Nate DeMaria wrote: >I am looking to buy a recording of the Rachmaninoff piano concertos. >I am looking for suggestions as to who plays them well. Thank you. For the 2nd and the Paganini Rhapsody, Agustin Anievas can't be beat. His are my benchmark performances of these 2 works. For the third, the unavailable on CD Gavrilov/Larazev is my favorite. Critics have always praised the Michelangeli version of the 4th. Thibaudet is good in the 1st. Aside from Rachmaninoff's own recordings, other excellent versions of the 3rd are those of Lill (majestic, just a little slower than the norm), Cliburn/Kondrashin (a classic back in '58, and still so). I don't care too much for Argerich's and have never really enjoyed any of the Horowitz recordings, even though they are fantastically played. I recently bought the new Naxos re-masterings of Rachmaninoff playing these works. I have had the LP's since '61, and it was a revelation to listen to his playing again. It was really spine-chilling to hear someone who wrote such wonderful music playing it himself. I had not listened to these performances in quite some time, so it was almost like discovering them again. These recordings represent an experience that the world may never know again. There will never be another Rachmaninoff, either composer or pianist. How wonderful to have them fused in performances of works that almost everyone loves. Joel Hill Tallahassee, FL - USA ALKAN Web Page: http://www.nettally.com/joelhill/alkan