Rachmaninoff Symphony # 2
London Symphony Orchestra; Valery Gergiev conductor
Issued May 11, 2010
Rachmaninov’s amazing Second Symphony was composed when he was at the top of his career as composer, pianist and conductor. Filled with emotion and with beautiful melodies, it is a masterpiece and a fine example of the Romantic Symphony. This recording will be followed by the Rachmaninoff First and Third Symphonies as well as by the Symphonic Dances.
As a fellow Russian, Valery Gergiev is a fine Rachmaninov conductor. There is always present in this work a lusciousness of sound that I enjoy greatly. He presents each bar personally, sensitively, and he expresses every emotion genuinely. Valery Gergiev has the ability to explore the entire spectrum between quiet melancholy to energetic outburst while making both extremes sound perfectly appropriate.
Here are some Concert reviews:
“performance of edge-of-the-seat exhilaration … This time it was Rachmaninov’s Symphony No 2 that brought out Gergiev’s magisterial best” The Guardian
“The LSO’s sound had apt richness, depth and bloom … a rare blend of freedom, momentum and underlying restless energy” …Daily Telegraph
“Gergiev is a man who works by instinct. Music that thrives on heart and soul – above all the Russian romantics – brings out the best in him” …… Financial Times
Here is an audio of Gergiev conducting the Kirov Orchestra in the 3rd movement (Adagio) of this symphony. Enjoy…