Rachmaninov Concerto 3 - 10 famous pianists playing the regular cadenza 

Details (timestamps, year, conductor, Orchestra...) in the description. Similar video with the ossia cadenza : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2AGQ3lE6J-g.html

All these masters are awesome, genius without a doubt... Horowitz makes it look easy... and the perfection of Martha and Yuja are outstanding, but all the masters are absolutely amazing!

I really find the Argerich interpretation fascinating - and the most satisfying. I enjoy the unimpeded fluidity that grows in intensity - until the rapid chordal descent that really just feels momentous. And I love the percussiveness she brings out of the instrument in the last 1/4 of the Cadenza .

Martha brilliant and still is even at nearly 80. Let’s not forget Stephen Hough he makes it look so easy . End of day they’re all brilliant

I've never heard Hough's recording but am definitely intrigued by his cadenza!!

Kocsis caught at the height of his powers! I love his swift versions of the concertos....going to go pull out my CDs and give them a listen. Been a while!

Argerich and Yuja Wang shows that perfection can take multiple form

For me Argerich and Yuja Wang are the best, Yuja shows stark contrast between the extremely light and playful first part of the theme (scherzo) with the ferocious and heavy climax at the very top. Meanwhile, Argerich has probably one of the most intense cadenza I've ever heard, like the piece and the devil is slowly possessing her hands :D.

Horowitz was a close friend of Rachmaninov and they always met each other. Horowitz played many of Rachmaninov's composed pieces before him and the composer once had said that Horowitz had owned the piece. Having this fact in mind, by listening to his strong and powerful performance, you will be left mesmerized by the correctness and power of what he delivered at the piano. Stunning and powerful as usual. All these people are masters of their class, however when referring to Horowitz, it's not just a simple reference to any master, but to a genius. Remember that you're referring to the last Romantic.

Damn, Zoltan, you're on fire. That clarity!

Martha Argerich’s interpretation is insanity compared to other pianists and it’s incredible. Like her hands are on fire. Easily my favourite interpretation of Rach 3

Fabulous video - every one of these masters is special in their own way. In awe.

Lilya Zilberstein is superb

I love these little rubati Horowitz does, Weissenberg is just rushing through it

Kocsis with his transcendental technique and musical insight shades them all.

Lugansky and probably Wang for me. The sentimental favorite is Horowitz, but he was way past his prime here.

So glad you put Gelber's version. And I still don't get how Horowitz almost get a disaster in the middle of the cadenza and recovers.....

¡¡¡ZOLTAN KOCSIS!!!

Луганский! Один из лучших нынешних интерпретаторов Рахманинова.

I have been listening to this cadenza for years and I loved it, but currently I think the Ossia is so much more intense PS I'm loving Luganski and Yuja

I have no doubts, for me Argerich's interpretation is the best, the most beautiful, because of her fury, because of her great technique.

There are all great, but I think Martha is on fire.

There is no known film of Rachmaninoff playing, but you should have included the audio recording of him playing the cadenza as a comparison with these pianists to the composer himself.

Lilya Zilberstein was playing ( obviously) at Teatro alla Scala, Milano.

It's nice to know that the composer himself played this version.

MARTHA!!!... legendary performance, and connection with director, orchestra! articulation, MUSICALITY!... you hear the music, orchestra is mesmerized!...

God Zoltan, so clear, so musical...

I wish Martha loved Rach as much as I do. If she plays this with as much love as she does Chopin, I would be in musical heaven.

Hard not to love Yuja, although Kocsis is pretty phenomenal

Martha the best one

Stephen Hough though

Martha Argerich.

I find that Olga Kern's performance (not shown here) of the Rach 3 at the 2001 Van Cliburn to be the most spirited satisfying performance along with the original Van Cliburn in1958 at Carnegie Hall.

Martha and yuja are simply... Perfect!

Wow. All are great but Argerich just blew it away. She could have played that part in a honky tonk (even her piano clanged!) I had never heard of Lilya Zilberstein before, but she was absolutely superb. Second best by a 32nd note!

El Maestro Nikolai Lugansky el Mejor!!!!!!👏👏👏👏👏

Of the ten, I think Yuja Wang has the most musical interpretation. It has the best flow and is easier for the listener to hear the continuity of the entire passage. The others were more disjointed in their tempi and I think they concentrated too much on the flashy pyrotechnics and speed than on the musicality and phrasing.

Kocsis riesce a legare le note alla perfezione; Wang ha una bella intuizione suonando la cadenza in accellerando e crescendo

Martha is a god. She's insane. I love her.

Hough and Wang.

Thanks! I ever thought that the Ossia was written by someone since I have not found the recording of Ossia played by Rach.

I suspect that none of you have ever heard this performed by Thea Sjaegerud or Lydia Jungner.

And which one was considered the more difficult?

Thanks from TAIWAN

Wow !,, Martha was truly young ..she got it right! Her grandson David Chen..is awesome also!

Argerich, of course. The sheer emotional intensity of it... omg ❤ Kocsis is also fascinating, Horowitz's performance here is unfair to compare since he is way past his prime at the time of the recording. Lugansky and Zilberstein both did very well but I'd like to see more pianist personality in there. They certainly do justice to the cadenza. I am a bit surprised at all the Yuja stans. Her technical ability is superb, needless to say, but when it comes to most of her repertoire, it just seems like she is very reluctant to dive in below the notes and dig out something that packs an emotional punch. As much as I love the fact that Argerich is so technically brilliant, she is my favorite because of the depth and the intensity. She simple owns every piece she plays. I like Yuja's Prokofiev and her Bartok, but Rach, Chopin, et al. - her performances sadly stir nothing in me. It seems well played and somewhat playful but with no heart, no emotional investment that I could feel. :-/

Joaquín Achucarro is playing with the Spanish National Orchestra. At that time Walter Weller was principal guest condutor, and I was subsciber of this orchestra. ( I still am ) and I rememeber very well the musicians at that time

Wasn’t this “regular” cadenza the one preferred by Rachmaninov? To me it sounds way more polished and subtle than the rough ossia cadenza. Thanks for sharing; rare to hear it played on RU-vid or anywhere! Although I prefer slower, more agogic interpretations than these ego-driven, rushed playings. I think we should appreciate true virtuosity more, which doesn’t always mean maniac prowess but suppleness. Also, if notation tradition is to be respected, different note values should mean something to musicians.

Martha Argerich is the best!!

i like Kocsis's - or maybe Gelber's version

The diabolic concerto !

Wang and Kocsis

Pourquoi s'arrêter à dix. La liste aurait pu être plus longue,Emil Giles ,Katia Buniatosvili ect....

Martha Argerich!!!!!

I like Yuja the best, not sure why just something about her.

A Martha Argerich é a Melhor! 😍❤️

is not here, but on my opinion Yuncham Lim's cadenza It is by far the best performance ever...

the conductor at 13:57 is not Alexander Verdenikov but Yan Pascal Tortelier

Where is Gilels ?????

Martha Argerich is the best in my opinion (the film is terribly annoying SHOW THE HANDS!!!) but she plays so well! She builds in intensity where other pianists play some parts softer she goes full out.

Martha and Yuja

If we have a blind test who is going to be the best? Not horowitz for sure

Yuja easily gets my vote because she plays it with such relaxed technique...she is not even going full power!

Alexis Weissenberg - super rushed. Disliked Vladimir Horowitz - past his prime. Disappointing as I usually love his playing Martha Argerich - all out intensity. Jeez, my heart! Great audio - could hear everything Bruno Gelber - HORRIBLE audio. Couldn't hear a thing Zoltan Kocsis - Different. I'll give him that. He hit all the right notes...I just didn't get it Joaquin Achuccarro - beginning is great. Rhythmically challenged at the end Stephen Hough - Wow. That was great Lilya Zilberstein - loved it Nikolaï Lugansky - Superb. Close second for me Yuja Wang - My favorite. Just perfect. Delicate and slow at the beginning and building intensity through-out. Everything was just sublime. Nowhere near the intensity of Martha but somehow I connect so much more with this interpretation Interesting hearing them all one after the other. I didn't know I had preferences in how this cadenza should sound, but I definitely do. Don't know if my preferences are worth anything though :) On to the Ossia now. Excited! That one is all about intensity so it will be different

Luganski is my favorite for this cadenza and the Ossia as well. ❤

Martha's interpretation is the most perfect, the most ideal combination of technique and musicality. She is truly the best. She has no equal.

It would be appreciated if you could include Yefim Bronfman in the list!

Martha, and Zoltan. Like twins.

😍😍😍😍😍

Lilya Zilberstein and Nikolaï Lugansky are my favourite

As an ardent amateur, I can not pass judgement on technical expertise. What I can say is that this piano concerto is unsurpassed. And that Yuja Wang’s hands look like an extension of the piano. Thanks for posting.

Horowitz is the classiest - he plays like Zidane used to play football. Both were geniuses who played in a different space-time to everyone else. Notice how Horowitz plays every note distinct from every other note, how he tames the piano as an instrument in an effortless way without any vulgarity, and most incredibly of all how he creates the illusion of having greater time on his hands. He gets in between each note and chord like a zen master inhabiting the moment with transcendent ease. And then there's the character of his playing, an individual, unique, artistic personality making the other pianists like Wang & Hough & Lugansky just sound bland and boring. If it ain't got character it ain't got class!

Always Martha. Two from Argentina: Gelber and Argerich. 🇦🇷♥️

Yuya 11/10

If I had to choose from the ones shown here, I like Lugasnky's the best.

Billy Joel's in trouble !

Horowitz's musical phrasing is second to none. He's just quite old here. He will always be the best

I’m not sure if Rach was a sadist or a masochist or both! I think this section emulates the feeling of giving birth! Lol.

I am unable to say "ever" but of this part of the concerto and these 10 marvelous pianists Argerich is easily the best.

All of them can play piano !! ❤

Holy dang-it. I'm going to close my eyes and pretend I'm playing this.

I like Hough's "walk in the park".

I’ll go with #2, along with #3, who deeply admired #2. But they’re all wonderful.

Argerich and Wang were the best. My opinion - Yuja has the edge. She plays it like she owns it. I'm pretty sure Horowitz was once the best, and the advantage (perhaps) of actually having Rachmaninoff as a friend, giving him some insight.

Achúcarro plays with the Spanish RTVE Orchestra.

Argerich is the only one that plays it the closest to how Rachmaninoff himself did. Both quickly with that fire spirit!

Horowitz, of course

What idiot video editor cuts to a shot of the conductor’s face in the middle of Argerich’s cadenza?!!! Blasphemous

Martha is the best, of course.

Le début de la cadence est une variation d'un épisode antérieur , lui même basé sur le thème principal du morceau. Seule l'interprétation de L.Zylberstein permet, par sa clarté et son tempo modéré, de faire vraiment le lien avec cet épisode ( à un moindre degré c'est également le cas de J.Acchucaro et de S.Hough). Toutes les autres versions rendent ce passage presque incompréhensible pour cause de rapidité excessive, le pire étant peut être À.Weissenberg, grand pianiste par ailleurs, mais ici "hors sujet", il me semble. Au fait, l'orchestre qui l'accompagne est " l'orchestre national de l'ORTF", aujourd'hui orchestre national de France.

They’re all great but the Ossia Cadenza is the BEST!!!

Funny how we all hear something different. Gelber, Hough, and Zilberstein for me. Some quirk of the sound quality might be preventing me from embracing the Argerich inclusion-- sounds like a toy piano with one volume.

Favorite: Zilberstein!

Ok, I mean they're all good, but I like the three women best. They all seem to bring out the drama far more, and dare I say it--the sexuality. It kind of changed my idea of this piece.

Marta y yuja !! The BEST !!

3:36 time to take a break guys!

Martha Argerich without any doubt. The best!

Lugansky for me. 😊

개인적으로 바이젠베르크의 남성스럽고 강력한 타건에 의한 꽉찬 음색이 가장 매력적

It's Lugansky and Yuja Wang for me. Though Yuja comes out well ahead in the thigh department!