BaL 25.06.22 - Rachmaninov: Symphony no 2

[ucanseetheend]

what was the orchestra with Jansons selection ? I thought he said St Petersburg and I dont see that on a list

[Bryn]

what was the orchestra with Jansons selection ? I thought he said St Petersburg and I dont see that on a list

According to the Radio 3 schedule:

St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra

Mariss Jansons

Warner Classics 5850752

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7925680--rachmaninov-symphony-no-2-in-e-minor-op-27-etc

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Well Seckerson thinks it’s Jack Brymer. I’m in the unusual position of agreeing with just all about his thoughts so far.

It probably was JB. Not many other clarinettists wobble. Not to my taste, but he has many advocats.

[HighlandDougie]

AMcG was at his worst today for interruptions.

As to the programme, I was surprised at how good the sound quality of the Previn is, indeed I preferred it to the Jansons, possibly because that was replayed at a lower level?

I thought that too in terms of the interruptions but I guess that he had his eye on the clock and, in view of ES's penchant for going on a bit (albeit no Lenny so no gushing this time), felt the need to cut him off before he started. No quibble with Previn (I have it as part of an SACD box from Tower Records) and have just ordered the Jansons for the princely sum of £5.56 (inc. P&P) for his 3 CD box. As to the overall programme, OK. I think Alison is a bit hard in her comments but, just as ES admitted to being not a great Jansons fan, I do seem to recall that Alison is not a great ES fan

[gradus]

Bucking the trend, I enjoyed the review and and Mr Seckerson's insights and comments about the performances. Ormandy fell at the last but its still my favourite performance, cuts or not. Such a pity that Ed Seckerson's programme about musical theatre has never returned to R3.

[Goon525]

Far from ‘going on a bit’ this BaL actually ended about four minutes early. I wonder why - the finale was given very short shrift.

[DracoM]

Would have stopped even earlier had it not been for AMcGod's non-stop interruptions / interplolations

[Lordgeous]

Yes, he was at his annoyingly worst today! In addition to the EMI I also have Previn conducting RPO on Telarc. Is this a third Previn recording or a re-issue of the RCA version?

[muzzer]

Did Ashkenazy not feature?

[Darloboy]

Did Ashkenazy not feature?

I don't recall him being mentioned at all

[ardcarp]

AMcG was at his worst today for interruptions.

Yes but I thought ES sounded quite tetchy about them, and ploughed on regardless.

[Retune]

Yes, he was at his annoyingly worst today! In addition to the EMI I also have Previn conducting RPO on Telarc. Is this a third Previn recording or a re-issue of the RCA version?

The RCA from the 60s is with the LSO, like the EMI from the 70s. The Telarc with the RPO is a digital recording from the 80s.

[cloughie]

Well played, sir/ma'am. If the review was boring, as per other comments, then this absence probably accounts for a lack of enthusiasm on ES' part.

Or maybe Lenny’s lack of enthusiasm for Rach 2 - shame really could’ve been right up his street - in his later, more expansive, years could have taken it to 75 minutes!

[Retune]

No quibble with Previn (I have it as part of an SACD box from Tower Records) and have just ordered the Jansons for the princely sum of £5.56 (inc. P&P) for his 3 CD box.

There are several nice compilations that are selling for less than the inflated price of the single CD at the moment, including 5/6 CD boxes with all the Jansons symphonies plus the concertos etc. with Mikhail Rudy, a pianist I don't know (the versions with the 6th CD also include Rudy's Tchaikovsky 1, probably carried over from some earlier release). I don't know much of Rachmaninov's 'pianoless' symphonic work either, so picked one up to do a bit of exploration.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

Or maybe Lenny’s lack of enthusiasm for Rach 2 - shame really could’ve been right up his street - in his later, more expansive, years could have taken it to 75 minutes!

Lord knows what he might have done with the uncut version and the first movement repeat.