Search - Sergey Rachmaninov, David Zinman, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra :: Sergei Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 3, Op. 44/Symphonic Dances, Op. 45

A solid interpretation, but not a first choice.

02/09/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"David Zinman delivers a reliable, at times inspired account of the 3rd Symphony. The start of the 3rd is slack but progressively gets better, the orchestral contrasts and drama becoming more profound. The exposition repeat is in the first movement, though the movement is still a bit shorter than other recordings with the exposition repeat. The Telarc engineers manage a vivid recording, though the sound level indicates distant microphone placement, a recurring problem with their Zinman/Baltimore SO recordings.The Symphonic Dances are full of color and energy. Overall, the Dances are the more consistently inspired of the two works on this disc.The only real problem with this disc is that at full-price it really is uncompetitive within the field of superior recordings available at lower prices. For example, the Ashkenazy/Concertgebouw or Mackerras/Royal Liverpool PO recordings offer these two pieces at more competitive pricing. And if you only want the 3rd Symphony, then the competitive position of this disc only falls further against such masterful recordings as Ormandy/Philadelphia Orch., Stokowski/National Phil. Orch..This recording is worthy of respect, though. If Telarc ever re-issues this disc at mid-price--as they are starting to do with other recordings--then these two pieces should receive stronger consideration from collectors. For now the disc is a good issue, but not a first choice."

Rachmaninoff Trifecta

Beverly A. Crandall | california | 02/23/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is wonderfully vigorous and vital music, remarkable in the light that it is Rachmaninoff's last composition. To give yourself a treat (yes, I know we're in a recession; you could do it in stages), get these three performances:

1--The lusty two-piano CD version with Martha Argerich and Alexandre Rabinovitch, an explosion of son et lumiere. You'll get the bonus of Suites Opus 5 and 17 in addition to the Symphonic Dances.

2--The Baltimore Symphony CD with David Zinman conducting; Symphony No. 3 is offered as well.

3--Now try a DVD featuring not only the Symphonic Dances but also The Bells and Symphony No. 2. The conductor is Semyon Bychkov, who was born in Leningrad and shares insights into Rachmaninoff's tragic departure from Russia with his family, his need to provide for them by playing a demanding schedule of concerts as a soloist in America, and his unrequited yearning for the Russia of his youth. This DVD is a treasure, and for fun I Googled orchestra instruments to brush up on some of the wind and percussion instruments I had forgotten about.

The real joy is to contrast the two-piano and orchestral versions. Mr. Rachmaninoff, always highly critical of his own work, found the Symphonic Dances more than acceptable. They are superlative!

Beverly Crandall"