There have been so many couplings of these concertos done in recent years, and yet it is not often that we get a woman pianist at the keyboard. If I am not mistaken the last lady pianist to do so was Zilberstein on DG (439 930-2).

Noriko Ogawa's other discs in her discography have consisted of Takemitsu piano music (BIS 805) and Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition (BIS 905 - to be reviewed soon), which has been received warmly and widely by her peers and reviewers alike.

Noriko Ogawa came to prominence when she walked away with the Third Prize in the prestigious Leeds Competition of 1987 and has since played with the leading orchestras of Europe. This puts her in the same echelons as pianists like Radu Lupu and Murray Perahia. I had the honour of listening to her "live" rendition of the Emperor Concerto by Beethoven last year with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (Click here for review) and I must say that it was one of the most exhilarating renditions I have heard in a long time. She has this ability to play with a certain sense of controlled recklessness which makes her interesting to hear "live".

This time around, before I reviewed this disc, I have to admit that I have often had preconceived ideas when it comes to Rachmaninov's music. Firstly I have always felt that these concertos have always needed a certain sense of brute force and strength which I find lacking in many women pianists. Although this may seem like a sweeping statement I have to clarify myself that upon hearing Martha Argerich I would have to retract that last statement! I am just generalizing.

From the onset of the opening seven deep chords, each one pulled off with a certain level of restraint and metronomic exactness, you just get this feeling that this Second Piano Concerto is going to be a very interesting rendition. The chords are symbolically linked to bells (Rachmaninov had this obsession with bells which he always felt were death knells - this is where we also get the Dies Irae theme very common in his music).

Left: Sergei Rachmaninov - painting by Boris Chaliapin.

The Second Piano Concerto, in my opinion, calls for a lot of visionary intensity - Rachmaninov had taken a lot of pains to write this concerto after having been burdened by a lack of inspiration and interest (Glazunov had ruined the premiere of his First Symphony). It was only after therapy that he had a smooth flow of thought and wrote this concerto, which became an instant success.

Noriko Ogawa puts a lot of feeling into her playing, with clear fluidity and smoothness. While she does not have the virtuosic tendencies of the Russian players (evident in their strength in chords and the speed in which they take their runs), in the warmer moments the Russians seldom show any sign of emotion.

Noriko Ogawa not only displays a keen sense of intonation but is never rushed. The ending of the first movement and the beginning of the second with the flute and clarinet solos is taken slowly with charm, and with a certain sense of introspection which I feel are important ingredients in making this a success. However the clarinet solo should have played with a little more forte, to allow a bit more clarity in the accompaniment. The Malmö Symphony Orchestra leaves a lot to be desired in the first movement, with bouts of drowning the soloist - there are points where she lacks the heavy chordic playing associated with Rachmaninov. This is where the arena falls into the hands of pianist like Gavrilov and Argerich.

In the third movement, the orchestral playing at 6'53" displays a greater sense of lyricism which it is capable of producing. Ogawa's entry however is marred by a sense of wanting to finish off quickly. This could have been taken with a bit more restraint. The run just before the tutti at 10'50" is also a bit untidy with the sound from the orchestra sounding a bit distant. While this Concerto has many beautiful moments, there are segments which are marred by overzealous orchestral markings - thus not giving the soloist the opportunity to display her full dexterity.

The Third Piano Concerto has been described as needing "sheer physical staying power and digital brilliance [...] for an adequate performance". From the discography of the Concerto, as provided by Mr Colebank of the Rachmaninov Society in the recent edition of the International Piano Quarterly (Autumn 1997), there is only literally a handful of female pianists involved: Postnikova, Zilberstein, Natalia Trull, Moura Lympany and Ousset. However in a world predominantly occupied with male pianists, this performance is another interesting one.

Ogawa's version is taken slower, not rushed. The "Rach 3", as commonly known, brings a certain tangible sense of tension that the listner can be taken into another plane with the pianist. One is supposed to feel the difficulty and tension that the player is experiencing. I have to say that Ogawa does not pull this off, while there is no dispute that she has achieved the technical skill needed for this Concerto. However she does not display that dexterity in which Lazar Berman and Argerich put you through to achieve that feeling of accomplishment. The first movement, although culminating in a very difficult cadenza which has to be built up, does not have the premonition experienced pianists like Byron Janis or Ashkenazy have in their offerings.

Another important ingredient for this Concerto to succeed is the fact that it must not risk sounding pedantic. At 45 minutes long, the work could risk sounding overdrawn and overbearing. Ogawa shows greater emotion in the second movement, with beautiful textural colours in her playing. However at 7'10", her playing seems a bit laboured, with bouts of spasmodic pseudo-excitement with little consistency. Owain Arwell Hughes' conducting does capture certain passages in true Rachmaninov style which was missing in parts of the first movement.

In the third movement, Ogawa displays beautiful fluency and daring spaciousness in her playing and I have to admit that this is one of the most beautiful third movements that I have heard, culminating in the build-up towards the tutti at 12'53", with a heightened charge so missing in the previous movements.

It is my opinion that it is a gradual abandon that makes this movement the most interesting. Even the orchestra provides better leverage for Ogawa to end off the finale in a grand fashion. The accompaniment is left more to the accompanist to take over, rather than challenging the orchestra, a sensation evident in the first two movements. The short third movement cadenza at 8'43" just after the shimmer of the timpani is filled with this sense of a psychological journey coming to an end which is steeped in tension.

The Second Piano Concerto - Recordings Survey Part I

Concerto Reviews:

Piano Concertos Nos.1-4 by the composer himself, Sergei Rachmaninov (Naxos Historical)

Piano Concertos Nos.1-4 with Vladimir Ashkenazy (Decca)

Piano Concertos Nos.1-4 with Idil Biret (Naxos)

Piano Concertos Nos.1-4 with Peter Rösel (Berlin)

Piano Concertos Nos.1-4 featuring Earl Wild (Chandos)

Piano Concertos Nos.2 & 3 with Japanese pianist Noriko Ogawa (BIS)

Chamber & Piano:
The Ampico Rolls 1919-29 An Inktroduction with Recordings Recommendations

The "Elegiac" Piano Trios with the Borodin Trio (Chandos)

Music for Two Pianos: Suite No.2 op.17, Russian Rhapsody, and Symphonic Dances. With pianists Dmitri Alexeev and Nikolai Demidenko. Also features music by Medtner

Orchestral Works:
The Symphonic Dances and the Day of Wrath An Essay

Orchestral Works (Decca Capbox set)

The Isle of the Dead and the Symphonic Dances A classic recording by Vladimir Ashkenazy