I woke up too early this morning and I listened to this symphony for the first time this morning while still laying in bed. I picked the Ormandy version from the Sixties because it seemed on Amazon Ultra streaming that it was the definitive pick. I really enjoyed ti but almost feel asleep again on the fourth movement. I decided to "tee up" 5 or six different recordings and listen to the first 4 min of the 4th movement to see if I could find a version that sounded better or I liked better. I actually did listen to the Slatkin and the Ashkenazy versions but the recording that blew me away was by Vladimir Jurowski & London Philharmonic Orchestra. Man, that recording was so punchy on what I previously thought was a dull 4th and I loved the whole thing now. I compared the Ormandy, Slatkin and Ashkenazy again to the Jurowski and it still came out on top to my ears. I plan on listening to more of Rachmaninoff later today and it seems Symphony No. 2 is more popular but it will have a hard time matching the intensity of the first one.
Aside from Symphonic Dances, Symphony No. 1 is his only orchestral work with ""duende," a word linked (most famously by Garcia Lorca) with Roma music. That's also a clue to the backstory for the symphony, the composer's love interest at age 19 for a 24 year-old woman of Roma descent (reportedly with striking eyes), whose first name happened to have been Anna. Hence the connection to the "Vengeance is mine" quote that any Russian at the time would have associated with Tolstoy's novel, "Anna Karenina." The less famous Anna was also married, to a Roma performer of "gypsy" romances (not unlike the famous "Ochi Chyorni")--a genre that is reflected in the symphony, whether in isolated passages or in a pervasive character suggesting doomed love or heartbreak. I caution about being too literal in taking symphonies for biographies. The notion of love being thwarted by some kind of barrier, whether moral, social, or accidental, can be found in many works of art. It's found in Tchaikovsky's "Evgeny Onegin," and arguably revisited in his 6th Symphony. I caution against biographical reading there, too, but it's musically obvious that Tchaikovsky's last symphony re-echoes in Rachmaninov's 1st, especially in the first movement, with the explosive outbreak of the development section. BTW, David is absolutely correct about pronunciation of the composer's surname, and I agree that the 1st is the composer's greatest symphony. I also agree about the glockenspiel. On my visits to St. Petersburg, I usually stay across the street from a Russian Orthodox church whose bells make our building shake. It's a seismic phenomenon that has little in common with the puny twinkle favored by Slatkin and Ormandy. To understand the symphony, you should also listen to Rachmaninov's early pieces for two pianos--one of them with Easter bells, and another ("Night and Longing") that's quoted in the first movement.
A now deceased friend once told me he thought the end of Ashkenazy's recording sound like a gigantic ocean liner sinking. a great ending, and a great overall performance of a great piece
@@smudger671 I guess it lack the unhinged tension and sense of desperation. An ocean liner sinks more slowly and gradually for want to a better way to describe it.
So agree with you 1000% 😊 I started with the Melodiya LP box set by Svetlanov and wore out that record, over time the sound became very distorted. Fiery performance and meant a lot to me also in my "angsty" twenties! Later I upgraded to the Ashkenazy version on CD and recently played it following the score on You Tube. Why oh why did not Rachmaninov continue this style? So powerful and rugged as you say there is a great moment in the recapitulation where the soaring viola line climbs over the motto theme. Great counterpoint not flabby or mushy at all. Can't get enough of the implacable ending!
I love the piece. Grew up with Ormandy, bought Previn while I was in college - not crazy about that one now. The thing I appreciate and enjoy about your channel is that you obviously like music. You even seem to find something to like about things and people you say you don't like. I've played in many orchestras, and the BIGGEST THING that makes players want to cooperate with the conductor is when they feel like the conductor genuinely likes the music. Not "thinks it's important", not "has something to say", not "is authentic about this or that". Give me the guy who wants to enjoy the music, wants the audience to enjoy the music, and WANTS THE PLAYERS to enjoy the music. After all, 90 percent of the people in orchestras are smart enough that they could have made more money and lived an easier life doing something else. They want to enjoy the music and feel good about what they are doing. I wish more conductors loved music half as much as you do.
Glad to see Jansons made it into the final four. I have been recommending that cycle for like 20 years. I love the sonority of the orchestra for this music and Janson's flow and rhythm are just great.
Dave, I'm so thrilled you lifted up the Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 1, terribly undervalued by many music lovers. If you think the Ashkenazy is menacing, which it is, I hope you have also heard the savage Rozhdestvensky BBC cd performance. Knowing of your love for tam tams, Rozhdestvensky's tam tams slash and explode out of the speakers. What a finale! I hope you can hear and enjoy it.
OMG! How pleased am I to have found your site and reviews! Thank you so much for the insights and education esp. on percussion. So welcome at a time when we are starved of live music. I too rate this Symphony as Rach's greatest and possibly his greatest work (after Gilels' rendition of the G Minor prelude :) )! I love the Ashkenazy but you mention that this symphony lives or dies on the coda, and for me it is just too slow. Dramatic yes, passionate definitely, but I find the great momentum and hard work of the terrifying finale is lost. I was introduced to the symphony by the live 1979 Rozdestvensky Proms performance which for years I idolised for its showy drama, but now I'm an adult I realise that his meddling and cuts are just unacceptable. Thanks again for the great posts
Thanks so much for saying what I have thought about the First Symphony! It is a dark and thrilling journey that grabs you by the throat and never lets go. The coda is mindblowing. I thought Jansons and St. Petersburg had the best coda, but I had chills when you played Slatkin on Naxos. Awesome stuff!!
Man oh man do I love this symphony. Perhaps the most underrated Russian symphony of all. Like you, David, this is my favourite Rachmaninoff symphony,and I love the Ashkenazy performance. What an incredible coda this symphony has! I had the pleasure of hearing this performed in 2019 by my local orchestra (Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra), who performed it for the first time ever in their 70+ year history!! It was conducted by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra former music director Alexander Mickelthwate, and they did a marvelous job. What an intense experience hearing this piece performed live!
Hear, hear for the Ashkenazy/Concertgebouw. I bought a Decca 2fer with his Rach 1-3 on it years ago specifically for Rach 2 but from day 1 it’s been the Rach 1 I come back to again and again. I really appreciate how you draw attention to where we should be hearing fine details (especially tam-tams) and Ashkenazy doesn’t disappoint.
Zoltán Kocsis (who liked Rachmaninov's music) had a live performance with Hungarian National Philharmonic issued on BMC Records (with Dohnányi's Festival Overture and Debussy songs). I don't know this symphony well but I liked that recording.
spooky - I'm listening to that recording right now, and decided to see what Dave Hurwitz had to say about the symphony. I'm enjoying this recording a lot. I got it mainly for the Debussy but was a bit disappointed with the soprano because her tuning is off in quite a few places. I end up skipping straight to the Rachmaninov!
I think that the recording of Edo de Waart conducting they Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra is an excelente versión. Other interesting recording is the one with Kurt Sanderling and the Leningrado Philharmonic. Than You for your programa. 😊
David---Rakhmaninov's precocious sophistication, exemplary in his first "adult" Symphony (as opposed to "youth,") eluded Glazunov, along with the entire mighty handful, whom Sergei evidently scared in his abilities. I have often used Pavel Kogan's vivacious Alto recording to dissuade classical listeners who blindly (deafly?!) believed what they'd read that this symphony WAS a failure. And I'm going with my defiant spelling with the "kh" and "v." heh-heh. Keep listening and posting, so that we may keep listening. Best regards!
I first heard this symphony in the recording by Ashkenazy. It is my favorite Rachmaninoff symphony, and my favorite recording of it. Thank you for recommending other ones to explore. The Naxos recording/performance sounds so very different, but so beautifully played.
Walter Weller was my first recording, and it is still my favorite! When I first bought the Ashkenazy on LP, I thought the slow movement was too fast, and the last movement coda seemed TOO slow. But that was comparing Weller to Ashkenazy. Not getting rid of it though. Svetlanov's later recording of the First seems too slow as well. After your commentary, I will give it another listen. Strangely enough, one of the slowest performances is one of my favorites. It's a sleeper - Anissimov on NAXOS. The sound is great! The performance even though slow, has great panache and playing. The coda is just devastating, a sonic spectacular, as it should be. The two Slatkin performances also remain favorites of mine. The percussion additions of various performances baffle me. You can hear them in various performances, such as Petrenko's. I think since this work was never "revised" means conductors feel that they can add anything to "enchance" the score. Pletnev was a serious disappointment to me. Mostly because of a lengthening of a certain passage in the last movement which hinders the forward movement. Litton's was not too bad, IMHO.
I finally got delivery of Svetlanov's set Saturday after a two month wait--I'm not used to paying 20 bucks per disk, or having the cd booklet completely in non-translated Japanese. Oh, but is this set worth it! Totally as you described: interpretations totally inside the music, awesome sonics, really edge of the seat playing (for both listener and performers). Way to go on another great recommendation, Dave!
I recently acquired the Svetlanov cycle on SACD whilst on holiday in Japan. The sonics are amazing and it's such a thrilling cycle, No.1 is almost wild, very exciting. Having such good sonics can have a downside, that being because it's not as good an orchestra as say the Concertgebouw, the intonation occasionally is a little bit off, but that doesn't matter to me.
I have the Edo de Waart recordings with the Rotterdam Phil. Maybe not the most renowned, but still quite good. Over time I came to appreciate mostly the 3rd, although the 2nd was a longstanding favourite from my 17th age on... Now I really have to listen to one of those recordings you discuss here (I know the Ashkenazy recording with the Concertgebouw Orchestra.. and he also recorded the "Youth Symphony" fragment) Much appreciated.
Although I have not heard the Jansons, I have always enjoyed Svetlanov’s performance, once on Angel/Melodiya, as most passionate and colorful. (When the strings take up the second subject of the first movement’s exposition, they sound like they are weeping.) Even so, my favorite recording, which astounds me whenever I listen to it, is Sanderling’s (or Zanderling’s) with the Leningrad Philharmonic, once available in rechanneled sonics on an Everest lp, but in better sound on an older Melodiya lp.
I quite agree with you, David, about this underappreciated gem. As for "vengeance is mine", it reportedly came from _Anna Karenina,_ though as a fan theory, I'd like to propose an unspoken medieval program as an alternative concerning, skullduggery involving some czar and his rivals. (The fanfares remind me somewhat of Prokofiev's military music in his score for _Alexander Nevsky_ ) . The Concertgebouw recording with Ashkenazy at the podium is most memorable indeed.
Couldn't agree more with your recommendations Daffe! :-) The Ashkenazy Rach1 is a wonderful performance but what puzzled me was hearing his fairly recent live recordings with his long associated orchestra, The Philharmonia (released on the Phil's own "live" label/Signum). The speed that he takes the last few pages is nothing like the Concertgebouw recording, it's almost like he had a train to catch! Have you heard Jacek Kapszyk's recording of Rach1 coupled with The Isle of the Dead? It's on Collins and specifically, the end of the finale is thrilling (I don't think I've ever heard a timp thwacked so hard!). Really worth a go. I also enjoyed Noseda's recording with the BBC Phil, his cycle isn't too bad in general actually.
At least we don't need to deal with "Rakhmaninov" like Nimbus cds did 30 years back. Thanks for this video, maybe it will win new listeners. Ashkenazy on Decca is great, I wish his remake in Sydney was as good. So much unknown Rachmaninoff to explore.
I have a distinct memory of having heard the Ashkenazy and being blown away by it. Yet it's not in my CD collection. I did find Ashkenazy's 2nd in my LP collection, but remember it as a disappointment. The 1st must have been a loan from a friend.
There's a new recording by Nezet-Seguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra with the most terrific TamTam crashes you could wish to hear in the closing pages - a powerful performance all round.
I love SVR's first symphony partly because I was so moved to learn of the trauma he suffered at the hands of critics and a poor conductor when it was first performed. However apart from that it has much that commends it to me
I absolutely agree with you, Mr. Hurwitz! Ashkenazy's recording of this symphony is the best for me, as well! I've compared a few different renditions of the symphony and Ashkenazy's recording is much more appealing to me. His Coda is, indeed, so intense, tragically trimphant - mind blowing Coda! On a facetious note - now I know why? Because the tam ---tams! About Rachmaninov's last name spelling: His birth name is Rachmaninov - ends with Russian letter В. - English V. Not Rachmaninoff. He is not Germain. By the way, I am still puzzled why Moskva spelled in English as Moscow? It sounds like Cow of Mos... Anybody know?
David, you’ve got me questioning being satisfied with Ormandy on the 1st. I’m very content with his recordings of all 3. But I get your point about #1 needing that go for the throat approach.
I do think Previn and Dutoit consulted with Ormandy's score. (As Zinman very much did with the rest of the symphonies, regrettably not recording the First...)
Well, I have the Ashkenazy, so what can I say? I first heard it from Edo de Waart with (I think) Rotterdam, but Askenazy is the one I finally got. No complaints--and, yes, I think it's a very fine symphony in spite of the disservice Glazunov did to it at its premier--or so the story goes.
My favourite versions were those of Jansons (for its dynamism and 'drive') and Ashkenazy (for the orchestral textures), but I recently discovered the 1950s recording of Sanderling with the Leningrad Philharmonic (Mravinsky's orchestra!). Its theatricality, spontaneity, and sense of mystery are magnificent... And it all sounds so 'Russian'. Through this performance, you can place the work in its context of other symphonic works by the likes of Borodin, Glazunov (ahem...), and Rimsky Korsakov. I think that this performance is rare on CD, though, and I only know it through an old LP record...
My first video watch, David. I plan on viewing more.I find it interesting you focus on that last section as a lynchpin to what you consider the 4 best versions. I can now, without reservation free confess that when I watch RUclips vids of the Rachmaninoff Concerti (esp #'s 2 and 3...though I really love the original version of #4)...I first fast forward to the last 3 minutes...the BIG, emotional restating of the 2nd theme. If those 3 minutes move me, I "rewind" to the front, pour a shot of bourbon, and immerse myself in the Master's work. I accept the fact that I may have missed 32 to 39 minutes of a great performance, but....
Thanks for watching. You see, everyone has their "way in" to a piece of music, and whatever works for you is legitimate. I have to say, though, that it's not a big discovery (on my part) to suggest that if the performers blow the biggest climax in the entire piece--the moment everything has been leading to--much of what comes before hardly matters!
I haven't heard the symphony, but "Vengeance is mine, I will repay" is a bible verse that is also the epigram to Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina". Your description of the chaotic climax of the piece puts me in mind of the conclusion of Anna's story.
Question for someone. My favourite performance is in a box set of Sanderling. There are cuts but the playing is great. However, in an interview, Sanderling said it wasn't him and he never even performed it. The orchestra is Leningrad c1950/1 according to the booklet. Anybody know about this recording and the true story?
Concerning the Vengeance issue, he indeed had an axe to grind with his former teacher Nicolai Sverev, who disapproved of his composition aspirations...
I've had the Svetlanov on vinyl for eons and have yet to hear anyone do the final 2 minutes as excitingly. He just about loses it and, for me, that's the way Rachmaninoff should go. I also love his performance of #3 and, of course, his Symphonic Danses. Rachmaninoff without a dose of near-hysteria in the right places just isn't Rachmaninoff.
My 2nd hand vinyl set was given to me by my Dad from a car boot sale still have it but the distortion is bad now. Maybe I am using the wrong needle! @@wradzin5744
I really like the Slatkin (Vox) and Ashkenazy cycles. Can I also add the Ormandy on CBS? OK the sonics are dated - but still good - the 2nd symphony isn't the complete version but I still have a high regard for it. In the UK Rach 1 became popular in the 1960s when BBC Television used the finale's fanfare as the theme music for one of their political current affairs programmes called Panorama. Ormandy of course!!
I think a few Rachmaninoff's études tableaux retain some of the gnarly 'rawness' of his first symphony (I'm thinking of op. 33 no. 8 and 39 no. 1 in particular).
You might find a performance on You Tube with the Perm orchestra and some conductor named Platonov to be interesting. Not an international ensemble by any means, but a really committed, in your face, raw sounding performance that gets to the heart of the matter--looks like a bunch of young kinds playing in some of the orchestra sections. (no glockenspiel in the first movement either...impressive!)... pretty killer ending, too
Thanks for the suggestion. It's OK--competent and, as you say, rather raw, but not especially distinguished. The opening of the finale is especially cautious.
@@DavesClassicalGuide I agree on the quality of the performance when put up against the big boys. I mentioned it because it seemed a fairly honest effort, but more importantly that it may show hope that this really great piece may be getting more exposure in the backwaters in live performances by not so hot ensembles.
@@michaelhartman8724 Well, I played it with my community orchestra, so it gets more attention that you might think, and we were the very definition of a "not so hot" ensemble, believe me. The parts were easy to get from Kalmus. So I'm sure it gets played, probably more frequently by the lower-tier groups than the big boys.
I'd love to hear the Svetlanov, but it's an elusive set, can't find it anywhere on the 'net. Oh well, at least I've got the Ashkenazy and Jansons to enjoy. Thanks for the review.
I agree entirely that Rachmaninov's 1st is his masterpiece but was not aware Svetlanov had done a later version after the 1967 classic --perhaps the greatest thing he ever did with an ending which is one of the most terrifying things in all music. Completely draw a blank trying to find somewhere to hear it. Can anyone assist?
To date my only experience with Ashkenazy's cycle been his performance of the 2nd symphony, which I like but not in preference to others such as Temirkanov and Fischer. After hearing your excellent talk I will definitely listen to his 1st symphony. My personal reference in this work has been Ormandy, and I like Litton as well. I also have the Pletnev, which is OK. Any thoughts on that and the Maazel/BPO on DG?
I appreciate your reviews and since listening to this video and the one for Rachmaninoff cycles have ordered the Jansons set. What is your opinion of Paweł Przytocki's Rachmaninoff Symphony 1 recording? Seems like a gem that many overlook.
Fascinating comments on what is also my favourite Rachmaninoff symphony. However, I must say I hear Ormandy differently. The third movement is glorious-and the Finale, after the initial fanfares, gathers impetus like a cavalry charge. And the coda? He’s obviously seeing it totally different than Ashkenazy, whose lugubrious tempo is following a radically different narrative. I prefer Ormandy’s return to A-Tempo (with the howl of the tam-tam rolling out as loud as anyone’s), before a final double thrust of defiance. Ormandy ends in a wild and tragic triumph, rather than Ashkenazy’s anguished, plodding despair . . .
I run a classical music metadata project and the thing that drives me most crazy is Russian transliteration. Is it Sergei or Sergey? Rachmaninov or Rachmaninoff? And record labels don’t agree about their spellings. German labels tend to spell Tchaikovsky as Tschaikowski, with SCH, W and I. Thank God there isn’t so many Italian labels - Čajkovskij, anyone?
The double f in "Rachmaninoff" is the French spelling. The composer (remaining neutral here) probably opted for it because Russians at the time were more familiar with French than English. Romanisation of Russian names in general is a nightmare when buying records in Europe, as every country (typically) has its own rules. I have encountered Tchaikovsky so far as Tschaikowsky, Tsjaikovski, Chaïkovski and Čajkovskij.
My copy of the Collins Encyclopedia of Music (c.1985), made a big thing about putting Tchaikovsky under C (Chaikovsky); that anomally aside it's a rather good book! It was also rather charming, when I discovered tucked in the page with an entry about Elgar, a handwritten slip of paper with someone's name and address on it (it was printed in the former Czechoslovakia)! Someone looking for an English penfriend? Much to my shame I didn't write back but it's still there in the book!
Hello. Enjoyed your video. I always compared that bell section in 1st mvt to the end of 1st mvt of symphonic dances around 11ish min in...seems like a warm major memory of an early quirky idea that is getting more gently presented in dances...almost as if he was thinking back to when things were tougher...and now having many mature celebrated works under his belt...can look back and say...I was too hard on myself...it was good . Just my funny idea...not historically based
It's a valid idea. The Sym Dances is indeed quoting the opening of the 1st Symphony (the end of the first dance), but it's also worth noting that the motive in question is yet another take of the "Dies irae" tune that features in so much of Rachmaninoff's work.
@@DavesClassicalGuide btw ashkenazy recording is stupendous. Listening now...love the closeness of it like the old george szell recordings. Can hear ashkenazy grunting like szell used too. Amazing dynamic contrast...and he doesn’t bog down like so many other recordings. Everybody is playing at the front of their seats like a great string quartet. Fantastic colors
@@DavesClassicalGuide Love the ashkenazy recording but really miss the extremely quirky macabre nature of the bells and percussion in the first movt. It just sets up this little bizarre military band section that reminds me of moments in Mahler symphonies
I agree the Ashkenazy version is drenched in idiomatic Rachmaninov sounds. But the Berlin Phil's playing under Maazel still has to be heard to be believed. The Berliners play at an awesome level of incisive and dynamic bite. You will rarely hear an orchestra combine such chutzpah with warm and sumptuous sound. Listen to the Berliners' violins - violence - after the fanfare at the start of Movement 4. They will blow you away. They are rabid - as the music demands, of course. The same ferocity drives on right up to the final bars without the slowing down indulged in by Ashkenazy. As for Svetlanov, he too has bite and ferocity, maybe even more, but it's too raucous and impersonal - like hearing some kind of air raid siren going off.
Rachmaninov (or Rachmaninoff's) name spelling... I believe it has to do with the fact that it is French that has been the language of diplomacy and international relations in general, and the names in Russian/Soviet passports were, until recently, transliterated in a French-style system... fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcription_du_russe_en_fran%C3%A7ais
Still I have a little personal anecdote to add about Vladimir Ashkenazy when he conducted in Amsterdam with the Concertgebouw... I went to listen once, I think it was the Symphonic Dances that were on the programme, and I had a seat very next to the balustrade from which the conductor always comes down to the podium. When Ashkenazy ran down the stairs I wondered that he was much shorter than I had imagined, and at the same time his baton ran into the balustrade and a significant part of his baton broke of, the tip landing before my feet. I don't know whether he even noticed, because he conducted marvelously even with a shortened baton...
The Rach 1st, along with his early, pre-piano concert 2 works, tends to have a "rawer" sound which I find much more interesting than his later works, with exceptions. The only symphony of his that approaches the 1st is his last, the Symphonic Dances.
I can't say in advance if I would like anything. That is an outrageous notion. One must listen, listen, listen--and that is all. I haven't heard it yet.
Thank you, David! I absolutely agree with you about Ashkenazy! What do you think about Petrenko with RLPO and Jurowski with LPO? Greetings from Russia!
I have long since resigned myself to spelling his name Rachmaninoff and have not looked back. For me, the 3rd is the best, although I find the last movement weak, and particularly the ending. Same thing with the 2nd Symphony. But I have heard #1 in concert locally, in a rare appearance of the work. Most people (and orchestra marketing departments) annoyingly still seem to fawn over #2.
I love both 3 and and 1 (perhaps both more than 2, though it is definitely a wonderful composition), but I definitely disagree that the ending of 2 is weak. It is perhaps not very original in emotional arc (you could call it late romantic Russian cheese), but it's brilliantly triumphant and affecting in my opinion.
What a wonderful symphony. Interesting choices: I would totally agree with Svetlanov (and his earlier recordings of it), and with Slatkin (ditto), but besides these - and Ormandy (on whom I think you're a bit hard here) - I find Jansons and Ashkenazy have little musical to say, despite good sound: there's no real character or insights from either of them here (or, frankly, in a lot else). Another one I like very much is Sanderling's early Leningrad recording.
Good day Mr. Hurwitz I know that you referring to CD pressings in your videos, but… Just wonder if you are familiar with EMI / Melodiya SLS 847 UK STEREO MELODIYA-RACHMANINOV SYMPHONIES 5 LP’S box set. If yes, do you have any thoughts about the record quality of it please. Not sure about exact time of performance and orchestra's, but the conductors are those you mentioned, I believe. This 5 LP’s box set was recorded in USSR of course, but pressed by EMI in UK back in the 70's when they got some colobaration. More detailed information you can find up here, if you dont mind of course www.discogs.com/sell/item/305539240 Many thanks, Sergei
Many thanks for your reply Mr. Hurwitz. I understand and no worries about that, however, if you dont mind, what do you think about set contents, such as music compositions, conductors and orchestra's, does it give you any positieve impression?
Yes, it always was a problem when Karajan was in charge (except in the Prokofiev 5th), but like most major orchestras they probably own many such--it's the conductor's fault we never hear them.
Cheers Mr H. Yeah when Rachmaninoff did gloomy, he did it rather well (Stravinsky description of him as ' a six and a half foot scowl ' is rather apt). I also think Ashkenazy is exceptional here ( I also like him in the Third and the Youth Symphony too). Can I say I've never understood what the attraction is for some with the Maazel (actually the whole cycle) it seems matter of fact and poorly recorded as well.
Ashkenazy’s 1st has been one of my favourite ever recordings of anything ever since I first heard it as an 18 year old. It was great angsty teen music. But I was reading a recent Gramophone review of the new Nezet-Seguin recording, where the reviewer was waxing lyrical about it. The reviewer did not mention the Ashkenazy at all, and was seeming to suggest there was no decent recording done since the Ormandy. Bizarre and sloppy. As for the Nezet-Seguin, it was ok, it had great clarity, but it lacked the oomph and passion of the Ashkenazy. As you say, that recording probably spoils it for everyone else.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Understandable! I have only just discovered your channel and I am marvelling at your rate of video production. They are, honestly, a revelation to me.
It really is a pity that Glazunov, who I greatly respect as a composer, was blotto when he conducted the premiere, ruining the work’s reputation for years along with the composer’s psyche. The work is actually not a personal favorite, but I think Ashkenazy truly “got” it and mastered it well.
I agree that the last two minutes seem to define the whole work, but frankly Ashkenazy takes it far too slowly, in spite of the fabulous tam tam. I prefer, like you, a slower approach to the ending, but this goes beyond slow. Also, let's not forget those menacing tympani strokes, which add to the terror.
I woke up too early this morning and I listened to this symphony for the first time this morning while still laying in bed. I picked the Ormandy version from the Sixties because it seemed on Amazon Ultra streaming that it was the definitive pick. I really enjoyed ti but almost feel asleep again on the fourth movement. I decided to "tee up" 5 or six different recordings and listen to the first 4 min of the 4th movement to see if I could find a version that sounded better or I liked better. I actually did listen to the Slatkin and the Ashkenazy versions but the recording that blew me away was by Vladimir Jurowski & London Philharmonic Orchestra. Man, that recording was so punchy on what I previously thought was a dull 4th and I loved the whole thing now. I compared the Ormandy, Slatkin and Ashkenazy again to the Jurowski and it still came out on top to my ears. I plan on listening to more of Rachmaninoff later today and it seems Symphony No. 2 is more popular but it will have a hard time matching the intensity of the first one.
Aside from Symphonic Dances, Symphony No. 1 is his only orchestral work with ""duende," a word linked (most famously by Garcia Lorca) with Roma music. That's also a clue to the backstory for the symphony, the composer's love interest at age 19 for a 24 year-old woman of Roma descent (reportedly with striking eyes), whose first name happened to have been Anna. Hence the connection to the "Vengeance is mine" quote that any Russian at the time would have associated with Tolstoy's novel, "Anna Karenina." The less famous Anna was also married, to a Roma performer of "gypsy" romances (not unlike the famous "Ochi Chyorni")--a genre that is reflected in the symphony, whether in isolated passages or in a pervasive character suggesting doomed love or heartbreak.
I caution about being too literal in taking symphonies for biographies. The notion of love being thwarted by some kind of barrier, whether moral, social, or accidental, can be found in many works of art. It's found in Tchaikovsky's "Evgeny Onegin," and arguably revisited in his 6th Symphony. I caution against biographical reading there, too, but it's musically obvious that Tchaikovsky's last symphony re-echoes in Rachmaninov's 1st, especially in the first movement, with the explosive outbreak of the development section.
BTW, David is absolutely correct about pronunciation of the composer's surname, and I agree that the 1st is the composer's greatest symphony. I also agree about the glockenspiel. On my visits to St. Petersburg, I usually stay across the street from a Russian Orthodox church whose bells make our building shake. It's a seismic phenomenon that has little in common with the puny twinkle favored by Slatkin and Ormandy. To understand the symphony, you should also listen to Rachmaninov's early pieces for two pianos--one of them with Easter bells, and another ("Night and Longing") that's quoted in the first movement.
Thank you for this very thoughtful and informative comment.
A now deceased friend once told me he thought the end of Ashkenazy's recording sound like a gigantic ocean liner sinking. a great ending, and a great overall performance of a great piece
Wow! I think that is a wonderful analogy!
@@raycatellier2079 indeed, but for me me, it isn't a compliment, I'm afraid
@@davidowen9308 Why not?
@@smudger671 I guess it lack the unhinged tension and sense of desperation. An ocean liner sinks more slowly and gradually for want to a better way to describe it.
@@davidowen9308 Well performances are very subjective.
So agree with you 1000% 😊
I started with the Melodiya LP box set by Svetlanov and wore out that record, over time the sound became very distorted. Fiery performance and meant a lot to me also in my "angsty" twenties!
Later I upgraded to the Ashkenazy version on CD and recently played it following the score on You Tube.
Why oh why did not Rachmaninov continue this style?
So powerful and rugged as you say there is a great moment in the recapitulation where the soaring viola line climbs over the motto theme.
Great counterpoint not flabby or mushy at all. Can't get enough of the implacable ending!
I love the piece. Grew up with Ormandy, bought Previn while I was in college - not crazy about that one now.
The thing I appreciate and enjoy about your channel is that you obviously like music. You even seem to find something to like about things and people you say you don't like.
I've played in many orchestras, and the BIGGEST THING that makes players want to cooperate with the conductor is when they feel like the conductor genuinely likes the music. Not "thinks it's important", not "has something to say", not "is authentic about this or that". Give me the guy who wants to enjoy the music, wants the audience to enjoy the music, and WANTS THE PLAYERS to enjoy the music. After all, 90 percent of the people in orchestras are smart enough that they could have made more money and lived an easier life doing something else. They want to enjoy the music and feel good about what they are doing.
I wish more conductors loved music half as much as you do.
Thank you. As a long time orchestral musician, I know exactly what you mean.
I was so afraid you won't mention Ashkenazy! Such an amazing performance of the 1st symphony!
Glad to see Jansons made it into the final four. I have been recommending that cycle for like 20 years. I love the sonority of the orchestra for this music and Janson's flow and rhythm are just great.
Dave, I'm so thrilled you lifted up the Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 1, terribly undervalued by many music lovers. If you think the Ashkenazy is menacing, which it is, I hope you have also heard the
savage Rozhdestvensky BBC cd performance. Knowing of your love for tam tams, Rozhdestvensky's tam tams slash and explode out of the speakers. What a finale! I hope you can hear and enjoy it.
OMG! How pleased am I to have found your site and reviews! Thank you so much for the insights and education esp. on percussion. So welcome at a time when we are starved of live music. I too rate this Symphony as Rach's greatest and possibly his greatest work (after Gilels' rendition of the G Minor prelude :) )! I love the Ashkenazy but you mention that this symphony lives or dies on the coda, and for me it is just too slow. Dramatic yes, passionate definitely, but I find the great momentum and hard work of the terrifying finale is lost. I was introduced to the symphony by the live 1979 Rozdestvensky Proms performance which for years I idolised for its showy drama, but now I'm an adult I realise that his meddling and cuts are just unacceptable. Thanks again for the great posts
Thanks so much for saying what I have thought about the First Symphony! It is a dark and thrilling journey that grabs you by the throat and never lets go. The coda is mindblowing. I thought Jansons and St. Petersburg had the best coda, but I had chills when you played Slatkin on Naxos. Awesome stuff!!
Man oh man do I love this symphony. Perhaps the most underrated Russian symphony of all.
Like you, David, this is my favourite Rachmaninoff symphony,and I love the Ashkenazy performance. What an incredible coda this symphony has!
I had the pleasure of hearing this performed in 2019 by my local orchestra (Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra), who performed it for the first time ever in their 70+ year history!! It was conducted by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra former music director Alexander Mickelthwate, and they did a marvelous job. What an intense experience hearing this piece performed live!
Thank you dave! After this video if listend to the Askhenazy recording, and it is indeed amazing! It blew me away
Hear, hear for the Ashkenazy/Concertgebouw. I bought a Decca 2fer with his Rach 1-3 on it years ago specifically for Rach 2 but from day 1 it’s been the Rach 1 I come back to again and again. I really appreciate how you draw attention to where we should be hearing fine details (especially tam-tams) and Ashkenazy doesn’t disappoint.
I like Pletnev’s recording; it’s menacing and really made me fall in love with this symphony.
Zoltán Kocsis (who liked Rachmaninov's music) had a live performance with Hungarian National Philharmonic issued on BMC Records (with Dohnányi's Festival Overture and Debussy songs). I don't know this symphony well but I liked that recording.
spooky - I'm listening to that recording right now, and decided to see what Dave Hurwitz had to say about the symphony. I'm enjoying this recording a lot. I got it mainly for the Debussy but was a bit disappointed with the soprano because her tuning is off in quite a few places. I end up skipping straight to the Rachmaninov!
I think that the recording of Edo de Waart conducting they Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra is an excelente versión. Other interesting recording is the one with Kurt Sanderling and the Leningrado Philharmonic. Than You for your programa. 😊
David---Rakhmaninov's precocious sophistication, exemplary in his first "adult" Symphony (as opposed to "youth,") eluded Glazunov, along with the entire mighty handful, whom Sergei evidently scared in his abilities. I have often used Pavel Kogan's vivacious Alto recording to dissuade classical listeners who blindly (deafly?!) believed what they'd read that this symphony WAS a failure. And I'm going with my defiant spelling with the "kh" and "v." heh-heh. Keep listening and posting, so that we may keep listening. Best regards!
Great video...thank youff very much!
You are welcome!
I first heard this symphony in the recording by Ashkenazy. It is my favorite Rachmaninoff symphony, and my favorite recording of it. Thank you for recommending other ones to explore. The Naxos recording/performance sounds so very different, but so beautifully played.
Oh boy -- some nice music to sit out a hurricane by this afternoon!
Walter Weller was my first recording, and it is still my favorite! When I first bought the Ashkenazy on LP, I thought the slow movement was too fast, and the last movement coda seemed TOO slow. But that was comparing Weller to Ashkenazy. Not getting rid of it though. Svetlanov's later recording of the First seems too slow as well. After your commentary, I will give it another listen. Strangely enough, one of the slowest performances is one of my favorites. It's a sleeper - Anissimov on NAXOS. The sound is great! The performance even though slow, has great panache and playing. The coda is just devastating, a sonic spectacular, as it should be. The two Slatkin performances also remain favorites of mine. The percussion additions of various performances baffle me. You can hear them in various performances, such as Petrenko's. I think since this work was never "revised" means conductors feel that they can add anything to "enchance" the score. Pletnev was a serious disappointment to me. Mostly because of a lengthening of a certain passage in the last movement which hinders the forward movement. Litton's was not too bad, IMHO.
I agree 100% with Ashkenazy . I had these performances for so many years and had no inclination to venture elsewhere because they are so good.
your description of the youthfulness is spot on!
I finally got delivery of Svetlanov's set Saturday after a two month wait--I'm not used to paying 20 bucks per disk, or having the cd booklet completely in non-translated Japanese. Oh, but is this set worth it! Totally as you described: interpretations totally inside the music, awesome sonics, really edge of the seat playing (for both listener and performers). Way to go on another great recommendation, Dave!
Phew! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
I recently acquired the Svetlanov cycle on SACD whilst on holiday in Japan. The sonics are amazing and it's such a thrilling cycle, No.1 is almost wild, very exciting. Having such good sonics can have a downside, that being because it's not as good an orchestra as say the Concertgebouw, the intonation occasionally is a little bit off, but that doesn't matter to me.
VERY informative in every way! Thanks!
I have the Edo de Waart recordings with the Rotterdam Phil. Maybe not the most renowned, but still quite good. Over time I came to appreciate mostly the 3rd, although the 2nd was a longstanding favourite from my 17th age on... Now I really have to listen to one of those recordings you discuss here (I know the Ashkenazy recording with the Concertgebouw Orchestra.. and he also recorded the "Youth Symphony" fragment) Much appreciated.
The ending meaning the pleasure of taking vengeance. That makes sense to me.
Although I have not heard the Jansons, I have always enjoyed Svetlanov’s performance, once on Angel/Melodiya, as most passionate and colorful. (When the strings take up the second subject of the first movement’s exposition, they sound like they are weeping.) Even so, my favorite recording, which astounds me whenever I listen to it, is Sanderling’s (or Zanderling’s) with the Leningrad Philharmonic, once available in rechanneled sonics on an Everest lp, but in better sound on an older Melodiya lp.
I quite agree with you, David, about this underappreciated gem. As for "vengeance is mine", it reportedly came from _Anna Karenina,_ though as a fan theory, I'd like to propose an unspoken medieval program as an alternative concerning, skullduggery involving some czar and his rivals. (The fanfares remind me somewhat of Prokofiev's military music in his score for _Alexander Nevsky_ ) . The Concertgebouw recording with Ashkenazy at the podium is most memorable indeed.
I've only heard the early Slatkin St Louis recording, so now I'm keen to compare with the Detroit.
Couldn't agree more with your recommendations Daffe! :-)
The Ashkenazy Rach1 is a wonderful performance but what puzzled me was hearing his fairly recent live recordings with his long associated orchestra, The Philharmonia (released on the Phil's own "live" label/Signum). The speed that he takes the last few pages is nothing like the Concertgebouw recording, it's almost like he had a train to catch!
Have you heard Jacek Kapszyk's recording of Rach1 coupled with The Isle of the Dead? It's on Collins and specifically, the end of the finale is thrilling (I don't think I've ever heard a timp thwacked so hard!). Really worth a go.
I also enjoyed Noseda's recording with the BBC Phil, his cycle isn't too bad in general actually.
At least we don't need to deal with "Rakhmaninov" like Nimbus cds did 30 years back. Thanks for this video, maybe it will win new listeners. Ashkenazy on Decca is great, I wish his remake in Sydney was as good. So much unknown Rachmaninoff to explore.
I have a distinct memory of having heard the Ashkenazy and being blown away by it. Yet it's not in my CD collection. I did find Ashkenazy's 2nd in my LP collection, but remember it as a disappointment. The 1st must have been a loan from a friend.
There's a new recording by Nezet-Seguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra with the most terrific TamTam crashes you could wish to hear in the closing pages - a powerful performance all round.
I think that a video about Ashkenazy’s DECCA cubes would be a great idea!
I love SVR's first symphony partly because I was so moved to learn of the trauma he suffered at the hands of critics and a poor conductor when it was first performed. However apart from that it has much that commends it to me
I absolutely agree with you, Mr. Hurwitz! Ashkenazy's recording of this symphony is the best for me, as well! I've compared a few different renditions of the symphony and Ashkenazy's recording is much more appealing to me. His Coda is, indeed, so intense, tragically trimphant - mind blowing Coda! On a facetious note - now I know why? Because the tam ---tams! About Rachmaninov's last name spelling: His birth name is Rachmaninov - ends with Russian letter В. - English V. Not Rachmaninoff. He is not Germain. By the way, I am still puzzled why Moskva spelled in English as Moscow? It sounds like Cow of Mos... Anybody know?
David, you’ve got me questioning being satisfied with Ormandy on the 1st. I’m very content with his recordings of all 3. But I get your point about #1 needing that go for the throat approach.
I have that Ashkenazy! I was wondering if you were going to list it. 👍👍
I do think Previn and Dutoit consulted with Ormandy's score. (As Zinman very much did with the rest of the symphonies, regrettably not recording the First...)
Well, I have the Ashkenazy, so what can I say? I first heard it from Edo de Waart with (I think) Rotterdam, but Askenazy is the one I finally got. No complaints--and, yes, I think it's a very fine symphony in spite of the disservice Glazunov did to it at its premier--or so the story goes.
My favourite versions were those of Jansons (for its dynamism and 'drive') and Ashkenazy (for the orchestral textures), but I recently discovered the 1950s recording of Sanderling with the Leningrad Philharmonic (Mravinsky's orchestra!). Its theatricality, spontaneity, and sense of mystery are magnificent... And it all sounds so 'Russian'. Through this performance, you can place the work in its context of other symphonic works by the likes of Borodin, Glazunov (ahem...), and Rimsky Korsakov. I think that this performance is rare on CD, though, and I only know it through an old LP record...
My first video watch, David. I plan on viewing more.I find it interesting you focus on that last section as a lynchpin to what you consider the 4 best versions. I can now, without reservation free confess that when I watch RUclips vids of the Rachmaninoff Concerti (esp #'s 2 and 3...though I really love the original version of #4)...I first fast forward to the last 3 minutes...the BIG, emotional restating of the 2nd theme. If those 3 minutes move me, I "rewind" to the front, pour a shot of bourbon, and immerse myself in the Master's work. I accept the fact that I may have missed 32 to 39 minutes of a great performance, but....
Thanks for watching. You see, everyone has their "way in" to a piece of music, and whatever works for you is legitimate. I have to say, though, that it's not a big discovery (on my part) to suggest that if the performers blow the biggest climax in the entire piece--the moment everything has been leading to--much of what comes before hardly matters!
@@DavesClassicalGuide Sports fans can relate to the Patriots undefeated season..until their last game..a loss in the Super Bowl.....
I haven't heard the symphony, but "Vengeance is mine, I will repay" is a bible verse that is also the epigram to Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina". Your description of the chaotic climax of the piece puts me in mind of the conclusion of Anna's story.
No, that's Honegger's Pacific 231!
Question for someone. My favourite performance is in a box set of Sanderling. There are cuts but the playing is great. However, in an interview, Sanderling said it wasn't him and he never even performed it. The orchestra is Leningrad c1950/1 according to the booklet.
Anybody know about this recording and the true story?
Concerning the Vengeance issue, he indeed had an axe to grind with his former teacher Nicolai Sverev, who disapproved of his composition aspirations...
Saw "Rakhmaninov" recently, which I think is best, but I don't mind the old spelling with two FFs. Anyway, I'm going to keep using "Rachmaninov".
I've had the Svetlanov on vinyl for eons and have yet to hear anyone do the final 2 minutes as excitingly. He just about loses it and, for me, that's the way Rachmaninoff should go. I also love his performance of #3 and, of course, his Symphonic Danses. Rachmaninoff without a dose of near-hysteria in the right places just isn't Rachmaninoff.
I have it on vinyl too! love it
My 2nd hand vinyl set was given to me by my Dad from a car boot sale still have it but the distortion is bad now. Maybe I am using the wrong needle!
@@wradzin5744
I really like the Slatkin (Vox) and Ashkenazy cycles. Can I also add the Ormandy on CBS? OK the sonics are dated - but still good - the 2nd symphony isn't the complete version but I still have a high regard for it. In the UK Rach 1 became popular in the 1960s when BBC Television used the finale's fanfare as the theme music for one of their political current affairs programmes called Panorama. Ormandy of course!!
I think a few Rachmaninoff's études tableaux retain some of the gnarly 'rawness' of his first symphony (I'm thinking of op. 33 no. 8 and 39 no. 1 in particular).
You might find a performance on You Tube with the Perm orchestra and some conductor named Platonov to be interesting. Not an international ensemble by any means, but a really committed, in your face, raw sounding performance that gets to the heart of the matter--looks like a bunch of young kinds playing in some of the orchestra sections. (no glockenspiel in the first movement either...impressive!)... pretty killer ending, too
Thanks for the suggestion. It's OK--competent and, as you say, rather raw, but not especially distinguished. The opening of the finale is especially cautious.
@@DavesClassicalGuide I agree on the quality of the performance when put up against the big boys. I mentioned it because it seemed a fairly honest effort, but more importantly that it may show hope that this really great piece may be getting more exposure in the backwaters in live performances by not so hot ensembles.
@@michaelhartman8724 Well, I played it with my community orchestra, so it gets more attention that you might think, and we were the very definition of a "not so hot" ensemble, believe me. The parts were easy to get from Kalmus. So I'm sure it gets played, probably more frequently by the lower-tier groups than the big boys.
I'd love to hear the Svetlanov, but it's an elusive set, can't find it anywhere on the 'net. Oh well, at least I've got the Ashkenazy and Jansons to enjoy. Thanks for the review.
There's a few Svetlanovs on 7digital, with Bolshoi and USSR orchestras
I agree entirely that Rachmaninov's 1st is his masterpiece but was not aware Svetlanov had done a later version after the 1967 classic --perhaps the greatest thing he ever did with an ending which is one of the most terrifying things in all music. Completely draw a blank trying to find somewhere to hear it. Can anyone assist?
To date my only experience with Ashkenazy's cycle been his performance of the 2nd symphony, which I like but not in preference to others such as Temirkanov and Fischer. After hearing your excellent talk I will definitely listen to his 1st symphony. My personal reference in this work has been Ormandy, and I like Litton as well. I also have the Pletnev, which is OK. Any thoughts on that and the Maazel/BPO on DG?
Pletnev and Maazel are cold fish, plain and simple--average at best.
I appreciate your reviews and since listening to this video and the one for Rachmaninoff cycles have ordered the Jansons set. What is your opinion of Paweł Przytocki's Rachmaninoff Symphony 1 recording? Seems like a gem that many overlook.
I overlooked it too. Thanks for mentioning. I'll have to check it out.
Fascinating comments on what is also my favourite Rachmaninoff symphony. However, I must say I hear Ormandy differently. The third movement is glorious-and the Finale, after the initial fanfares, gathers impetus like a cavalry charge. And the coda? He’s obviously seeing it totally different than Ashkenazy, whose lugubrious tempo is following a radically different narrative. I prefer Ormandy’s return to A-Tempo (with the howl of the tam-tam rolling out as loud as anyone’s), before a final double thrust of defiance. Ormandy ends in a wild and tragic triumph, rather than Ashkenazy’s anguished, plodding despair . . .
The first was my absolute favourite since childhood. It really spoke to me. The other symphonies seemed a disappointment.
I run a classical music metadata project and the thing that drives me most crazy is Russian transliteration. Is it Sergei or Sergey? Rachmaninov or Rachmaninoff? And record labels don’t agree about their spellings. German labels tend to spell Tchaikovsky as Tschaikowski, with SCH, W and I. Thank God there isn’t so many Italian labels - Čajkovskij, anyone?
The double f in "Rachmaninoff" is the French spelling. The composer (remaining neutral here) probably opted for it because Russians at the time were more familiar with French than English.
Romanisation of Russian names in general is a nightmare when buying records in Europe, as every country (typically) has its own rules. I have encountered Tchaikovsky so far as Tschaikowsky, Tsjaikovski, Chaïkovski and Čajkovskij.
My copy of the Collins Encyclopedia of Music (c.1985), made a big thing about putting Tchaikovsky under C (Chaikovsky); that anomally aside it's a rather good book! It was also rather charming, when I discovered tucked in the page with an entry about Elgar, a handwritten slip of paper with someone's name and address on it (it was printed in the former Czechoslovakia)! Someone looking for an English penfriend? Much to my shame I didn't write back but it's still there in the book!
Hello. Enjoyed your video. I always compared that bell section in 1st mvt to the end of 1st mvt of symphonic dances around 11ish min in...seems like a warm major memory of an early quirky idea that is getting more gently presented in dances...almost as if he was thinking back to when things were tougher...and now having many mature celebrated works under his belt...can look back and say...I was too hard on myself...it was good . Just my funny idea...not historically based
It's a valid idea. The Sym Dances is indeed quoting the opening of the 1st Symphony (the end of the first dance), but it's also worth noting that the motive in question is yet another take of the "Dies irae" tune that features in so much of Rachmaninoff's work.
@@DavesClassicalGuide btw ashkenazy recording is stupendous. Listening now...love the closeness of it like the old george szell recordings. Can hear ashkenazy grunting like szell used too. Amazing dynamic contrast...and he doesn’t bog down like so many other recordings. Everybody is playing at the front of their seats like a great string quartet. Fantastic colors
@@DavesClassicalGuide Love the ashkenazy recording but really miss the extremely quirky macabre nature of the bells and percussion in the first movt. It just sets up this little bizarre military band section that reminds me of moments in Mahler symphonies
When will you finally tell us about the magnificent symphonies of Glazunov Mr. Hurwitz? I know you are looking forward to it.
Um, magnificent? No, sorry, If I do talk about them, I will tell the truth.
ho my god, this is scary
@@Quotenwagnerianer No, I meant I will tell truth ;)!
I agree the Ashkenazy version is drenched in idiomatic Rachmaninov sounds. But the Berlin Phil's playing under Maazel still has to be heard to be believed. The Berliners play at an awesome level of incisive and dynamic bite. You will rarely hear an orchestra combine such chutzpah with warm and sumptuous sound. Listen to the Berliners' violins - violence - after the fanfare at the start of Movement 4. They will blow you away. They are rabid - as the music demands, of course. The same ferocity drives on right up to the final bars without the slowing down indulged in by Ashkenazy. As for Svetlanov, he too has bite and ferocity, maybe even more, but it's too raucous and impersonal - like hearing some kind of air raid siren going off.
Except that the engineering of the Maazel cycle is early digital awful, and I don't hear ferocity in the final bars--merely rushing.
What is your opinion of the Rachmaninoff symphony recordings of Charles Dutoit?
Third rate.
Rachmaninov (or Rachmaninoff's) name spelling... I believe it has to do with the fact that it is French that has been the language of diplomacy and international relations in general, and the names in Russian/Soviet passports were, until recently, transliterated in a French-style system...
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcription_du_russe_en_fran%C3%A7ais
Still I have a little personal anecdote to add about Vladimir Ashkenazy when he conducted in Amsterdam with the Concertgebouw... I went to listen once, I think it was the Symphonic Dances that were on the programme, and I had a seat very next to the balustrade from which the conductor always comes down to the podium. When Ashkenazy ran down the stairs I wondered that he was much shorter than I had imagined, and at the same time his baton ran into the balustrade and a significant part of his baton broke of, the tip landing before my feet. I don't know whether he even noticed, because he conducted marvelously even with a shortened baton...
Very funny! Yes, he is a short little guy.
@@DavesClassicalGuide short, but great!!!
The Rach 1st, along with his early, pre-piano concert 2 works, tends to have a "rawer" sound which I find much more interesting than his later works, with exceptions. The only symphony of his that approaches the 1st is his last, the Symphonic Dances.
In general, I think this is a good point.
David, I'm curious to know how you liked (or will like) YNS/Philadelphia/DG recording.
I can't say in advance if I would like anything. That is an outrageous notion. One must listen, listen, listen--and that is all. I haven't heard it yet.
Thank you, David!
I absolutely agree with you about Ashkenazy!
What do you think about Petrenko with RLPO and Jurowski with LPO?
Greetings from Russia!
Not as good as Ashkenazy in this work, but they are both excellent conductors and I enjoy their performances.
I have long since resigned myself to spelling his name Rachmaninoff and have not looked back.
For me, the 3rd is the best, although I find the last movement weak, and particularly the ending. Same thing with the 2nd Symphony.
But I have heard #1 in concert locally, in a rare appearance of the work. Most people (and orchestra marketing departments) annoyingly still seem to fawn over #2.
I love both 3 and and 1 (perhaps both more than 2, though it is definitely a wonderful composition), but I definitely disagree that the ending of 2 is weak. It is perhaps not very original in emotional arc (you could call it late romantic Russian cheese), but it's brilliantly triumphant and affecting in my opinion.
@@vaclavmiller8032 Considering the length of the work and the emotional ground it covers, I find the end of the 2nd rather tepid.
What a wonderful symphony. Interesting choices: I would totally agree with Svetlanov (and his earlier recordings of it), and with Slatkin (ditto), but besides these - and Ormandy (on whom I think you're a bit hard here) - I find Jansons and Ashkenazy have little musical to say, despite good sound: there's no real character or insights from either of them here (or, frankly, in a lot else). Another one I like very much is Sanderling's early Leningrad recording.
Ashkenazy oozes "character and insight." Listen again, especially to the finale.
Good day Mr. Hurwitz
I know that you referring to CD pressings in your videos, but…
Just wonder if you are familiar with EMI / Melodiya SLS 847 UK STEREO MELODIYA-RACHMANINOV SYMPHONIES 5 LP’S box set. If yes, do you have any thoughts about the record quality of it please. Not sure about exact time of performance and orchestra's, but the conductors are those you mentioned, I believe.
This 5 LP’s box set was recorded in USSR of course, but pressed by EMI in UK back in the 70's when they got some colobaration.
More detailed information you can find up here, if you dont mind of course
www.discogs.com/sell/item/305539240
Many thanks, Sergei
I can guess and who does what but I don't own that particular box and so I can't give any definitive opinion. Sorry.
Many thanks for your reply Mr. Hurwitz. I understand and no worries about that, however, if you dont mind, what do you think about set contents, such as music compositions, conductors and orchestra's, does it give you any positieve impression?
What tam-tam does Berlin Phil use? To my ears it's ALWAYS too reserved. It's a TAM-TAM for GAWD'S sake, not an antique cymbal.
Yes, it always was a problem when Karajan was in charge (except in the Prokofiev 5th), but like most major orchestras they probably own many such--it's the conductor's fault we never hear them.
Cheers Mr H. Yeah when Rachmaninoff did gloomy, he did it rather well (Stravinsky description of him as ' a six and a half foot scowl ' is rather apt). I also think Ashkenazy is exceptional here ( I also like him in the Third and the Youth Symphony too). Can I say I've never understood what the attraction is for some with the Maazel (actually the whole cycle) it seems matter of fact and poorly recorded as well.
I'm afraid I've never much liked that Jansons box. There is something grey and unsatisfying about the sound.
To you...
@@DavesClassicalGuide Obviously!
Ashkenazy hands down!
Vladimir Jurowski/LPO is my second choice, my first choice ...off course go the Ashkenazy the great!
Ashkenazy’s 1st has been one of my favourite ever recordings of anything ever since I first heard it as an 18 year old. It was great angsty teen music. But I was reading a recent Gramophone review of the new Nezet-Seguin recording, where the reviewer was waxing lyrical about it. The reviewer did not mention the Ashkenazy at all, and was seeming to suggest there was no decent recording done since the Ormandy. Bizarre and sloppy. As for the Nezet-Seguin, it was ok, it had great clarity, but it lacked the oomph and passion of the Ashkenazy. As you say, that recording probably spoils it for everyone else.
I haven't heard it yet, but plan to review it when I get it.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Understandable! I have only just discovered your channel and I am marvelling at your rate of video production. They are, honestly, a revelation to me.
@@mrmrosullivan Thank you. I guess it's been building up for years.
It really is a pity that Glazunov, who I greatly respect as a composer, was blotto when he conducted the premiere, ruining the work’s reputation for years along with the composer’s psyche. The work is actually not a personal favorite, but I think Ashkenazy truly “got” it and mastered it well.
Previn's LSO version has a suitably barbaric ending, but the recording is a bit muddy.
I agree that the last two minutes seem to define the whole work, but frankly Ashkenazy takes it far too slowly, in spite of the fabulous tam tam. I prefer, like you, a slower approach to the ending, but this goes beyond slow. Also, let's not forget those menacing tympani strokes, which add to the terror.
I didn't find it too slow at all. I think it's thrilling.
Also, for the fun, Ashkenazy himself considers this symphony the weakest of the three and the second a masterpiece.
Sure. That's why he does the First so well. He had to work harder.