These recordings of
Krystian Zimerman's performances of
Rachmaninov's first two piano concertos with
Seiji Ozawa and the
Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1997 and 2000 are transcendentally virtuosic and their emotional impact of his performances is unrivaled in passion and precision. But the most amazing thing about
Zimerman's performance is its strength and weight.
Zimerman had recorded big performances before -- his
Chopin Ballades are muscular and his
Ravel concerto is monumental -- but
Zimerman's
Rachmaninov is legendary in its scope and scale. Captured by Deutsche Grammophon's vivid and real sound,
Zimerman's Second is one of the handful of great recordings and his First rivals
Rachmaninov's own.