[.ca] Sym 3/Symphonic Dances

Note from OANegrin:
Note to fellow saxophonists: Gary Louie is the alto saxophonist performing the solo in the first movement of this recording of Rachmaninoff's "Symphonic Dances". OANegrin

A solid interpretation, but not a first choice.:
David Zinman delivers a reliable, at times inspired account of the 3rd Symphony. The start of the 3rd is slack but progressively gets better, the orchestral contrasts and drama becoming more profound. The exposition repeat is in the first movement, though the movement is still a bit shorter than other recordings with the exposition repeat. The Telarc engineers manage a vivid recording, though the sound level indicates distant microphone placement, a recurring problem with their Zinman/Baltimore SO recordings. The Symphonic Dances are full of color and energy. Overall, the Dances are the more consistently inspired of the two works on this disc. The only real problem with this disc is that at full-price it really is uncompetitive within the field of superior recordings available at lower prices. For example, the Ashkenazy/Concertgebouw or Mackerras/Royal Liverpool PO recordings offer these two pieces at more competitive pricing. And if you only want the 3rd Symphony, then the competitive position of this disc only falls further against such masterful recordings as Ormandy/Philadelphia Orch., Stokowski/National Phil. Orch.. This recording is worthy of respect, though. If Telarc ever re-issues this disc at mid-price--as they are starting to do with other recordings--then these two pieces should receive stronger consideration from collectors. For now the disc is a good issue, but not a first choice.

• I. Lento - Allegro Moderato
• II. Adagio Ma Non Troppo
• III. Allegro - Allegro Vivace
• I. Non Allegro
• II. Andante Con Moto (Tempo Di Valse)
• III. Lento Assai - Allegro Vivace