Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2

Sergey Rachmaninov (Composer), André Previn (Conductor), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: André Previn
• Composer: Sergey Rachmaninov
• Audio CD (April 23, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Telarc
• ASIN: B000003CTM
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,788 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #8 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Symphonies > Modern & 20th Century
  • #12 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > Forms & Genres > Symphonies
  • #15 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Romantic (c.1820-1910) > Composers > Rachmaninov, Sergei

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available.
Genre: Classical Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 1-JAN-2002

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great romantic symphony that will move you, January 6, 2003

By 

David Robinson (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 (Audio CD)

This is the other "Rach 2". If you know Rachmaninoff through the piano works, and know that he was a brilliant performer, this symphony will astound you. It is a major romantic work, owing some heritage in the brass sounds to Tchaikovsky. Rachmaninoff seemed to have a bottomless well of haunting melodies. If you are trying to read while listening to this, you'll find yourself putting your work aside by the time you get to the Adagio (third movement).

1985 must have been "The Perfect Year" for Andre Previn and the RPO. In addition to recording the Elgar symphonies, the Previn/RPO team nailed this symphony in a crisp DDD recording. The tempi are nice and measured (without wallowing) and Previn takes the RPO from a whisper to some really kicking fortes. (The tuba and the rest of the brass sound wonderful if you have a sub-woofer).

A must-have CD for any serious lover of classical music.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lush and Romantic ... except for the strings, May 3, 2002

By 

John Grabowski (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 (Audio CD)

One of my fondest memories of this CD is playing it for a conductor friend, who'd been on the podium for about 40 years at the time. He generally didn't think much of Previn. This recording changed his mind. Following with the score, conducting from his chair, he said at the end "I heard lines I didn't think you could bring out in the score!" He's right.

Previn at his best has that ability, and it appears several times on this disc, whether in the plucky and dark scherzo (darker than most...the whole disc is very dark and moody) or the gradual unfolding of the opening movement, where many voices fuse together for a big tutti statement like only Rachmaninoff could do. This isn't terribly "deep" music, but it's great for a rainy day as you watch the drops roll down your window. The big buildup in the first movement is very well-considered, unlike many recordings where it seems to come from nowhere. Previn's trademark attention to line is readily apparent here. The third movement floats with a hushed ethereal quality as violins play so lightly at points you'll think bows will lose contact with the strings. Previn pushes the limits with dynamics, more so than is evident on his earlier EMI recordings, where it sounds like some compression was used. (He does this also on his Telarc Tchaikovsky 5th, another superb recording.)

The one minus is the colorless, somewhat restrained RPO violins. This is music of color (some would argue that's *all* it is), and while the lower strings and the winds are marvelous, the violins don't sound like they're on the same page in some instances. There are very good moments in this performance that could have been GREAT moments, if the strings had more expression, more body, if they just *gave* more Still, this is a great recording (and unlike Previn's RCA recording with the LSO it's uncut), and it is highly recommended. A superb sonic demo disc too.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb performance of a great symphony., July 22, 2002

By 

D. R. Schryer (Poquoson, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 (Audio CD)

Rachmaninov's Symphony No. 2 is a great symphony. And the third movement is one of the most gorgeous slow movements ever written. Although I love the whole symphony, I often program my CD player to play the gorgeous third movement over and over again. Pop singer Eric Carmen turned the main melody of this movement into the hit song "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again. But you have to hear this movement -- and indeed the whole symphony -- performed by Andre Previn to fully appreciate how beautiful they are. Previn has stated that he has a special fondness for this symphony and his performance reveals his empathy for it. No other recorded performance even comes close to this one. If you love great music, I beg you to get this recording.