I didn’t look forward to reviewing this. There are a hundred-plus
recordings
of this symphony, and although a newcomer can still make a mark, I
didn’t
expect a live reading by the Melbourne Symphony to do so. My mistake.
This is a rich, plummy, romantic reading in which conductor Tadaaki Otaka
-
who recorded all three symphonies for Nimbus
- has nearly all the sense of Rachmaninov’s drama and sweep. The
Melbourne
Symphony play their hearts out, and whatever qualms one could have are
minimal.
The first movement is most skilfully shaped, and at just under 20 minutes
(no
repeat) very well paced, with an ominous introduction, lush themes and
strong
woodwinds. The adagio builds to a climax as lovely as any. The finale
worried
me more than the rest because of the track time (15:48! Compare to
Previn/LSO’s
14:16), but it turned out to include a minute of applause. The final coda,
I
have to say, is a total winner: awe-inspiringly powerful, and a totally
rousing
finish; the clapping is deserved. The Melbourne Symphony is clearly a very
fine
orchestra: the brass has a burnished, regal sound which does them well in
the
finale, the violas and cellos acquit themselves very well in the adagio,
and
the wind soloists handle their roles well, with an especially piquant
oboe.
Regrets? There are a few: the first movement’s climaxes don’t
have
the grand orchestral riches of recordings with the LSO (Previn or
Rozhdestvensky)
or Philadelphia Orchestra (Ormandy), the fugal section in the scherzo
could
have used a little more frenzy, especially in its conclusion and the
humdrum
return to the main theme, and the adagio does drag a little bit near the
end,
although the final fade-out is played by the strings with exquisite
softness.
The live acoustic treats everyone well but the first violins sometimes
seem
a little detached, like they’re way off to the left; otherwise
there’s
a dryish but full sound and no audience noise worth noting until the final
applause.
Occasionally there are pages turning very quietly or a cough, but
that’s
it. The only technical lapse I heard anywhere was in the trumpet line at
8:53
in the scherzo, a good record for such a long, complex piece.
My three favorite Rach 2s are still Rozhdestvensky/LSO, Previn/LSO,
and Ormandy (the uncut reading from the 1970s; sadly not reviewed
here although the first very cut version is). This can’t touch those for electric
fervour, maybe, but it competes very well with the recent readings
by Slatkin/Detroit and Lan Shui/Singapore. Slatkin’s live album benefits
from livelier paces everywhere and weightier brass (plus a Vocalise
bonus). There’s energy and passion here, in a reading
at nearly the highest level which must have made a marvellous
concert. It still sounds excellent at home, too. In the words
of Monty Python’s Bruces: Australia, Australia, Australia,
Australia, we love you, amen!
Brian Reinhart
see also review by Ralph
Moore
Masterwork Index: Rachmaninov's 2nd Symphony
Melbourne Symphony/Tadaaki Otaka
