Alexis Weissenberg - Rachmaninov: Piano Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2 (1989)
Alexis Weissenberg - Rachmaninov: Piano Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2 (1989)
EAC | FLAC (image+.cue, log) | Covers Included | 44:13 | 192 MB
Genre: Classical | Label: Deutsche Grammophon | Catalog: 427 499-2GH
EAC | FLAC (image+.cue, log) | Covers Included | 44:13 | 192 MB
Genre: Classical | Label: Deutsche Grammophon | Catalog: 427 499-2GH
Alexis Weissenberg, like Howard Shelley on Hyperion, couples the First Sonata and the revised version of the Second. There's little doubt that Rachmaninov improved parts of it texturally when he looked at it again in 1931, but whether he did the right thing in paring down the work so ruthlessly is another matter. If you're happy with the revision there's a simple choice between this disc and the Shelley, and in this case the decision is dear. Shelley may lack some of the force and whirlwind brilliance of Weissenberg, but when the latter's dynamic contrasts sometimes border on the crude (Rachmaninov's markings in the opening of No. 1 are only piano-forte) Shelley's restraint comes as something of a relief.
There's no denying the energy of Weissenberg's reading, but it is an energy that tends to sweep all before it. Even in the Lento of Sonata No. 1 Weissenberg refuses to expand—his version is an astonishing four and a half minutes shorter than Fergus's (Kingdom/EMI)! Another problem is voicing: Weissenberg's swirling textures can be very exciting, but often I long for the leading line to sing out more clearly. As far as I can tell the recording isn't to blame, indeed the DG team have registered Weissenberg's sonorous fortissimos with remarkable clarity. No, both Shelley and Fergus-Thompson are much more responsive to the vocal element in Rachmaninov's writing, and Fergus-Thompson can easily match Weissenberg for intensity at climaxes.
So if you want Sonata No. 1, and particularly the revised No. 2 then the subtler, more tellingly expressive Shelley offers far greater rewards, but if you're tempted by what the Kingdom note calls the ''teeming and awe-inspiring glory'' of the original Second then go straight to Fergus-Thompson.
Alexis Weissenberg - Rachmaninov: Piano Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2 (1989)
Track List:
Piano Sonata No. 1 in D minor, Op. 28
1. I. Allegro moderato
2. II. Lento
3. III. Allegro molto
Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 36
4. I. Allegro agitato
5. II. Non Allegro - Lento
6. III. L'istesso tempo - Allegro molto
Performers:
Alexis Weissenberg, piano
Exact Audio Copy V1.0 beta 3 from 29. August 2011
EAC extraction logfile from 21. June 2012, 11:35
Alexis Weissenberg / Rachmaninov - Klaviersonaten Nos. 1 & 2 - Weissenberg
Used drive : HL-DT-STDVDRAM GSA-H10A Adapter: 0 ID: 0
Read mode : Secure
Utilize accurate stream : Yes
Defeat audio cache : Yes
Make use of C2 pointers : No
Read offset correction : 667
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : No
Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Null samples used in CRC calculations : Yes
Used interface : Native Win32 interface for Win NT & 2000
Used output format : User Defined Encoder
Selected bitrate : 1024 kBit/s
Quality : High
Add ID3 tag : No
Command line compressor : C:\Program Files\Exact Audio Copy\Flac\flac.exe
Additional command line options : -8 -V -T "TITLE=%title%" -T "ARTIST=%artist%" -T "ALBUMARTIST=%albumartist%" -T "ALBUM=%albumtitle%" -T "DATE=%year%" -T "TRACKNUMBER=%tracknr%" -T "TRACKTOTAL=%numtracks%" -T "GENRE=%genre%" -T "COMMENT=%comment%" -T "PERFORMER=%albuminterpret%" -T "COMPOSER=%composer%" %source% -o %dest%
TOC of the extracted CD
Track | Start | Length | Start sector | End sector
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-
1 | 0:00.33 | 10:21.00 | 33 | 46607
2 | 10:21.33 | 6:54.30 | 46608 | 77687
3 | 17:15.63 | 11:39.45 | 77688 | 130157
4 | 28:55.33 | 6:02.00 | 130158 | 157307
5 | 34:57.33 | 4:45.25 | 157308 | 178707
6 | 39:42.58 | 4:32.00 | 178708 | 199107
Range status and errors
Selected range
Filename F:\Ripped general\[0879] Rachmaninov - Klaviersonaten Nos. 1 & 2 - Weissenberg\Rachmaninov - Klaviersonaten Nos. 1 & 2 - Weissenberg.wav
Peak level 100.0 %
Extraction speed 4.2 X
Range quality 99.9 %
Test CRC 08A2B5A2
Copy CRC 08A2B5A2
Copy OK
No errors occurred
AccurateRip summary
Track 1 accurately ripped (confidence 7) [5729E9E4] (AR v1)
Track 2 accurately ripped (confidence 8) [9B788366] (AR v1)
Track 3 accurately ripped (confidence 8) [D72B8670] (AR v1)
Track 4 accurately ripped (confidence 8) [0FD7D494] (AR v1)
Track 5 accurately ripped (confidence 8) [9CF9DA86] (AR v1)
Track 6 accurately ripped (confidence 8) [2E0B8EB3] (AR v1)
All tracks accurately ripped
End of status report
EAC extraction logfile from 21. June 2012, 11:35
Alexis Weissenberg / Rachmaninov - Klaviersonaten Nos. 1 & 2 - Weissenberg
Used drive : HL-DT-STDVDRAM GSA-H10A Adapter: 0 ID: 0
Read mode : Secure
Utilize accurate stream : Yes
Defeat audio cache : Yes
Make use of C2 pointers : No
Read offset correction : 667
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : No
Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Null samples used in CRC calculations : Yes
Used interface : Native Win32 interface for Win NT & 2000
Used output format : User Defined Encoder
Selected bitrate : 1024 kBit/s
Quality : High
Add ID3 tag : No
Command line compressor : C:\Program Files\Exact Audio Copy\Flac\flac.exe
Additional command line options : -8 -V -T "TITLE=%title%" -T "ARTIST=%artist%" -T "ALBUMARTIST=%albumartist%" -T "ALBUM=%albumtitle%" -T "DATE=%year%" -T "TRACKNUMBER=%tracknr%" -T "TRACKTOTAL=%numtracks%" -T "GENRE=%genre%" -T "COMMENT=%comment%" -T "PERFORMER=%albuminterpret%" -T "COMPOSER=%composer%" %source% -o %dest%
TOC of the extracted CD
Track | Start | Length | Start sector | End sector
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-
1 | 0:00.33 | 10:21.00 | 33 | 46607
2 | 10:21.33 | 6:54.30 | 46608 | 77687
3 | 17:15.63 | 11:39.45 | 77688 | 130157
4 | 28:55.33 | 6:02.00 | 130158 | 157307
5 | 34:57.33 | 4:45.25 | 157308 | 178707
6 | 39:42.58 | 4:32.00 | 178708 | 199107
Range status and errors
Selected range
Filename F:\Ripped general\[0879] Rachmaninov - Klaviersonaten Nos. 1 & 2 - Weissenberg\Rachmaninov - Klaviersonaten Nos. 1 & 2 - Weissenberg.wav
Peak level 100.0 %
Extraction speed 4.2 X
Range quality 99.9 %
Test CRC 08A2B5A2
Copy CRC 08A2B5A2
Copy OK
No errors occurred
AccurateRip summary
Track 1 accurately ripped (confidence 7) [5729E9E4] (AR v1)
Track 2 accurately ripped (confidence 8) [9B788366] (AR v1)
Track 3 accurately ripped (confidence 8) [D72B8670] (AR v1)
Track 4 accurately ripped (confidence 8) [0FD7D494] (AR v1)
Track 5 accurately ripped (confidence 8) [9CF9DA86] (AR v1)
Track 6 accurately ripped (confidence 8) [2E0B8EB3] (AR v1)
All tracks accurately ripped
End of status report