Customer Reviews

Sergei Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 3; Symphonic Dances

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Excellent orchestra, beautifully played, musically and technically top notch, great string sound. Yet some of the tempi seem slow to me, notably in the Symphony, as if somewhat labored, and it costs fluency and the keeping through of the dramatic tension, ocasionally. I still find Mackerras to be more fluent, organic and flexible, but this is no doubt a respectable recording of Rach's 3.

I am always of two minds about Mikhail Pletnev, a brilliant and original pianist who somehow loses any sense of excitement when he puts on his hat as conductor. This Rachmaninov Third Sym. is anothr chapter in his restrained, reticent traversal of Russian orchestral music (other chapters are devoted to equally bland Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev). He seems more interested in getting beautiful sounds from his Russian National Orch. than in forward motion, much less drama.

I can understand why Pletnev wants to dissociate himself from the crass Soviet style that one heard too often, but he's deprived Rachmaninov of vitality along the way. Much the same holds for the Symphonic Dances, Rachmannov's last orchestral wrok, which cries out for more passion and abandon. I had lost interest long before this CD was over.