BaL 1.04.23 - Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

10.30 am
Marina Frolova-Walker chooses her favourite recording of Sergei Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances.

Rachmaninov had always struggled to balance the competing demands of his three careers as composer, conductor and pianist. But after the mid-1930s, following the disappointing reception of some of his recent music, he had all but stopped composing, spending most of his professional life on the arduous, if lucrative international concert circuit, widely acknowledged as the greatest pianist of his day. Taking a house on Long Island for the summer in 1940, Rachmaninov suddenly began composing again and the result was the Symphonic Dances. It was natural that the 1941 premiere was with the Philadelphia Orchestra under their music director, Eugene Ormandy: Rachmaninov had made his debut as a conductor there in 1909, returning often as soloist and conductor for concerts and recordings.

Rachmaninov’s final completed music, the Symphonic Dances initially had a lukewarm critical reception and were slow to gain popularity. But the dazzlingly orchestrated triptych, with its satisfying arc, full of intriguing musical cyphers, self-quotation and allusion is now a long-established and well-loved repertory staple, characterised by that typical Rachmaninov combination of nostalgic melancholy and tumultuous excitement.

Available versions:-

Concertgebouw Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Philharmonia Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Enrique Batiz
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Yuri Botnari *
WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Semyon Bychkov *
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Sergiu Comissiona *
Philadelphia Orchestra, Charles Dutoit
USSR State Symphony Orchestra, Ludmila Ermakova *
NDR-Sinfonieorchester, John Eliot Gardiner
London Symphony Orchestra, Valery Gergiev (SACD/Blu-ray audio)
Orchestra Bruno Maderna, Daniele Giorgi
London Symphony Orchestra, Predrag Gosta *
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Mariss Jansons
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Mariss Jansons (SACD)
St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Mariss Jansons
Philharmonia Orchestra, Neeme Järvi
Orchestre de Paris, Paavo Järvi *
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski
Gürzenich Orchestra of Cologne, Dmitrij Kitajenko
Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, Pavel Kogan
Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin *
Miskolc Symphony Orchestra, László Kovács *
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Litton (SACD)
Berlin Philharmonic, Lorin Maazel
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras *
Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko
Russian National Orchestra, Pletnev
London Symphony Orchestra, André Previn
Berliner Philharmoniker, with Rundfunkchor Berlin, Sir Simon Rattle *
Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, Rico Saccani *
Philadelphia Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Krasnoyarsk Academic Symphony Orchestra, Ivan Shpiller *
Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Lan Shui (SACD)
Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Robert Spano
USSR State Symphony Orchestra, Evgeny Svetlanov
St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Yuri Temirkanov
BBC Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Vedernikov
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Edo de Waart
Pecs Symphony Orchestra, Howard Williams *

(* = download only)

[gradus]

Quite a field. The one I know best is Jurowski and the LPO and I've yet to listen to a performance that I prefer.

[LHC]

The recording with Yuri Temirkanov and the St Petersburg Philharmonic was recorded at the Proms in 2004 and is coupled with a fantastic performance of Mussorgsky’s Songs and Dances of Death with Dmitri Hvorostovsky.

By chance I happened to be talking to Dmitri Hvorovstovsky when the CD was released and he saw the cover for the first time (it’s on RCA rather than Philips and I believe it’s release wasn’t discussed with him). He was horrified that his picture was on the cover and that his name was in bigger print than Temirkanov’s. “No, no” he said, “this is all wrong; this is his recording. He should be on the cover and his name should be at the top.” He really was quite upset at what he saw as an insult to Temirkanov.

Anyway, it’s a fine recording in its own right and a nice reminder of a memorable night at the Proms, although I doubt it will get top spot.

[smittims]

I think the Kondrashin remains my favourite, though Ormandy has some pride of place.

I've always felt the title to be modest; this really is Rachmaninov's fifth symphony, if we include 'The Bells'.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

I have the Rattle and I'm not sure the choral contribution makes much difference .

With six or seven versions on the shelves, I may do my own comparison over the next few days, no hardship with this piece.

[mikealdren]

I bought the Ashkenazy/Concertgebouw when it first appeared, it was an early digital recording star that still sounds pretty good and was coupled with a fine performance of the Isle of the Dead too. I also have Argerich/Economou, I wonder whether the 2 piano version will be mentioned.

With the excellent Marina Frolova-Walker so I will definitely be listening.

[gurnemanz]

I got to know this work only a few years ago via the very good Brilliant Classics Rach edition (still around secondhand). Still my only recording and a it's a fine one in vivid sound from Valery Polyansky with the Russian State Symphony Orchestra, coupled with The Bells. A Chandos recording originally and still available from them as a download. https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%209759

[Bryn]

I got to know this work only a few years ago via the very good Brilliant Classics Rach edition (still around secondhand). Still my only recording and a it's a fine one in vivid sound from Valery Polyansky with the Russian State Symphony Orchestra, coupled with The Bells. A Chandos recording originally and still available from them as a download. https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%209759

Thanks for the reminder. I, too, have that boxed set but I don't think I have ever listened to that particular disc from it.

[Barbirollians]

Previn

[Parry1912]

In a Gramophone Collection feature in 2019 Rob Cowan chose Paavo Jarvi with honourable mentions for Mitropoulos, Bychkov and Svetlanov.

I do recommend Bychkov but I haven’t heard the others.

[Pulcinella]

RLPO/Petrenko anyone?
Good reviews when it was first released.

[jayne lee wilson]

Unlucky for me (again), another obsessive masterpiece I loved too well and played too often. Which became an obsession. I can take the 2nd movement sometimes (the most emotionally complex and interesting, I feel); and the 1st Symphony recollected is very touching but....
Even back in the day, I always found it difficult to repeat-play anything with such a thunderous ending; still do; if it shakes you as it can, how do you play it again quickly? Or even within a day or two? I can't do it.

But another mission-impossible for a favourite; Kondrashin and Svetlanov the classics for me; Eiji Oue and The Minnesota Orchestra on RR as the hifi spectacular. Not that the 10/95 SSOoRF/Svetlanov on a Pony Canyon HDCD isn't very spectacular in itself; one of the best Moscow Radio Large Hall recordings I know, vastly spacious (as usual in there) with vanishing point pianissimos, scarifying dynamics and blaring brass: wow! Trying it just now, musically very striking too: rubato wide as the Volga, and if the andante isn't very con moto, the tongue-in-cheek wit of the astonishing orchestral response is hypnotic. What an orchestra, especially the sheer density of string tone. They had such a special bond with Svetlanov.

Two movements in... and I'm enjoying the piece again, unexpectedly.......wonder what else is on those shelves....

[jayne lee wilson]

I think the Kondrashin remains my favourite, though Ormandy has some pride of place.

I've always felt the title to be modest; this really is Rachmaninov's fifth symphony, if we include 'The Bells'.

Always a fascinating question.

Is La Mer a symphony?
Luckier works: Symphony No.1:Poème de la Forêt... Concerto Grosso No.4/Symphony No.5....

The Dadaist principle: whatever I call a work of art, is a work of art.
So: whatever a composer calls a symphony....

[Petrushka]

Unusually for me, I've only got a couple of versions LSO/Previn and Concertgebouw/Ashkenazy, both first rate.

I thought I'd got Jurowski as well but if I have I can't find it! Will have a look to see if I've got any more hidden away.

[vibratoforever]

Unlucky for me (again), another obsessive masterpiece I loved too well and played too often. Which became an obsession. I can take the 2nd movement sometimes (the most emotionally complex and interesting, I feel); and the 1st Symphony recollected is very touching but....
Even back in the day, I always found it difficult to repeat-play anything with such a thunderous ending; still do; if it shakes you as it can, how do you play it again quickly? Or even within a day or two? I can't do it.

But another mission-impossible for a favourite; Kondrashin and Svetlanov the classics for me; Eiji Oue and The Minnesota Orchestra on RR as the hifi spectacular. Not that the 10/95 SSOoRF/Svetlanov on a Pony Canyon HDCD isn't very spectacular in itself; one of the best Moscow Radio Large Hall recordings I know, vastly spacious (as usual in there) with vanishing point pianissimos, scarifying dynamics and blaring brass: wow! Trying it just now, musically very striking too: rubato wide as the Volga, and if the andante isn't very con moto, the tongue-in-cheek wit of the astonishing orchestral response is hypnotic. What an orchestra, especially the sheer density of string tone. They had such a special bond with Svetlanov.

Two movements in... and I'm enjoying the piece again, unexpectedly.......wonder what else is on those shelves....

Rubato as wide as the Volga indeed! Svetlanov's late Rachmaninov recordings are something special! But seem to have vanished apart from Amazon with the set costing 50notes and seven more for delivery late April!