Rachmaninov: Etudes-Tableaux, Op. 39 – Giltburg

   in Piano International (Jul, 2016)
Rachmaninov’s second set of Études- tableaux were composed during the First World War, just before the October Revolution. Neither event is reflected in these captivating inventions – ‘short stories’ Boris Giltburg calls them. The no-less- imaginative Moments musicaux were written 20 years before in 1896. That these pieces mean much to the pianist is evident from his enthusiastic booklet notes. I enjoyed Giltburg’s previous all-Beethoven sonata disc, so I had reasonable hopes for this newcomer. Giltburg does not disappoint, delivering richly nuanced, well-prepared performances of these wonderful scores. The virtuosic demands required by Rachmaninov are taken in his stride, the focus being on projecting the music rather than just managing the …