Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43 is a live recording by pianist Irina Moreland with the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Horst Buchholz. From fiery and powerful to delicate and tender, it's a very dynamic recording that clearly displays why Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) is considered to be one of the most important 20th century composers and one of the last of the Romantics. This particular work was composed in 1934 and was premiered later that year at the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore, Maryland with Rachmaninoff at the piano and Leopold Stokowski conducting.

The piece itself closely resembles a piano concerto, but is played as one movement rather than three. It is a set of twenty-four variations on the twenty-fourth and last of Niccolò Paganini's "Caprices for solo violin." The 18th variation is the most familiar and has been used in films and television many times. It is often included in classical compilations without the rest of the work. The variety in the various parts of the work is very demanding of the performer, but allows the pianist to express dynamic virtuosity as well as tenderness and grace, and Dr. Moreland plays the entire piece to perfection.

I have reviewed several of Irina Moreland's albums now, and she never fails to impress with her dynamic and flawless performances. An Affiliate Professor at Colorado Christian University and the Artistic Director of the Colorado Youth Music Festival, Dr. Moreland maintains an active performance schedule. In 2023, she received two Global Music Awards for her solo and chamber music albums: Debussy, Preludes Volume 2 and Irina Moreland Live. She continues her exploration of different performance styles from classical to jazz to modernistic, including the use of technology.

Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43 is available from Amazon, Apple Music/iTunes, and various streaming platforms including Pandora, Spotify and YouTube. Very highly recommended!