RACHMANINOFF Symphonic Dances / Nicolas Economou, Gerhard Oppitz | Deutsche Grammophon

This new album, which continues DG’s archival series, features a previously unreleased live recording from the Munich Klaviersommer. It captures Nicolas Economou alongside Gerhard Oppitz in a rare and electrifying performance of Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances in the composer’s own two-piano version.   

Originally conceived as Rachmaninoff’s final orchestral masterpiece, the work takes on a striking new intensity in this virtuosic arrangement, demanding exceptional precision, power and musical synergy. Economou and Oppitz – close musical collaborators and two of the most distinctive pianists of their generation – rise to this challenge with remarkable brilliance, combining technical mastery with deep expressive insight.

Recorded at Munich’s Amerikahaus, this performance documents Economou at the height of his artistic powers, just years before his untimely death in 1993. The result is a compelling and historically significant addition to the catalogue, offering both a fresh perspective on a late Rachmaninoff masterpiece and a vivid testament to an extraordinary artistic partnership.