The classical album “
Rachmaninov: Symphony No 3, Vocalise
& The Isle of the Dead”, in which the romantic composer’s works are performed
by the ensemble Sinfonia of London, is one of 2022’s clearly remarkable
classical recordings and productions.
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The album, which was released a few months ago, was
conducted by British maestro John Wilson and released by Chandos Records, a label
that specializes in the classical genre.
If the “Vocalise” is one of the most commonly performed pieces
composed by the Russian American master — and arguably one of the most
beautiful — his Symphony No 3 and The Isle of the Dead are less known, though
no less captivating.
I must confess that I started listening to the album with a
strong favorable bias. I have a weakness for Rachmaninov (1873-1943), who is
for me a perfect bridge between the old
classical world from centuries past and
the modern school of the second half of the twentieth century. The former era,
starting with the venerable JS Bach, always comforts and pleases me, whereas I
still have difficulty bonding with the figures of the latter: Igor Stravinsky, Benjamin
Britten, and Dmitri Shostakovich, to name a few.
His harmonies are daring, inventive, complex, but not excessively — they largely remain accessible, even to those whose ears are not particularly familiar with classical music. Emotion is always present.
Exquisite clarity, emotive flair
Rachmaninov is rightly considered the last of the romantic classical
composers. His melodies are elegant. His harmonies are daring, inventive, complex,
but not excessively — they largely remain accessible, even to those whose ears
are not particularly familiar with
classical music. Emotion is always present. The
same is true of the technical difficulty of his works: challenging, new,
impressive, sometimes intricate, but still clear enough and easy to follow, to
appreciate, and of course, to like.
Some of his most compelling melodic lines have even been used
by
pop musicians to create best-selling, chart-topping songs. One remarkable
example is "All by Myself", recorded by Eric Carmen in 1975. The
verse was based on the second movement of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No 2 in
C Minor, which dates back to the early twentieth century.
The five tracks on the
new album come to confirm and to beautifully
illustrate all the above traits. They are built on exquisite melodies that are
typical of Rachmaninov’s style. You can recognize it as surely as easily as you
would recognize a waltz by Frédéric Chopin or Johann Strauss, or an opera aria
by Giuseppe Verdi.
Romantic journeys on strings and themes
“The Isle of the Dead” opens the album, the “Vocalise” comes
as the second track, and the last three tracks constitute the three movements
of Symphony No 3. They all feature the melancholic, warm, intensely and
genuinely romantic imprint of the Russian-born American master.
The strings, in particular, are superbly arranged:
slow, deep, mesmerizing, with a sound that recalls the romanticism of Rachmaninov’s predecessors,
and at the same time introduces tropes of more modern composers. The minor keys
largely dominate the entire recording of the album, accentuating the dramatic
themes.
The strings, in particular, are superbly arranged: slow, deep, mesmerizing, with a sound that recalls the romanticism of Rachmaninov’s predecessors
Judging by the airplay count on Spotify, the Vocalise is still
a favorite piece among classical
music lovers and fans of “Rach”, as the
composer is sometime affectionately called. The Isle of the Dead comes second
in terms of listens, and Symphony No 3 last. The sonic scope of the former is
that of a fantastic journey, one that leaves ample room for imagination on the
listener’s side.
One of the best comments about the album found on the web was
published last December in the Financial Times: “Wilson clearly has a flair for
glitzy orchestral scores from the 20th century. Hearing this all-Rachmaninov
disc shows how well the sort of expertise required for film soundtracks also
pays dividends... The Sinfonia of London’s playing is high-quality and Chandos’
recording, full, rich, atmospheric, is top of the class.”
Indeed, not only do the selected pieces by Rachmaninov constitute
an
excellent choice by the producers; the conducting and recording also result
in a sound that is truly superlative. Needless to say, to fully appreciate such
music, one should use high-definition sound equipment, speakers, or headphones.
Poor quality, tinny speakers, or simple earphones just will not do — an
essential part of the superb sounds would surely be lost.
Jean-Claude Elias is a computer engineer and a classically trained pianist and guitarist. He has been regularly writing IT articles, reviewing music albums, and covering concerts for more than 30 years.
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