Songs / Mélodies / Lieder (1993)

Here, taken from five records, are 84 songs by Rachmaninov recorded by Soderstrom and Ashkenazy in the 1970s (plus two that were later arranged for solo piano by Rachmaninov). They represent, to all intents and purposes, his entire output and no one who fell gratefully on these sensitive, intelligent performances as they came out on LP can fail to be grateful for this chance to have the complete collection. Their range is considerable, within the convention they inherit, that of the French-orientated romance to which Tchaikovsky gave the richest definition in the nineteenth century. Rachmaninov clearly inherits this lyrical tradition, developing it in his own way, for example, by the intensification of the piano's contribution. It is to Ashkenazy's credit ... that this is kept in ideal balance, with the piano's depth and fullness never overwhelming the singer but complementing her strong, soaring or confiding tones in a relationship that is particular to Rachmaninov. (gramophone.co.uk)