Search - Rachmaninoff, Janacek, Gardiner :: Symphonic Dances / Taras Bulba

Interesting, a bit quirky, a different read, but it generall

Stephen J. Snyder | Lancaster, Texas United States | 01/04/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"John Eliot Gardiner steps well outside of his typical Classical and early Romantic period instruments role with this CD on serious works by a pair of late Romantic/transitioning to early Modern composers.



This review is about the Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances.



Gardiner takes, in general, a bit slower read of all three movements than I've heard elsewhere. He also is a lot more flexible with the tempo than I've heard elsewhere, especially in the first and third movements. (I have owned more than one version of this on tape or CD in the past; currently, my best recording is Vladimir Ashkenazy.)



Also, more than I've heard on other recordings, and definitely more than with the Ashkenazy, two other things should be noted.



The first is the instrument separation. If you've heard any of Pierre Boulez's Mahler recordings, this is somewhat in that general area.



The second is a strong emphasis on the piano and the lower strings, again, as with the tempo variations, most pronounced in the first and third movements.



That, by itself, would work great, and would underscore well the "dances" of the piece's title. But, the degree of rubato, the heavy romanticism that Gardiner displays with that rubato, somewhat offset the driving beat of the piano and lower strings.



Nonetheless, it's a very good interpretation, but falls just short of great. I'd like to hear the beat and rhythm with the tempo about 4-6 beats faster in the outer movements and about half the rubato; that would have been a five-star work in my book."