Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 3 Caprice Bohémien, Vocalise
Price: £ 12
Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
Caprice bohémien (Capriccio on Gypsy Themes), for orchestra in E minor/E major, Op. 12
Vocalise Op 34 . No 14
Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 44
I Lento - Allegro moderato
II Adagio ma non troppo - Allegro vivace
III Allegro - Allegro vivace
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Vasily Petrenko conductor
'The RLPO play magnificently, responding to Petrenko's purposeful beat and to the sort of judgement in terms of melodic shaping that also makes the orchestral arrangement of the Vocalise sound so pure and unfettered in its allure... There is surging energy [in the Symphony No. 3] allied to lucidity of orchestration and rhythmic impetus, together with that infallible sense of instrumental timbre that Rachmaninov possessed.'
Geoffrey Norris, Gramophone Magazine December 2011
'[An] engrossing account of the Third Symphony... The RLPO strings sound leaner, perhaps, than those of Stokowski's Philadelphia Orchestra, which inspired the composer, but they have never seemed more sumptuous than in the long melodies of the central adagio, and their brilliant articulation of virtuoso allegro passages at Petrenko's fast tempi brings exhilarating dividends. In this magnificently played account, the stature of the music is never in doubt.'
Hugh Canning, Sunday Times CD of the Week 15 January 2012
'A beautifully balanced performance, exquisitely recorded... Perhaps the most impressive feature of this new recording is the quicksilver dynamic fluidity of the orchestra - they are able to move from the boldest of fortissimos to the most tender of pianissimos in a heartbeat. There is an overwhelming sense that the musicians are moving as one with the same telepathic unity of a murmuration of starlings. It is mesmerising... superb and essential listening.'
James McCarthy, Classic FM Magazine, February 2012
'In the Third Symphony, which finds Rachmaninov wistfully recalling the Russia he left after the October Revolution, Petrenko and the RLPO also identify the zest, the orchestral lucidity and the rhythmic thrust that marked the composer’s later years. An exhilarating performance. The Caprice bohémien and the Vocalise, at opposite poles in expressive intent, are handled with equal, compelling adroitness.'
The Telegraph, 5*
'The Liverpool approach to Rachmaninov – and, indeed, to other music – is characterised by agile and intelligent woodwind playing, a brass section that plays with bite and presence, strings that have polish and satisfying weight. and a crisp percussion section. All that’s in evidence here.'
Music Web International
'The RLPO’s string tone is fabulously lush but the playing is refined without ever a hint of blowziness in the “big” tunes, with both pellucid textures and dramatic energy throughout: I’ve never heard the opening of the finale or its reprise at the very end played with such manic velocity'
Limelight Magazine
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