Search - Otaka/Bbcwso :: Rakhmaninov:Sym. 1

Rachmaninoff Rarities

Robert E. Nylund | Ft. Wayne, Indiana United States | 03/28/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Rachmaninoff's first symphony was a failure when it was premiered and the reaction of critics and the audience reportedly led to the composer's emotional breakdown. He was subsequently treated by the early psychiatrist Dr. Dahl and encouraged, by hypnotic therapy, to resume his composing. The result of that treatment was the second piano concerto, which was warmly received and ultimately became one of the composer's most popular and admired works.



Rachmaninoff destroyed the manuscript of the first symphony and made it clear he never wanted to hear the music again. However, the orchestral parts survived and were discovered in 1945. The work was performed again and this time warmly received. Music that had seemed shocking 50 years earlier was now admired by critics, musicians, and audiences. Nevertheless, the symphony has seldom been performed or recorded. One of the first recordings was by Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra for Columbia Records. Here is a modern performance that has all the beauty and intensity of the Ormandy recording plus some absolutely brilliant playing by the BBC Welsh Orchestra.



The symphony is typical of the more moody works of Rachmaninoff with a great deal of variety in its melodies, rhythms, harmonies, and orchestration. It deserves to be performed more often. However, it has been eclipsed by the much more popular second symphony and, to a lesser extent, the late third symphony (premiered in 1936 and even recorded by the composer with the Philadelphia Orchestra for RCA Victor). Anyone who really loves the music of Rachmaninoff will enjoy the incredible emotional range of this symphony, from darkly somber moments to sheer triumphs. As was often the case in Rachmaninoff's music, he utilized the intense ancient melody "Dies Irae," especially in the final moments.



The companion pieces on this CD are orchestrations of four etude-tableaux for piano by Rachmaninoff. The Italian composer Ottorino Respighi was asked to make these arrangements of some very popular piano pieces. Although Rachmaninoff had little to say about the finished orchestrations, they are clearly much in the vein of the actual orchestral works the Russian composer wrote. They are a welcome addition to Rachmaninoff's orchestrated compositions and, once again, offer a variety of musical languages. The BBC orchestra performs them with great ability and sensitivity. Rachmaninoff's vision of the famous Red Riding Hood story, complete with a roaring wolf, is a particular delight."