RACHMANINOFF:  Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30.  SCRIABIN: Ten Etudes.  Liu Yang River
Lang Lang, pianist; St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orch/Yuri Temirkanov, cond.
TELARC SACD 60582  TT:  71:48 
(5.1 channel)

This live recording of the Rachmaninoff Third from a concert Aug. 22, 2001 in Royal Albert Hall is a subdued affair with the gifted young Chinese pianist totally in command but lacking bravura, a rather boring performance in spite of the wild audience reaction at the end. Sonically there's little difference between the regular CD stereo and "surround" versions. The disk is more attractive with the ten brief Scriabin etudes as fillers—but there are many recordings of Rachmaninoff's masterpiece superior to this although this is the only one issued in multi-channel.

 

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS:  A Sea Symphony (Symphony No. 1).
Christine Goerke, soprano; Brett Polegato, baritone; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Robert Spano, cond.
TELARC SACD 60588 TT:  61:08
 (5.1 channel)

This is a powerful large-scale work for two soloists, large orchestra and chorus, with organ. See S.F.V.'s review. While this multi-channel version is effective in its own way, it doesn't have the big concert hall sound I feel is essential for music of this magnitude. The big, sonorous orchestral sound just isn't to be heard.