Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 1 in D minor; Isle of the Dead

Sergei Rachmaninov (Composer), Mariss Jansons (Conductor), St Petersburg Philharmonic (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: St Petersburg Philharmonic
• Conductor: Mariss Jansons
• Composer: Sergei Rachmaninov
• Audio CD (March 9, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: EMI
• ASIN: B00000I7WG
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,767 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #43 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Romantic (c.1820-1910) > Composers > Rachmaninov, Sergei
  • #46 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music > Tone Poems

Track Listings

1. I. Grave - Allegro Ma Non Troppo

2. II. Allegro Animato

3. III. Larghetto

4. IV. Allegro Con Fuoco

5. The Isle Of The Dead, Op.29 - Rachmaninov

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps the best Rachmaninov First in the catalog, now a super bargain, November 3, 2008

By 

Santa Fe Listener (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 1; The Isle of the Dead (Audio CD)

EMI, king of the reissue, allows you to buy Jansons' late-Nineties Rachmaninov cycle in any number of ways. This First Sym. was the last installment, recorded in St. Petersburg in 1999, and it's miles away from the usual article we got from the Soviet Union. Even the most acclaimed conductors, like Kondrashin and Svetlanov (I don't know of any Rachmaninov symphonies from the great Mravinsky) made this music sound brash and thrusting, with coarse brass playing and a sorry lack of finesse.

Jansons, by contrast, manages to sound Russian but without the coarseness. His tactic with this sprawling, discursive symphony is to make it sound beautiful from bar to bar -- he's almost suave -- and that helps us get past the long rambles Rachmaninov takes in place of real development. The St. Petersburg Phil. gives Jansons a refined sound wihtout over-lushness or exaggerated Hollywood swoons. Some may find this approach a little dry, but I was happy to come ashore. (Rachmaninov always made me a bit seasick in heavy doses.) As a touchstone, compare Jansons' finale, which is rousing without trying to burn the house down, and Svetlanov's famous rendition on Moscow Studio (originally on the state label, Melodiya), which is brash and militaristic.

In all, this is one of the best Rachmaninov Firsts in the catalog, now selling at an irresistible price.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Performance, October 1, 2009

By 

C. Kenney (Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 1; The Isle of the Dead (Audio CD)

This is a very good performance as played by the St. Petersburg Philharmonic. Jansons performs admirably. Sonics are quite good. A very pleasing exhibition by both conductor and orchestra.

2 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars what an elegance!, January 17, 2006

By 

Geers "1503pharos" (Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 1 in D minor; Isle of the Dead (Audio CD)

This recording is great. Picture a platoon of Kosachs on horses preparing for battle. Ofcourse ther are other romantic isles in this symphonie. Part two I think can make one fall asleep. Der Toteninsel i think is fantastic. It is not positif, but the state of mind is perfectly drawn. Five stars.