Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 1 & Symphonic Dances/The Philadelphia Orchestra/Yannick Nézet-Séguin/DG—Dolby Atmos

Picking and choosing new releases on Apple Music is really fun since it has gone all HiRes, and, for the same price as its standard MP3 files. And, when using Apple headphones, some tracks are available with its additional computational wizardry, 'Spatial Audio’. But, if listening on devices or systems other than Apple headphones, what you’re getting with this new DG Philly release is Dolby Atmos. This is the format I chose to complete the review. So, full Dolby Atmos on my SONOS Arc/Surrounds/SUB lifestyle system. Meaning two upward firing drivers, nine standard tweeters and woofers, two Surrounds and a SUB in CD quality sound.

This a 2021 DG release featuring one of their primary artists, Montrealer Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting his Philadelphia Orchestra in music by Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943).

Rachmaninoff and Philly go back a long way. In fact, Rachmaninoff began recording with them almost 100 years ago, at the dawn of 78 RPM records’ ‘electrical era’.

Here we have the first in Nézet-Séguin’s second Rach series for DG. The first, the Piano Concertos with Daniil Trifonov. They were uniformly brilliant, with the 4th Concerto matching the famous recording by Michaelangeli. This new series includes the 3 Symphonies, Symphonic Dances, Isle of the Dead (my favourite Rach work) and The Bells.

The composer’s Symphony No. 1 in D minor, Op. 13 and his Symphonic Dances is the opening pairing and both works receive absolutely knockout performances and recording.

It’s a well know story how the 1897 first performance of the 24 year old’s First Symphony was nobbled by the drunk conductor—it was a disaster. This, not surprisingly, put Rachmaninoff into a serious funk. Never the happiest of people (Stravinsky called him a ‘six and half foot scowl’), it took young Sergei some time to recover. In fact, he never heard his wonderful symphony during the rest of his life.

Yes, the symphony is a little melodramatic at times, and borrows much from standard Russian orchestration and style, but it also has moments of absolute genius with musical nods to Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakoff and Tchaikovsky. The more you listen, the more it’ll burrow into your unconscious. Many musicians feel it is superior to his famous 2nd Symphony. I’ve played both, and while the 2nd is very slick and full of spectacular melodies, the 1st has an honesty and youthful exuberance, is full of Rachmaninoff’s tell tale rich orchestrations and is also no slouch with the melodies. It’s a winning combination. And, with the magic of hindsight, is now rightly considered an ingenue masterpiece.

The Symphonic Dances, Op. 45 is a completely different proposition. It was written in 1945 and is the composer’s final major composition. It is very popular with musicians and audiences who lap up the brilliant orchestrations, the wide dynamics and power of the three movement work. Once again, the Philly connection is strong. It was first performed by the orchestra under its Music Director, Eugene Ormandy in 1941.

Here, both the Symphony No. 1 and Symphonic Dances receive outstanding performances—among the best, if not the best on record. And a recording to match. It’s not listed anywhere I could see, but the conductor told me the recordings stem from live shows in the orchestra’s home Kimmel Center, specifically, Verizon Hall.

DG engineers manage a beautifully warm and inviting sound with great detail. The bass drum, so important and emphatic in Rachmaninoff’s orchestrations, is prevalent, deep and very impressive. In fact, the sound on this recording matches or exceeds Prof. Keith Johnson’s famous Reference Recordings of the Symphonic Dances with the Minnesota Orchestra. And while the Minnesota Orchestra and conductor Eiji Oue give a fine performance, they can’t match the super fine playing of the Philadelphia with their conductor’s superior and very musical interpretation. As an example, listen to opening of the third dance with the sighing motifs in the woodwinds. The Minnesota team delivers; very lovely, but YNS and Philly make this a very musical moment with fabulous playing from the Philadelphia woodwinds. Just one of many magical moments in both the Symphonic Dances and Symphony No. 1.

Other very fine recordings of the symphony, once considered the top choices, are now superseded by this new DG, including the famous Ashkenazy/Concertgebouw/Decca. In every department, Nézet-Séguin guides his forces with a firm hand, emphasizing the beautiful harmonies (Rachmaninoff’s rhythmic viola/cello/bass pizzicatos never sounded so rich and emphatic) and building climaxes underpinning the glorious sound of the orchestra. He also makes clear the thematic connections between the symphony’s movements that seem so obvious but are not always clear in performances. So, the finale’s opening, a variation on the first movement’s ominous opening woodwind triplet, is played to devastating effect. Powerful and perfectly balanced.

I remember playing the First Symphony for the first time in London many years ago having never heard it before—the same for many of the players of the Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra of London (a hundred plus players from the four London music colleges)—being completely overwhelmed by the inspiration and incision of the opening of the last movement. The thunderous trumpets and full orchestra accompanying is one of the great moments of this symphony. And if you’ve not heard the symphony before, you’re in for a treat. As you are with the entire performance.

The concerto recordings from the previous series portended great things for this new cycle. And the new series has started with a bang. Very highly recommended.

SERGEI RACHMANINOFF

Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Symphony No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 13
Symphonic Dances, Op. 45

Yannick Nézet-Séguin
The Philadelphia Orchestra

January 29, 2021