樂、合唱曲、室內樂與歌曲。許多作品因電影選為配樂而更廣為人知，如電影《鋼琴師》中的《第3號鋼琴協奏曲》，以及《似曾相識》中採用的《帕格尼尼主題狂想曲》等。
受惠於DECCA眾多的傑出音樂家，這套專輯得以呈現最高水準的演出效果，其中流砥柱便是鋼琴家與指揮家阿胥肯納吉。他不僅出版過拉赫曼尼諾夫的主要鋼琴作品全集，更擔任拉赫曼尼諾夫協會的主席。一生以彈奏拉赫曼尼諾夫聞名，前後灌錄過兩套拉赫曼尼諾夫鋼琴協奏曲全集，其中的第三號協奏曲還灌錄過三次。其所灌錄的拉赫曼尼諾夫作品，至今都還是最具有代表性的經典。也是少數頂尖鋼琴家中，關注到拉赫曼尼諾夫一些較不為人知鋼琴作品的人。如拉赫曼尼諾夫改編自己的宗教曲《晚禱》中的樂章，是一首少為人知，只有像阿胥肯納吉這樣出身俄國音樂院的行家才知曉的作品。
專輯中還附贈了一張「真正的拉赫曼尼諾夫」（The Real Rachmaninov）CD，內容為阿胥肯納吉與音樂專家羅伯．考萬（Rob Cowan）討論俄羅斯浪漫音樂的談話錄音。 曲目:
CD1
24 Preludes
Track 1 - Prelude in C sharp minor, op.3 no.2
Tracks 2-11 - 10 Preludes, op.23
No.1 in F sharp minor
No.2 in B flat major
No.3 in D minor
No.4 in D major
No.5 in G minor
No.6 in E flat major
No.7 in C minor
No.8 in A flat major
No.9 in E flat minor
No.10 in G flat major Tracks 12-24 - 13 Preludes, op.32
No.1 in C major
No.2 in B flat minor
No.3 in E major
No.4 in E minor
No.5 in G major
No.6 in F minor
No.7 in F major
No.8 in A minor
No.9 in A major
No.10 in B minor
No.11 in B major
No.12 in G sharp minor
No.13 in D flat major Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano CD2
Track 1-23 - Variations on a Theme of Corelli, op.42
Tracks 24-26- Piano Sonata No.2 in B flat minor, op.36 Original version (1913)* Michail Pletnev piano
Zoltat Kocsis piano* CD3
Tracks 1 - Variations on a Theme of Chopin [Op.28 no.20], op.22
Tracks 2-4 - Piano Sonata No.1 in D minor, op.28 Jorge Bolet piano
Alexis Weissenberg piano* CD4
Tracks 1-9 - 8 Etudes-tableaux, op.33
Tracks 9-17 - Etudes-tableaux, op.39
No.1 in C minor
No.2 in A minor
No.3 in F sharp minor
No.4 in B minor
No.5 in E flat minor
No.6 in A minor
No.7 in C minor
No.8 in D minor
No.9 in D major Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano
Track 18 - Russian Rhapsody for two pianos in E minor (1891)*
Track 19 - Romance in G major (for piano, four hands, 1893)o Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano
with Andre Previn, piano*/ Vovka Ashkenazy, pianoo CD5
Tracks 1-6 - Moments musicaux, op.16
Tracks 7-11 - Morceaux de fantaisie, op.3
Track 12 - Fragments (1917)
Track 13 - Prelude, op. posth. (1917) in D minor
Track 14 - Zdes’ khorosho, op.21 no.7 transcr. anon. How fair this spot
Track 15 - Vocalise, op.34 no.14 transcr. Zoltan Kocsis Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano CD6
TRANSCRIPTIONS
Tracks 1-3 - Suite from J.S. Bach: Partita in E major for solo violin (1933)
Track 4 - Franz Schubert: “Wohin?＂ (Die schone Mullerin, 1925)
Track 5 - Felix Mendelssohn: Scherzo (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 1933)
Track 6 - Georges Bizet: Minuet (L’Arlesienne Suite No.1, 1923 version)
Track 7 - Modest Mussorgsky: Hopak (Sorochintsy Fair, 1923/4)
Track 8 - Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Flight of the Bumblebee (c.1929)
Track 9 - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Lullaby, op.16 no.1 (1941)
Track 10 - Polka de W.R. (after Franz Behr: Lachtaubchen, Scherzpolka, 1911)
Track 11 - Rachmaninov: Lilacs, op.21 no.5 (1914)
Track 12 - Rachmaninov: Daisies, op.38 no.3 (1925)
Track 13 - Fritz Kreisler: Liebesleid (1921)
Track 14 - Fritz Kreisler: Liebesfreud ORIGINAL COMPOSITIONS: Tracks 15-20 - 6 Morceaux, op.11 (for piano, four hands)
Track 21 - Waltz (for piano, six hands, 1890)
Track 22 - Romance (for piano, six hands, 1891)
Track 23 - Italian Polka (for piano, four hands, and trumpet, c.1906)
Track 24 - The Star-Spangled Banner (John Stafford Smith, transcr. Rachmaninov, 1918) Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano
with Vovka Ashkenazy, piano (15-23)
with Dody’ Ashkenazy, piano (21-22)
with Alastair Mackie, trumpet (23) CD7
Fantaisie-tableaux (Suite No.1) for two pianos, op.5
Track 1 - I Barcarolle
Track 2 - II La Nuit, l’Amour
Track 3 - III Les Larmes
Track 4 - IV Paques Suite No.2 for two pianos, op.17*
Track 5 - I Introduction
Track 6 - II Valse
Track 7 - III Romance
Track 8 - IV Tarantelle Symphonic Dances for two pianos, op.45*
Track 9 - I Non allegro — Lento — Tempo I
Track 10 - II Andante con moto (Tempo di valse)
Track 11 - III Lento assai — Allegro vivace Vladimir Ashkenazy & Andre Previn, pianos
Martha Argerich & Nelson Freire pianos * CD8
Track 1 - Piano Piece in A flat major (n.d.) ed. S. Davie 1.53
Tracks 2-8 - Morceaux de salon, op.10
Tracks 9-11 - 3 Nocturnes (1888/9) ed. I. Belza
Track 12 - Song Without Words in D minor 1.14
Track 13 - Canon in E minor (1890/1)
Track 14 - Fugue in D minor (1890/1) ed. V. Antipov
Track 15-18 - 4 Pieces (originally numbered op.1, ?1887)
Track 19 - Prelude in F major (1892)
Track 20 - Morceau de fantaisie (“Delmo＂) (1899)
Track 21 - Fughetta in F major (1899)
Track 22 - Oriental Sketch (1917)
Track 23 - Sad is the night op.26, no.12 arr. Vladimir Ashkenazy
Track 24 - Nunc dimittis from All-Night Vigil, op.37, arr. Rachmaninov (n.d.) Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano CD9
Tracks 1-4 - Sonata in G minor for cello and piano, op.19
Tracks 5-6 - 2 Pieces, op.2 [I Prelude II Danse orientale]
Track 7 - Melodie on a Theme by S. Rachmaninov
Track 8 - Lied in F minor for cello and piano (1890)
Track 9 - Vocalise, op.34 no.14 Transcr. Lynn Harrell
Track 10-12 - Piano Sonata No.2 in B flat major, op.83 (Revised version, 1931) Heinrich Schiff cello (1-4)
Lynn Harrell, cello (5–9)
Elisabeth Leonskaja, piano (1-4)
Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano (5–9)
Peter Jablonski, piano (10-12) CD10
Track 1 - Trio elegiaque No.1 in G minor for piano, violin and cello
Tracks 2 – 4 - Trio elegiaque No.2 in D minor for piano, violin and cello, op.9 Beaux Arts Trio CD11
Licensed from Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Track 1: Romance in A minor* 6.19
Tracks 2-3: String Quartet No.1 +
Tracks 4-5: 2 Pieces, op.6*
Tracks 6-7: String Quartet No.2+
Track 8: Modest Mussorgsky: Hopak (Sorochintsy Fair, transcr. Rachmaninov, 1923/4)*
Track 9: Prayer (Molitva) (Konstantin Romanov), rev. Nina Koshetzo
Track 10: All nature sings (Vsyo khochet pet) (Konstantin Romanov), rev. Nina Koshetzo Dene Olding, violin*
Joan Rodgers, sopranoo CD12
Songs I
Elisabeth Soderstrom (soprano)
Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) CD13
Songs II
Elisabeth Soderstrom (soprano)
Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) CD14
Songs III
Elisabeth Soderstrom (soprano)
Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano) CD15
Remastered at 24-bit 96kHz Tracks 1-3: Piano Concerto No.1 in F sharp minor, op.1
Tracks 4-6: Piano Concerto No.4 in G minor, op.40
Tracks 7- 31: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op.43 Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano
London Symphony Orchestra/Andre Previn CD16
Remastered at 24-bit 96kHz Tracks 1-3: Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, op.18
Tracks 4-6: Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor, op.30 Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano
London Symphony Orchestra/Andre Previn CD17
Licensed from Ondine
Tracks 1-3: Piano Concerto No.1 in F sharp minor, op.1 (original version)
Tracks 4-6: Piano Concerto No.4 in G minor, op.40 (original version) Alexander Ghindin, piano
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra/Vladimir Ashkenazy CD18
Tracks 1-4: Symphony No.1 in D minor, op.13
Tracks 5-7: Symphonic Dances, op.45 CD19
Tracks 1-4: Symphony No.2 in E minor, op.27
Track 5: The Isle of the Dead (Ostrov myortvikh), op.29* London Philharmonic Orchestra/Walter Weller
Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra/Edo de Waart* CD20
Tracks 1-3: Symphony No.3 in A minor, op.44
Tracks 4-7: The Bells (Kolokola), op.35° Natalia Troitskaya, soprano+ / Ryszard Karczykowski, tenor* / Tom Krause, baritone?
Chorus of the Concertgebouw Orchestra°
Concertgebouw Orchestra/Vladimir Ashkenazy CD21
*Track 1: Prince Rostislav* Symphonic poem after Tolstoy (1891)
*Track 2: Caprice bohemien, op.12*
Track 3: The Rock (Utyos) Symphonic poem after Chekhov Na puti, op.7+
*Track 4-8: Etudes-tableaux orch. Respighi, P160*
I The Sea and Seagulls (Op.39 no.2)
II Fair Scene (Op.33 no.4)
III Funeral March (Op.39 no.7)
IV Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf (Op.39 no.6)
V March (Op.39 no.9) *Licensed from Exton
Sydney Symphony/Vladimir Ashkenazy*
The Philadelphia Orchestra/Charles Dutoit+ CD22
*Track 1: Scherzo in D minor (1888)o 4.55
Track 2: “Youth＂ Symphony (1891)+ 10.54
*Track 3: Vocalise, op.34 no.14 (for orchestra)o 6.13 *Track 4-9: 6 Choruses, op.15
I Slav’sya (Be Praised) (Nikolai Nekrasov)
II Nochka (Night) (Vladimir Lodizhensky)
III Sosna (The Pine) (Mikhail Lermontov)
IV Zadremali volni (The Waves Slumbered) (Konstantin Romanov)
V Nevolya (Slavery) (Nikolai G. Tsiganov)
VI Angel (Mikhail Lermontov) Prague Philharmonic Choir/Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano & conductor) Track 10: Vesna (Spring), op.20 (Nikolai Nekrasov) 15.59
Sergei Leiferkus, baritone
Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia / Sean Deibler
The Philadelphia Orchestra/Charles Dutoit Tracks 11-13: Russkie Pesni (Three Russian Songs), op.41
I Moderato: Cherez rechku (Over the brook)
II Largo: Akh ty, Vanka (Oh, Vanka)
III Allegro moderato: Belilitsy, rumyanitsy, vy moi! (White of my cheeks, blush of my cheeks!) Chorus of the Concertgebouw Orchestra
Chorus master: Arthur Oldham
Concertgebouw Orchestra/Vladimir Ashkenazy **Track 14: Panteley-tselitel (Panteley the Healer) (1899) (A.K. Tolstoy)
**Track 15: Khor dukhov k drame Don Zhuan (Chorus of Spirits for Don Juan)
**Track 16: V molitvakh neusipayushchuyu bogoroditsu (O Mother of God vigilantly praying) (1893)
Russian State Symphonic Cappella/Valeri Polyansky Track 17: Deus meus (1890)
(Licensed from Vocal Ensemble C Sharp Minor/Elger Niels) *Licensed from Exton
**Licensed from Chandos CD23
Tracks 1-18: Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, op.31
See CD booklet for detailed track information Alexander Ranne, tenor (Protoyerey)
Sergey Tsipcalo, baritone (Diakon)
Natalia Kornieva, soprano
St Petersburg Chamber Choir / Nikolai Korniev CD24
Tracks 1-15: Vespers (All-Night Vigil) (Vsenoshchnoye Bdeniye), op.37 See CD booklet for detailed track information Olga Borodina, mezzo-soprano
Vladimir Moztovoy, tenor
St Petersburg Chamber Choir / Nikolai Korniev CD25
Tracks 1 – 4: Monna Vanna, Act One
Libretto by Michael Slonov, after the play by Maurice Maeterlinck
See CD booklet for detailed track information Sherrill Milnes, Seth McCoy, Blythe Walker, Nickolas Karousatos, Jon Thorsteinsson, Guidos Leutnant
Icelandic Opera Chorus
Chorus master: Peter Locke
Iceland Symphony Orchestra / Igor Buketoff CD26
Tracks 1-13: Aleko
Libretto Vladimir J. Nemirovich-Dancheko, after Alexander Pushkin
See CD booklet for detailed track information Sergei Leiferkus, Ilya Levinsky, Anatoli Kotscherga, Maria Guleghina, Anne Sofie von Otter
Gothenburg Opera Chorus
Chorus master: Martin Andersson
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra / Neeme Jarvi CD27
Tracks 1 – 18: The Miserly Knight, op.24
Libretto after Alexander Pushkin
See CD booklet for detailed track information Sergei Aleksashkin, Sergei Larin, Vladimir Chernov, Ian Caley, Anatoli Kotscherga
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (Goteborgs Symfoniker) / Neeme Jarvi CD28
Tracks 1 – 25: Francesca da Rimini, op.25
Libretto by Modest Tchaikovsky, after Dante
See CD booklet for detailed track information Sergei Aleksashkin, Ilya Levinsky, Sergei Leiferkus, Maria Guleghina, Sergei Larin
Gothenburg Opera Chorus
Chorus master: Martin Andersson
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra / Neeme Jarvi CD29
Piano Concertos Nos. 1&2
Tracks 1 – 3: Piano Concerto No.1 in F sharp minor, op.1
Byron Janis, piano
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra/Kirill Kondrashin Tracks 3-6: Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, op.18
Sviatoslav Richter, piano
Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra/Stanislaw Wislocki CD30
Piano Concertos Nos. 3&4
Tracks 1 – 3: Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor, op.30 Martha Argerich, piano
Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin/Riccardo Chailly Tracks 4 – 6: Piano Concerto No.4 in G minor, op.40 Zoltan Kocsis, piano
San Francisco Symphony/Edo de Waart CD31
The Ampico Recordings
Sergey Rachmaninov Tracks 1-5: Morceaux de fantaisie, op.3
I Elegie E flat minor
II Prelude C sharp minor
III Melodie E major
IV Polichinelle F sharp minor
V Serenade B flat minor Track 6: Barcarolle in G minor, op.10 no.3
Track 7: Humoreske in G major, op.10 no.5
Track 8: Prelude in G minor, op.23 no.5 4.
Track 9: Etude-tableau in B minor, op.39 no.4
Track 10 Etude-tableau in A minor, op.39 no.6 Rachmaninov Transcriptions: Track 11: Rachmaninov: Lilacs, op.21 no.5 (1914)
Track 12: Polka de V.R. (after Vassili Rachmaninov, 1911)
Track 13: Modest Mussorgsky: Hopak (Sorochintsy Fair, 1923/4)
Track 14: Franz Schubert: “Wohin?＂ (Die schone Mullerin, 1925)
Track 15: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Flight of the Bumblebee
Track 16: The Star-Spangled Banner (John Stafford Smith, 1918)
Track 17: Fritz Kreisler: Liebesleid (Alt-Wiener Tanzweisen, 1921)
Track 18: Kreisler: Liebesfreud (Alt-Wiener Tanzweisen, 1925) CD32
The Real Rachmaninov
Vladimir Ashkenazy and Rob Cowan discuss the Russian Romantic
*Interview Courtesy of Gramophone |
