In MMD 981025 Robbie asked:

>[ Don, which CDs of Rachmaninoff's audio (phonograph) recordings
>[ do you recommend?  Can you tell us the publisher and catalog number,
>[ please?  I'd like to make the same aural comparison that you did.

The set I have is on the RCA label (which belongs to BMG).  It is
"Sergei Rachmaninoff - The Complete Recordings" and is a 10-disk set,
09026-61265-21, at medium price.  Various repackagings from this set
have been issued.  A disc of Rachmaninoff's own music is GD87766, and
one of Chopin is 09026-62533-26

Any other issues on RCA will draw from the original masters, as
transcribed by Ward Marston for the complete set.  RCA owns the
master recordings where these still exist.  I found these numbers in a
2-year old catalog, but RCA seem to keep disks in print for a while.

As the discs are out of copyright, there are other reissue sets, which
I have not heard.  And of course many other pianists, notably Horowitz,
have played the same music.

I would be interested to hear what others think.

Regards

Don Cox
doncox@enterprise.net

 [ Thanks, Don.  Although several folks have written to MMD about how
 [ the Stahnke CD compares with other recordings of the Ampico rolls,
 [ I want to hear how well the Ampico rolls and the Boesendorfer
 [ solenoid piano reproduce the _artist_.  After all, that's the intent
 [ of a reproducing piano, be it pneumatic or electric!  -- Robbie