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YNS/Philadelphia Orch/DG Rach First + Symphonic Dance (off topic)

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John Kim:
DH gives 7/8 (performance/sound) rating to YNS/Philadelphia Orchestra/DG Rachmaninov First + Symphonic Dances.

I beg to differ and would give it a hearty 10/9.

Sure enough, YNS's reading may not be as passionate and grueling as Ashkenazy or Svetlanov. But he brings the First Symphony into a cohesive whole like no other conductor did, so brilliantly that the music sounds utterly unified and refreshing, and that is not a small feat for any conductor.

John

erikwilson7:
I'll take your word for it. Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with the First Symphony or the Symphonic Dances. I do like Symphonies 2 and 3 a lot, however. I saw Edo de Waart conduct Rach's Symphony No. 2 in Milwaukee early last year and it was wonderful.

I have heard that the Ashkenazy is the reference recording for Symphony No. 1.

John Kim:
Erik,

Rachmaninov's First symphony is a great piece of music IMO on par with the Second and certainly the Third. It's been vastly misunderstood and underappreciated, however. Its premiere (conducted by Glazunov) was a disaster and Rachmaninov, frustrated and depressed, couldn't write another score for the next three years. The version we know and hear now was reconstructed circa 1945(?) not by the composer but buy a music scholar. Had Rach revisited and improved it, it would have become a masterpiece. Still, as it is it packs plenty of musical ingenuity and inspirations.

Yes, the Ashkenazy has been rightly praised for its precision as well as fire and grueling quality, but YNS succeeds in totally different aspects - cogency and idiomacy.

John

John Kim:
For a Mahlerian like me, of the three Rach symphonies this one comes closest to my heart.

John Kim:
I saw Barry also gave a rave review of the disc on amazon!  8)

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