Concertgebouw Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Decca · 4557982 · 3 hours 50 minutes
Ashkenazy conducting the Concertgebouw through all three Rachmaninov symphonies is just one of those recordings you keep coming back to — there’s a warmth and sweep here that feels completely natural, never forced. Racking up four "Building a Library" first choices over more than a decade says everything about how well this one has aged.
Awards:
- Building a Library — October 2005 — First Choice
- Building a Library — December 2008 — First Choice
- Building a Library — January 2010 — First Choice
- Building a Library — March 2016 — First Choice
“Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony has become one of his most popular works; here Vladimir Ashkenazy leads the Concertgebouw Orchestra in gripping performances of all three, including the notorious…”
— Presto Music
James Ehnes (violin)Philharmonia Orchestra, Seattle Chamber Music Octet, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Onyx · ONYX4060 · 57 minutes
James Ehnes just has this gift for making everything feel inevitable — like the music couldn’t possibly go any other way — and his playing here with the Seattle Chamber Music Octet is pure joy to listen to. The Octet in particular crackles with energy without ever losing that intimate, conversational chamber feel that makes the piece so special. Ashkenazy on the podium keeps things grounded and warm, and the whole disc has aged beautifully, which probably explains why Building a Library was still recommending it a full decade after release.
Awards:
- Gramophone Magazine — February 2011 — Editor’s Choice
- Building A Library — October 2021 — Recommended Recording
“The Octet has rarely sounded more symphonic as Ehnes and his Seattle friends demonstrate all the energy and wit of chamber playing at its most dazzling. Ehnes gives an elegant, refined account…”
— Classic FM Magazine, March 2011,5 out of 5 stars
Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano), Vovka Ashkenazy (piano)
Decca · 4782940 · 58 minutes
Watching a father and son sit down at two pianos together is already a pretty special thing, but when that father is Vladimir Ashkenazy, you know the music-making is going to be something else entirely. The two play with a kind of tight, electric energy that BBC Music Magazine nailed when they called it "taut and virtuosic double pianism" — there’s real chemistry here that you just can’t manufacture. At just under an hour, it’s a satisfying, rewarding listen that flies by faster than you’d expect.
“full of taut and virtuosic double pianism.”
— BBC Music Magazine, April 2012,4 out of 5 stars
Nicolai Ghiaurov (bass), Zlatina Ghiaurov (piano), Borodin QuartetLondon Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Georg Solti, Edward Downes, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Jean Martinon, Ernest Ansermet
Decca · 4556322 · 2 hours 30 minutes
Decca really pulled out all the stops with this collection, and it’s the kind of set that makes you want to clear your whole afternoon. Ashkenazy brings genuine warmth and authority to the piano writing, while the supporting cast — Ghiaurov’s rich bass, the Borodin Quartet, and a stellar lineup of conductors including Solti and Ansermet — means you’re getting world-class performances across the board. At two and a half hours, it’s a serious commitment, but one that pays off every single time.
Awards:
- Building a Library — November 2006 — Highly Recommended
Itzhak Perlman (violin), Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano)
Decca · 4214532 · 3 hours 57 minutes
Perlman and Ashkenazy treat these sonatas as a genuine conversation between equals, and you can hear the warmth and trust between two friends who clearly love playing together. The chemistry here is something special — neither instrument tries to dominate, and the result feels completely natural, like you’re eavesdropping on a private musical dialogue. Nearly four hours of Beethoven violin sonatas has never felt so effortless.
Awards:
- Building a Library — December 2002 — First Choice
- Presto Greatest Recordings of the 1970s
- Grammy Awards — 21st Awards (1978) — Best Chamber Music Recording
“Although Beethoven designated these works as ‘for piano and violin’, following Mozart’s example, it’s unlikely that he thought of the piano as leading the proceedings, or the violin either,…”
— Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010
Vladimir AshkenazyMoscow Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin, Anatole Fistoulari
Decca · 4663752 · 77 minutes
Ashkenazy’s early Decca recordings catch him at a moment of real fire and spontaneity, and paired with Kondrashin and the Moscow Philharmonic, there’s an electricity here that feels almost like a live performance. The Rachmaninoff concertos in particular have a natural authority that makes complete sense given Ashkenazy’s Russian roots, and Fistoulari brings real warmth to his contributions with the LSO. It’s the kind of disc that reminds you why certain recordings from the 1960s still feel impossible to top, no matter how many fine versions have come along since.
Awards:
- Building a Library — October 2004 — First Choice
- Presto Greatest Recordings of the 1960s
- Building A Library — February 2026 — Top Choice
