The Greatest Rachmaninoff 3rd of all time?

[marty]

I finally found a video recording of music that was worth watching! “Worth watching” is a euphemism for “blew me out of the water”.

Tonebase review

(Remastered) Cliburn Competition June 2022

What you are about to watch is the Gold Medal performance of the Cliburn Piano Competition in Ft. Worth from June 2022 from an 18 year old Korean pianist named Yunchan Lim. He played Rachmaninoff’s 3rd piano Concerto. Even if you don’t know much about piano pieces, you are probably familiar with the consensus that this piece is at the pantheon of difficulty for pianists and therefore enjoys legendary status. There has never been a great pianist who didn't aspire to play this piece, which often signals they have "arrived" at the top of their profession.

There are now several recordings of this performance circulating on YouTube. I’ve highlighted two. The first is the final round performance that won Lim the Gold Medal. This is “remastered” but from what I do not know, nor care. (I chose this because using my computer speakers, its seemed perhaps a bit better than the other recordings I found.) But the real pearl is the Tonebase review which provides extremely insightful commentary and analysis as to why this just might be the best Rach 3 ever performed. Reading the comments, many from professional pianists, is astounding in the sheer amount of praise bestowed on this pianist and his performance. In the words of one listener “it’s as if Vladimir Horowitz and Martha Argerich had a child and the result was Yunchan Lim”.

I would actually watch the Tonebase video first so you can understand why this was widely considered a transcendent performance, and then go back and watch the piece in its entirety now that you’ve been “educated” as to why many consider it the GOAT of all Rach 3 performances.

To say that winning the Cliburn launched Kim’s career like a meteor is an understatement. He is scheduled to perform the piece with the NY Philharmonic in May, but all 3 evening concerts are sold out. I’m currently exploring after market tickets as you can bet I’m not going to miss this one.

Hearing Lim in May should be particularly illuminating since next week, I am going to Carnegie to hear Yuja Wang perform all 4 of Rachmaninoff’s piano concerto’s in one concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra. (This sort of programming has not occurred for decades although it was more common in the 1800’s!). Naturally, she will be performing the 3rd as the last piece, after the program’s second intermission.

 

[Gregm]

Without disagreeing with your warm recommendations above, I suggest you try out Horowitz / Ormandy from 1978.
There is also Argerich with Chailly from the early 80s, but IMO she pounds the piano like she's in a shouting match with Rachmaninoff!
Of course there are many others, but these are among the best

 

[marty]

Without disagreeing with your warm recommendations above, I suggest you try out Horowitz / Ormandy from 1978.
There is also Argerich with Chailly from the early 80s, but IMO she pounds the piano like she's in a shouting match with Rachmaninoff!
Of course there are many others, but these are among the best

Thanks. I know both of those performances very well. The point of the post is not about a favorite, it's about the art of what Lim does and why many consider it so special. The insightful analysis in the Tonebase piece actually highlights specific sections of Lim's performance and compares them directly to both Horowitz an Argerich using videos of both (and others)!

One of the great mysteries of the piece is why Richter never recorded it even though he recorded Rach 1 and 2. He said that he doesn't like to record pieces that he thinks others have recorded well. (He actually cited Van Cliburn's recording of Rach 3 as an example, which I adore as well). Let's hope other pianists do not share Richter's criteria in choosing what they record. If so, nobody may ever record Rach 3 again after hearing Lim perform it! Recording it is one thing but playing it is another. One famous pianist who was a judge at the Cliburn competition said that she plays it, but after hearing Lim, she will never play it again. "He owns it now" were her words.

 

[bonzo75]

Without disagreeing with your warm recommendations above, I suggest you try out Horowitz / Ormandy from 1978.
There is also Argerich with Chailly from the early 80s, but IMO she pounds the piano like she's in a shouting match with Rachmaninoff!
Of course there are many others, but these are among the best

The Byron Janis Doratis are excellent for 2 and 3 though the Mercurys will be a bit battered.

 

[the sound of Tao]

I finally found a video recording of music that was worth watching! “Worth watching” is a euphemism for “blew me out of the water”.

Tonebase review

(Remastered) Cliburn Competition June 2022

What you are about to watch is the Gold Medal performance of the Cliburn Piano Competition in Ft. Worth from June 2022 from an 18 year old Korean pianist named Yunchan Lim. He played Rachmaninoff’s 3rd piano Concerto. Even if you don’t know much about piano pieces, you are probably familiar with the consensus that this piece is at the pantheon of difficulty for pianists and therefore enjoys legendary status. There has never been a great pianist who didn't aspire to play this piece, which often signals they have "arrived" at the top of their profession.

There are now several recordings of this performance circulating on YouTube. I’ve highlighted two. The first is the final round performance that won Lim the Gold Medal. This is “remastered” but from what I do not know, nor care. (I chose this because using my computer speakers, its seemed perhaps a bit better than the other recordings I found.) But the real pearl is the Tonebase review which provides extremely insightful commentary and analysis as to why this just might be the best Rach 3 ever performed. Reading the comments, many from professional pianists, is astounding in the sheer amount of praise bestowed on this pianist and his performance. In the words of one listener “it’s as if Vladimir Horowitz and Martha Argerich had a child and the result was Yunchan Lim”.

I would actually watch the Tonebase video first so you can understand why this was widely considered a transcendent performance, and then go back and watch the piece in its entirety now that you’ve been “educated” as to why many consider it the GOAT of all Rach 3 performances.

To say that winning the Cliburn launched Kim’s career like a meteor is an understatement. He is scheduled to perform the piece with the NY Philharmonic in May, but all 3 evening concerts are sold out. I’m currently exploring after market tickets as you can bet I’m not going to miss this one.

Hearing Lim in May should be particularly illuminating since next week, I am going to Carnegie to hear Yuja Wang perform all 4 of Rachmaninoff’s piano concerto’s in one concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra. (This sort of programming has not occurred for decades although it was more common in the 1800’s!). Naturally, she will be performing the 3rd as the last piece, after the program’s second intermission.

Wow, breathtaking, what an arrival. Utterly seamless performance and just wholly masterful. Thanks Marty for sharing these.

 

[Scott Naylor]

Found it interesting that he's studied with the same teacher since the age of 12, Prof. Sohn Min-soo of the Korea National University of Arts.

 

[GSOphile]

Marty, what a superb post!
Listening through my just OK B&O computer speakers to the comparative clips, I thought the original version was probably closer to what the audience heard. The remastered version seemed subtly close miked, filtering out some of the venue noise and slightly spotlighting the piano. I preferred the remastered version.

 

[marty]

Marty, what a superb post!
Listening through my just OK B&O computer speakers to the comparative clips, I thought the original version was probably closer to what the audience heard. The remastered version seemed subtly close miked, filtering out some of the venue noise and slightly spotlighting the piano. I preferred the remastered version.

The kid is definitely worth hearing regardless of the particular clip chosen, but glad you thought the clip I posted was a reasonable one. I ordered the download from the Cliburn directly. (It was recorded by a Grammy winning engineer). Looking forward to hearing it on the big rig soon!

 

[oeno]

Marty,

Thanks for calling our attention to this performance! Can you post the download link?

 

[GSOphile]

Marty, what a superb post!
Listening through my just OK B&O computer speakers to the comparative clips, I thought the original version was probably closer to what the audience heard. The remastered version seemed subtly close miked, filtering out some of the venue noise and slightly spotlighting the piano. I preferred the remastered version.

Sound clips of the original vs. remastered version of Lim's performance:

 

[marty]

Marty,

Thanks for calling our attention to this performance! Can you post the download link?

Yunchan Lim Live Recordings

Yunchan Lim, gold medalist. Recital performance recordings during the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2022. Audio recorded by Grammy award winning sound engineer, Tom Lazarus. Please Note: This is a digital album. No physical copy of this album will be mailed. Photo for...

shop.cliburn.org

The above confuses me. I think the download is only available for the 3 preliminary round performances whereas the final round performance is available only as a CD as a pre-order below?

Yunchan Lim, Gold Medalist CD

Purchase your official CD of 2022 Cliburn Gold Medalist Yunchan Lim's historic live Semifinal Round performance of Liszt's Transcendental Etudes! The original announcement that Lim—at age 18, the youngest competitor—would play the entire monumental work for his 2022 Cliburn third-round recital...

shop.cliburn.org

 

[GSOphile]

Hearing Lim in May should be particularly illuminating since next week, I am going to Carnegie to hear Yuja Wang perform all 4 of Rachmaninoff’s piano concerto’s in one concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra. (This sort of programming has not occurred for decades although it was more common in the 1800’s!). Naturally, she will be performing the 3rd as the last piece, after the program’s second intermission.

Holy shit!! Talk about a challenge! From my limited perspective, the Rach 3 is her signature piece. Will be looking forward to your post concert comments.

 

[Barry]

Thank you , Marty. I haven't listened to much classical music lately, but this brought me to tears. I watched it because I'll be seeing Yuja Wang this week in Philadelphia and wanted to hear Rachmaninoff. This will be interesting.

 

[ecwl]

Thanks for reminding me of Yunchan Lim. Maybe my YouTube playback was suboptimal so I didn’t find the performances memorable a few months back. But I’m listening to him performing Beethoven Symphony No. 5 in a new DG album and so far so good.

 

[Tango]

It is difficult to get great sound from vinyl on Rach 2&3. This is an example of when digital can do better sonically and with so many alternative renditions. With Rachmaninoff piano 2&3 I think the music is just so good and ingenious that you can listen to youtube and get carried away. No need good stereo.

I just heard of Lim the first time Thanks to @marty . Comparing Lim to Wang from video I prefer Lim. I have no knowledge of classical although like to listen to the genre. But I think the orchestra on these two pieces are so very important to build up to suppliment the piano play and make the performance a really moving one. So it depends on the conductor that the pianist play with too.

Listen to this Horowitz/Mehta. The orchestra is just so good. I like this even more than when he played with Ormandy. "Worth watching."

 

[marty]

Tang,
The Ft. Worth Symphony is an excellent orchestra that is right below the top tier of American orhestras. (i'm biased because
I was on their Board of Directors for many years when I lived in DFW.). Even better, Bass Hall is an outstanding sonic venue and Marin Alsop is undoubtedly a first tier conductor (a protege of Bernstein's). In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she lands the NY Phil job when Jaap Van Zweeden steps down next year. In other words, Lim had a more than adequate supporting cast to shine for his Cliburn performance last June (although that performance would have stood out even if he was accompanied only by an organ grinder and a monkey playing the kazoo). BTW, Alsop was also the head judge of the Cliburn competition and was the first woman to be appointed as conductor and music director of a major American orchestra (The Baltimore Symphony). Her story is an inspiring one and well told here:

Great Performances: The Conductor ~ About | Great Performances | PBS

Great Performances: The Conductor tells the story of the first female conductor of a major symphony, Marin Alsop.

www.pbs.org

Glad you enjoyed discovering Mr. Lim recently. So did I!
Marty

 

[zerostargeneral]

Rachmaninov, Piano Concerto No.3 in D Minor, Op.30 / Janis & Dorati ( 1961 ) - YouTube

Marty Sir,

I have spent three straight days listening to alternate threes, the one above remains my totem. That said Mr. Lim is clearly an exception to my bias against modern performers.

The "kazoo" line had me in stitches your forthright approach is valid and substantial as such I concur with your assessment of the talent.

Kindest regards,G.

 

[Kingsrule]

The Cliburn is a BS competition...80% show for the most part
Lets be real, all the competitors can play.
But to win you need to flail your arms and have a big mop of flowing hair to impress the judges. And a fan blowing the right way. Just look at the photos of the top performers.

There should be a curtain in front of the stage to hide the players...judge by the music, not the theatrics...
And of course there are those who are also influenced by the YouTube videos, just like the judges

 

[marty]

Rachmaninov, Piano Concerto No.3 in D Minor, Op.30 / Janis & Dorati ( 1961 ) - YouTube

Marty Sir,

I have spent three straight days listening to alternate threes, the one above remains my totem. That said Mr. Lim is clearly an exception to my bias against modern performers.

The "kazoo" line had me in stitches your forthright approach is valid and substantial as such I concur with your assessment of the talent.

Kindest regards,G.

Who doesn't love Byron Janis! What surprises me is that my personal favorite renditions of Rach 3 have changed over the years. I remember being fascinated with Argerich's blazing speed for quite a while, as well as with Van Cliburn's grace and grandeur as well as several others (Horowitz, Berman, Ashkenazy) over time.

At one point, I was biased toward Van Cliburn since I lived in Ft Worth from 2002-2008 an met him several times and because of his legacy in changing the way American pianists would be viewed forever as a result of his winning the Tchaikovsky competition in Moscow in 1958 at the height of the cold war. That each artist brings their own version of this recipe, which is equal parts precision and passion, is one of music's great joys.

It would be fascinating to learn who Rachmaninoff himself (his own version is available on YouTube) thought was the greatest interpreter of this work if he was alive today. Here's an interesting exchange between Rachmaninoff and Horowitz...."Rachmaninoff was in the audience when Horowitz made his American debut at Carnegie Hall in 1928. Apparently, he told Horowitz “Your octaves are the fastest and loudest, but I must tell you, it was not musical.” Horowitz visited Rachmaninoff the next day and they played through the 3rd concerto, with Horowitz taking the solo part. With a twinkle in his eyes, Horowitz once noted, “Rachmaninoff could always find something to complain about in any performance.”

 

[marty]

The Cliburn is a BS competition...80% show for the most part...
But to win you need to flail your arms and have a big mop of flowing hair to impress the judges. And a fan blowing the right way. Just look at the photos of the top performers.

What a ridiculous comment. I was there in 2001 when Olga Kern won and in 2005 when Alexander Kobrin won. Neither flailed their arms or had big hair. Do you think Van Cliburn gave a crap about those things when he was a judge? You shouldn't make false accusations about things you don't know about or understand.

There should be a curtain in front of the stage to hide the players...judge by the music, not the theatrics...

By the way, auditions for key positions in most top orchestras have been done blinded long before the "me too" era brought sex discrimination to the forefront everywhere in society.

And of course there are those who are also influenced by the YouTube videos, just like the judges

For goodness sake man, do you really think the judges watch the performances on YouTube videos to reach a decision?