Any pianist who has attempted tackling Rachmaninoff’s compositions is acutely aware that the man was a virtuoso with incredible reach, an expressive composer, capable of mixing tender solos with complex harmonies. Cabernet Sauvignon is the virtuosic grape of the Napa Valley, a grape with widespread appeal, capable of moments of sweetness and flashes of aggression. CrauforD Wine Company 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon is the consummate pairing for Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff.
Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff opens with Kreisler’s Leibesleid, a rolling, sweet piece that Rachmaninoff often performed as an encore. Around 3 minutes into Leisbesleid, the piece moves into a fantasy-like tableaux. Breathe the aromas of blackberry and cardamom as the tableaux begins.
One of the most recognized Rachmaninoff compositions is Prelude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 3, No. 2. Dark, ominous tones open the piece, matching the dark fruit flavors and brooding spice that meet the palate on first sip. As cascading bell-like chords lead to the crashing finish of this piece, experience a cascade of berry and fruit flavors, from cherry to blackberry and currant.
Beams of jammy fruit and bright flavors shine through over the sweet melody and lilting rhythm of Daisies, Op. 38, No. 3. Chocolate covered blueberries make an appearance over Tchaikovsky’s soft and contemplative Lullaby, Op. 16, No.1. The album closes with three performances of Bach compositions, clean, bright and triumphant pieces that are lent a touch of romanticism and flair by Rachmaninoff’s virtuosic technique and interpretation. The CrauforD Cabernet shines particularly bright over these interpretations, the wine’s structure of rich dark fruit always in playful counterpoint with romantic notes of exotic spice, lilacs, dark chocolate.
This Zenph re-performance of Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff is a very special album, full of lively performances that showcase Rachmaninoff’s great talent as a composer and as a performer. It is only fitting that it be paired with a wine that is equally lively, hand-crafted by a talented artist who brings out all the best that the Cabernet grape has to offer.
About the Music
Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff: Zenph Re-performance Rachmaninoff
Besides being a great composer, Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) was also a marvelously accomplished and original performer on the piano, an instrument which has never lacked outstanding players. He cut gramophone recordings between 1919 and 1942, a period during which many improvements were made in the quality of recorded sound. Yet by 21st-century standards Rachmaninoff’s work for the gramophone sounds relatively primitive, thin and lacking the full resonance of which the piano is capable.
In re-recording Rachmaninoff’s own performances, producer Steve Epstein and engineer Richard King, who have won twenty Grammy Awards between them, have studied the original recordings in tremendous detail. Zenph’s team, led by Dr Anatoly Larkin, analyzed the execution of each and every note—determining its length, the strength of attack and the exact nature of pedal action, in addition to scores of other variables. This information was then processed as computer files. The files were sent to the customized grand piano, which articulated this information as music. The performances are identical to the originals, except for the vastly improved quality of the sound.
Rachmaninoff’s playing of his own compositions shows off the composer’s technical mastery as an architect of profound musical moments. His splendid rhythmic drive, deliberate touch, incredible strength and organic sense for dynamics were ties to a brilliant sense of each piece’s structure, from vivid portraiture to virtuoso feats, each tinged with the composer’s indelible sense for melancholy. In all of his performances, Rachmaninoff selected one climatic emotional moment and constructed an entire understanding of the piece around it. In the new recording, each tone rings out like a bell. The team at Zenph Studios is proud to restore the brilliance to these exquisite artifacts of musical genius. Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff is a recording in which the composer and pianist would have recognized himself.
CrauforD Library Cab 3-Pack
Crauford Wine Company
Wine Maker’s Notes:
2003 marks our fourth vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon for CrauforD. This fine Cabernet from a single vineyard 1200 feet above sea level shows the great complexity and concentration of mountain-grown fruit, with its flavors of ripe red cherry, a noticeable hint of milk chocolate and notes of violet and slate.…
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Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff: Zenph Re-performance
Beams of jammy fruit and bright flavors shine through over the sweet melody and lilting rhythm of Daisies, Op. 38, No. 3. Chocolate covered blueberries make an appearance over Tchaikovsky’s soft and contemplative Lullaby, Op. 16, No.1. The album closes with three performances of Bach compositions, clean, bright and triumphant pieces that are lent a touch of romanticism and flair by Rachmaninoff’s virtuosic technique and interpretation. The CrauforD Cabernet shines particularly bright over these interpretations, the wine’s structure of rich dark fruit always in playful counterpoint with romantic notes of exotic spice, lilacs, dark chocolate.
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