The Piano Concertos & Paganini Rhapsody

To celebrate the 150th birthday of Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943), Yuja Wang joined the L.A. Philharmonic under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel to perform all four of the composer's piano concertos and his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini over two consecutive weekends. This ambitious project took place at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the city where Rachmaninoff spent the last months of his life.

Now Deutsche Grammophon releases the recording of these sold-out and critically acclaimed performances. "Wang played with extraordinary power, depth and brilliance. Dudamel sought enlightenment. The pianist and conductor have a long musical relationship, and it showed. What impressed most was the concentration. As soon as each performance began, everything else seemed to disappear." (Los Angeles Times)

Rachmaninoff, himself an extraordinarily talented pianist, wrote a wide range of expressive, idiomatic music for his instrument, including these five large-scale works for piano and orchestra. They have been part of Yuja Wang's repertoire since the beginning of her career, and she continues to enrich their kaleidoscopic richness with new insights. She has collaborated with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra on several occasions, and these performances convey a strong sense of mutual respect and understanding.  As Dudamel notes, "We connect as if we were playing chamber music."

Tracklist:

Piano Concerto No. 1 in F sharp minor op. 1
Final version 1919
1. Vivace – Moderato – Vivace
2. Andante
3. Allegro vivace
Piano Concerto No. 4 in G minor op. 40
Third version 1941
1. Allegro vivace
2. Largo
3. Allegro vivace
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini op. 43
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor op. 18
1. Moderato – Più vivo – Allegro – Maestoso
(Alla marcia) – Moderato
2. Adagio sostenuto
3. Allegro scherzando – Moderato – Allegro scherzando – Presto – Moderato –
Allegro scherzando – Alla breve. Agitato – Presto – Maestoso – Risoluto
Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor op. 30
1. Allegro ma non tanto
2. Intermezzo. Adagio – attacca:
3. Finale. Alla breve