You will discover new pools of beauty
Classical music lovers know Rachmaninoff's 2nd piano concerto maybe to the point of boredom, but all performances are not created equal. This 1959 recording of Sviatoslov Richter and the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Kurt Sanderling just floors me every time. Right from the start, you can tell it's a special interpretation. That famous intro that most conductors skate through is given a heavy Russian feeling; slow and powerful, building on Richter's suspenseful opening. By the end of the first minute, you're hooked.
I adore every note here. No matter how many times you have heard the 2nd, you will discover new pools of beauty in this interpretation. Richter is superb, as always, but the real revelation for me is Sanderling, whose feel for this piece is just as profound. He knows where the power and the beauty lies.
Check it out: