Olga Kern - Rachmaninov: Transcriptions & Corelli Variations (2004)

Yes, Olga Kern does appear in her photographs to be quite beautiful, glamorously, gorgeously, gloriously beautiful. Try not to hold that against her because, under all her appearance of beauty, Kern is actually a great musician and the proof is in her disc of transcriptions and variations by Rachmaninov. Kern's physical beauty is matched and surpassed by her tone, her technique, and, best of all, her interpretations. Her tone is clear, deep, rich, strong, and warm. Her technique is effortless, flawless, and just about beyond belief. And her interpretations are even better. One might reasonably fear that in a program of transcriptions, that is, a program of encores, there might not be much in the way of musical substance. But Kern's performance of Rachmaninov's Bach transcriptions are wonderfully light and graceful, her performances of Rachmaninov's Kreisler transcriptions are marvelously elegant and effervescent, and her performance of Rachmaninov's Liszt transcription is simply one of the most transcendent performances of the work ever recorded. And Kern's performance of Rachmaninov's Corelli Variations is better yet: a performance that combines tone, technique, and interpretation in a mixture rivaling the greatest performances of the piece ever recorded. Harmonia Mundi's sound is clear, deep, rich, strong, and warm. -- James Leonard