RACHMANINOFF: Symphony No. 2 in E minor Op. 27 – London Symphony Orchestra/ Valery Gergiev – LSO Live multichannel SACD LSO0677, 60:53 (Distr. by Harmonia mundi) *****:
This work is the epitome of Late-Romantic symphonic writing, bursting with gorgeous melodies and high emotions. It’s like an update of the most emotional Tchaikovsky, with even more dark tones – such as Rachmaninoff was a master of. It’s such a Russian classic that I was surprised this was the London Symphony and the LSO Live series rather than Gergiev’s own Mariinsky Orchestra on their own label. This is actually the first volume in an LSO Rachmaninoff cycle from Gergiev.
The composer was wary about premiering this work since his First Symphony premiere had been a disaster. He needn’t have been concerned; this may be the very best of Rachmaninoff, created at time when he was at the peak of his career. The melodies spin out with deliberation but great creativity. The Adagio is an especially touching movement, and the finale brings back memories of the earlier movements in a rousing and spirited fashion. In spite of the great beauty and energy of the string-heavy sound he elicits, Gergiev seems to communicate a darker side to the music, that while in agreement with Rachmaninoff’s general mood, seems less optimistic than other performances. There are a few other SACD choices of the symphony; I like Paavo Järvi’s with the Cincinnati Symphony on Telarc, which is quite similar to Gergiev’s. It also adds three other small Rachmaninoff fillers: his Scherzo and two dances from Aleko. Hi-res surround sound on both are similar, with the low-end tympani adding to the darker effect on both recordings.
– John Sunier
