This third volume of Rachmaninov’s Victor recordings contains discs he made ofhis own solo compositions and arrangements from the introduction of electricalrecording in 1925 to a year before his death. The works recorded were those mostin demand by the public, each piece subject to Rachmaninov’s perfectionism andthe version released always the best of a number of takes (for example, therecording of his famous Prelude in C sharp minor is Take 23). Whether it be in the1925 recording of his transcription of Kreisler’s Liebesfreud or the February 1942recording of the same work (in which he displays a cast iron technique only a yearbefore his death), the sheer virtuosity, utter clarity and supreme musicianshipof Rachmaninov’s playing style are undiminished. The first two releases in thisseries have been acclaimed for their superb remastering.
