Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 3 & Symphonic Dances

Presentación del Álbum

Prior to the appointment of Pavel Kogan as music director in 1990, the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra focused heavily on works within the Russian literature. Kogan brought along with him a much broader repertoire along with a completely new sound aesthetic for the orchestra. While different is not necessarily bad, under Kogan the orchestra has certainly lost some of its quintessential Russian characteristics in favor of a more uniform sound of a European or American orchestra. As a result, this recording of Rachmaninov's Third Symphonies highlights the very aspects of the composition for which Rachmaninov was criticized: its sometimes overly sentimental, romantic nature. Some listeners may appreciate a bit more aggressiveness in the execution of this symphony. The same can be said of the MSSO's performance of the Symphonic Dances, which gained a great deal of admiration during Rachmaninov's lifetime. Here again, though, the interpretation is quite hazy and almost impressionistic. The orchestra's technical abilities are quite strong. Balance is sometimes an issue, particularly with the over zealous playing in the brass section, which sometimes overshadows the rest of the orchestra. Overall, this is a solid performance that is likely to please so long as listeners are aware of what their own interpretive preferences are when it comes to these two compositions.
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