Sergei Rachmaninov - Symphonic Dances (Gerhard Oppitz; Nicolas Economou)

Information

Composer: Sergei Rachmaninov

• Symphonic Dances, Op. 45 (Version for 2 Pianos)

Gerhard Oppitz & Nicolas Economou, pianos

Date: 1985 / 2026

Label: Loft Music

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This new release in Deutsche Grammophon’s archival series presents a previously unreleased live recording from the Munich Klaviersommer, featuring pianists Nicolas Economou and Gerhard Oppitz performing Symphonic Dances in Sergei Rachmaninoff’s demanding two-piano arrangement. Captured at Munich’s Amerikahaus, the performance showcases exceptional virtuosity, precision and artistic cohesion, highlighting the duo’s deep musical partnership and expressive depth. Recorded only a few years before Economou’s death in 1993, the album stands as both a compelling interpretation of Rachmaninoff’s final orchestral masterpiece and a historically significant document of an extraordinary collaboration between two distinguished pianists.

Gerhard Oppitz, born in 1953 in Frauenau, Bavaria, is a distinguished German pianist who began playing at age five and gave his first public concert at eleven. A protégé of Wilhelm Kempff, he studied under Paul Buck and Hugo Steurer, developing a deep affinity for Beethoven, Brahms, and Schubert. Oppitz’s international career took off in 1977 when he became the first German to win the Artur Rubinstein Competition, leading to performances across Europe, the USA, and Japan. Renowned for his complete cycles of Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart, and Schubert, he also champions contemporary composers such as Lutosławski and Ligeti. A prolific recording artist with over 30 albums, Oppitz combines his concert and teaching career with interests in aviation, gastronomy, wine, and languages, living near Munich with his wife.

Nicolas Economou (1953–1993) was a Cypriot composer, pianist, and conductor born in Nicosia. He gained international recognition at the age of 16 during the 1969 Tchaikovsky Competition. Following his studies at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, he continued his career in Europe, eventually settling in Munich after a period in Düsseldorf. From there, he built a distinguished reputation as a concert pianist while also working as a composer, arranger, conductor, and festival organizer. His multifaceted musicianship earned him widespread acclaim across Europe. Economou’s promising career was tragically cut short when he died in a car accident in Cyprus in December 1993.

High Resolution 24-bit / 48 kHz