Rachmaninov : Piano Concertos Nos 1 & 3

Chronique

Nikolai Lugansky is the young Russian pianist who won the silver medal at the 1994 Tchaikovsky competition, who later won the Diapson d'Or in 2000 and 2001, and who has already won the German Music Critic's Award for 2003 for this recording of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 1 and No. 3. Like Richter and Gilels before him, Lugansky is the latest in a long line of Russian pianists who've been hailed in the West as the Next Great Russian Pianist. But for every Richter or Gilels, there are dozens of Bermans and Gavrilovs and Alexeyevs, Russian pianists who stop winning awards, stop making records, stop touring outside Russia, pianists who go from being the Next Great Russian Pianist to being just one more in the long line. Which will Lugansky be? He has a virtuoso technique. He has the tone. He can play all the notes on the page with astounding power and precision and he can make each note sound with amazing beauty and clarity. But Lugansky lacks the panache to go with his power and the charisma to go with his clarity. For all the brilliance of his technique, Lugansky playing isn't compelling. At the climax of the last movement of the Concerto No. 3, Lugansky's massive chords are too measured to be exciting and his descent down the keyboard too deliberate to be thrilling. And without thrills, Lugansky will just be one more in a long line of Russian pianists. Warner's sound is clean enough, but a bit reserved.

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