These live Svetlanov performances showcase the conductor’s considerable prowess in Rachmaninov. The Symphonic Dances are alive with vibrant color, sharp-edged rhythms, and dramatic thrust. Listen to how the USSR strings dig into the chords at the start of the Non allegro, or how they swoon in the finale’s central interlude. The brass plays with the obligatory Russian swagger in the valse movement (and everywhere else for that matter), while woodwind and percussion snap and sparkle in the finale’s closing festivities. Overall this is a lighter and more fluid rendition than Svetlanov’s 1995 remake, which boasts far superior audiophile sound but slower tempos and heavier, more emphatic phrasing in the last two movements.
The Aleko excerpts are a welcome rarity, especially as they contain the delightfully seductive Women’s Dance and the dreamy, hauntingly beautiful Intermezzo. Svetlanov turns pianist for the Six Choruses for Female Voices and Piano, where Rachmaninov’s early yet highly accomplished choral technique (demonstrated in his excellent Vespers) is put to good use in these touching, richly atmospheric pieces. “The Waves are Dreaming” probably is the most unforgettable, but each one is a gem. The recorded sound (digital for the Dances and Aleko) is typical of Melodiya productions with their limited dynamic range, but this new remastering makes them eminently listenable and thoroughly enjoyable.
