Rachmaninoff Symphony #2!
Leonard Slatkin and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra perform the wonderfully lyrical Symphony #2 of Rachmaninoff.
Slatkin’s reading of this great work is a worthwhile member of any collection. He gets the orchestra to deliver a lyrical, flexible, and balanced performance that lets us enjoy the composer’s genius. The recording originated from a live concert in the fall of 2009. The audience is quiet, and the performance proceeds without any issues. The Adagio movement might have received some more warmth under one of the Russian conductors, such as Vladimir Pletnev, but this performance under Leonard Sltkin is still quite satisfying.
Here is a recording of the 3rd movement, as performed by Andre Previn conducting the NHK Symphony Orchestra. Great music!