One of the great concert pianists of his time, Sergey Rachmaninov (1873-
1943) is also one of the great late-romantic Russian composers. Only the
second and third piano concertos, along with the "Rhapsody on a Theme of
Paganini", have gained a foothold in the repertoire and are frequently
performed. Concerto No. 3 achieved unexpected popularity when it played a
central role in the film "Shine", whose star Geoffrey Rush was awarded an
Oscar as Best Actor in 1997. In all three works a characteristic
combination of surging melody, rhythmic excitement and brilliant pianistic
display carries the composer's unmistakable and personal stamp. Alexis
Weissenberg, born in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1929, gave his first triumphal
recital in New York's Carnegie Hall in 1947. He secured his international
reputation especially with his interpretations of the works of Chopin,
Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. This concert with the Berlin Philharmonic
conducted by Herbert von Karajan was recorded live at the Berlin
Philharmonie in 1973.
