Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3 / Rhapsody

This archival release honors the artistic work of Idil Biret and brings together seminal recordings of her interpretations of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s major works for piano and orchestra. At the center is Piano Concerto No. 3, which she performed in 1963 at her debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Erich Leinsdorf—a concert that was overshadowed by the sudden news of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and remains remembered for its profound emotional intensity. This is complemented by later recordings from Istanbul (1983) and East Berlin (1985), including the "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini." Biret, known for having performed and recorded all of Rachmaninoff's concertos, demonstrates remarkable command, tonal richness, and interpretative depth in these performances. Idil Biret began her career as a soloist at the age of sixteen and has appeared with major orchestras in the world's most important music centers, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Leningrad Philharmonic, in collaboration with conductors of the highest rank such as Erich Leinsdorf and Pierre Monteux. Among other honors, she was awarded the Lili Boulanger Memorial Prize in Boston, the rank of "Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite" in France, and the title of "State Artist" in Turkey.