Customer Reviews

Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Perfect balances and precise attacks reveal every detail in the composer's complex score. Previn paces the work perfectly. Stunning sound by Telarc. Highly recommended.

I like the way "RumCow" says it's still the same old 1985 sound even though Amazon lists it as being issued in 2002. Apparently, from what I've noticed after reading Amazon's stats on CD's for a long time this apparently must mean that it was reissued in 2002, but is still the same recording it was for sound and performance from when it was first in print back in '85. Well, this Bipolar Bear rates for both Sound and Performance in my database for CD's where I rate things on a scale of from 0 - 11, 11 being Superb, can't find anything to complain about at all. Well, I rated this an 11 when I first got it in '85 and, even by today's standards in digital recording it still deserves an 11 for both Sound and Performance. So, don't hesitate. If you want a Rachmaninov Second by all means get this recording. It's still one of the best out there, and now at a reduced price!

Mark Zimmerman, Chicago - the Bipolar Bear

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's full length (62 minutes) presentation of Rachmanioff Symphony No.2 is a melodic gem. (Note: some conductors shorten this symphony by leaving out certain parts.) Each movement has beautiful melodies including a number of recurring motifs that knit together a wonderful piece of music. Conductor Andre Previn brings out the best in this joyous work that will leave you humming its melodies for days after listening.

Rach symph. 2 is my favorite piece of music. So far, this is my favorite recording for the following reasons:
Great sounding recording
Good pacing and interpretation by Previn - only thing I wish for would be quicker second mvmt.
Great brass playing
Good balance

I have several recordings of Rachmaninoff's 2nd and have heard the piece live, conducted by noted directors. Andre Previn interprets this piece with a mastery and nuance that is second to none - the definitive performance of one of the greatest works ever written for symphony orchestra.

WHY ARE CONDUCTORS IN SUCH A HURRY THESE DAYS? IMAGINE A READING OF THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS ON A.M. RADIO. WORDS AND LINES RUN TOGETHER IN SUCH A FASHION AS TO LOOSE THEIR MEANING AND POIGNANCY. ANDRE PREVIN WOULD HAVE NONE OF IT, AND HAS MADE A VERY SUCCESSFUL CAREER OF PATIENT AND RESPECTFUL PACING OF NEARLY EVERYTHING HE HAS RECORDED. THIS RPO/TELARC DISC HAS PLENTY OF DRAMA AND RICHNESS IN THE OUTER MOVEMENTS, AND A GOOD HELPING OF WEIGHT AND GUSTO IN THE SCHERZO, BUT IT IS THE SUBLIME ADAGIO THAT LEAVES ONE BREATHLESS. WITHOUT EVER BECOMING STATIC, NOTES AND PHRASES ARE SUSPENDED IN THE ETHER WITH SUCH TENDERNESS AND SKILL (I.E. THE CLARINET SOLO), THAT THE LISTENER IS LEFT TO WONDER IF THIS IS REALLY AN ORCHESTRA OF EARTHLY BEINGS. NOT ALL MUSIC IS AS TRULY OPULENT AS THIS, BUT THE LESSON OF PROPER PACING IS GREATLY EXEMPLIFIED BY MR. PREVIN AND HIS BRITISH COLLEGUES. A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EFFORT, RAPTUROUSLY CAPTURED IN TELARC'S TYPICALLY LUXURIOUS SOUND. ALONG WITH MR. LINCOLN'S "FEW REMARKS" IN 1864, THIS DISC IS ON MY SHORT "DESSERT ISLAND LIST." I CANNOT RECOMMEND IT ENOUGH.

Music was wonderful, but jewel case was smashed when it arrived. I was disappointed with this.