'Best' Rachmaninoff 3rd


I know these debates have been going on for a lot longer than I've been listening, but I dug out my Telarc SACD of Lang Lang playing the "Rach 3". The playing seems mechanical - he hits all the notes, but comparing it to my 1965 recording of Earl Wild playing the same, is like watching a 'B' movie actor who says all the words but is not convincing, compared to a great actor who makes you just watch and believe what is being acted out (Wild). I know Wild was considered a great virtuoso (aren't they all?), but this is like night and day. I'm not trying to cast Lang Lang in a bad light, I know he is very popular these days. I then listened to the Van Cliburn Living Stereo (1958) SACD, which was great, but not quite as musically connecting for me as the Wild. And of the three recordings, I think the Wild is probably the poorest in terms of recording sound quality, but still sounds the best overall performance wise. I also suspect that I may be being fooled by the overall sound of the recordings themselves - perhaps the Telarc itself is clinical compared to the two older versions, which allows the listener to be overly critical of the performance, but it's hard to say. Are there any other or better versions out there worth checking out?
jimmy2615

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