Rachmaninov: Piano Sonatas 1 & 2 – review

Lugansky (Naïve)The latest addition to Nikolai Lugansky's Rachmaninov discography is this recording of the two sonatas – big, exacting works, not without controversy. The First (1908) was triggered by Goethe's Faust, and though the narrative subject was soon officially dropped, the influence of Liszt's Faust Symphony looms large over its structure and emotional trajectory. Rachmaninov's doubts about length of the Second, premiered in 1913, led to his production of a shorter, less taxing versi...

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