Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 3; Vocalise; The Isle of the Dead

by John Wilson, Sinfonia of London

Overview

The Sinfonia of London comprises musicians from various London orchestras, but there is little here to suggest that they are anything other than an established orchestra with a long history of playing Rachmaninov. Credit goes to conductor John Wilson, who delivers really well-crafted readings of some rather difficult Rachmaninov works. The highlight is right up front; Wilson's The Isle of the Dead, Op. 29, is riveting, holding to the momentum generated by Rachmaninov's 5/8 opening as the threatening clouds explode into really dark climaxes. The orchestral version of the Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14, serves as an intermezzo here, but that doesn't mean that the conductor and orchestra get to relax; this piece is as difficult to sustain as is the original version for soprano. Wilson's reading of the Symphony No. 3, Op. 44, is also very strong; he finds the thread running through the rampant mood shifts of the finale, and the Adagio is rich, with a magical interaction among the solo instruments at the beginning. This is riveting Rachmaninov from start to finish, and it landed on classical best-seller lists in the fall of 2022. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	10/28/2022
Label:	Chandos
UPC:	0095115529720
Rank:	10700

Tracks

1. Vocalise, transcription for orchestra, Op. 34/14
2. The Isle of the Dead, symphonic poem, Op. 29
3. Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 44

Album Credits

Performance Credits

John Wilson   Primary Artist,Conductor
Sinfonia of London   Primary Artist,Orchestra

Technical Credits

Brian Pidgeon   Recording Producer
Bernd Mueller   Liner Note Translation
Finn S. Gundersen   Booklet Editor
Ralph Couzens   Engineer
Marianne Fernee   Liner Note Translation
Chris Christodoulou   Photography
Sue Shortridge   A&R
David Fanning   Liner Notes
Cass Cassidy   Design,Typesetting
Robert Sterl   Portraits
Charlie Lovell-Jones   Leader
Alexander James   Assistant Engineer
Sergey Rachmaninov   Composer
Wassily Kandinsky   Cover Art
Jonathan Cooper   Editing
Simone Canetty-Clarke   Photography