Search - Sergey Rachmaninov, Neeme Järvi, Philharmonia Orchestra of London :: Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances; Dances from Aleko; Capriccio bohémien

Has the finest Capriccio Bohemien that's out there

Eric S. Kim | Southern California | 01/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Symphonic Dances is a great piece, but the one that catches my attention everytime is the Capriccio Bohemien. I have never heard a more cheerful and dreary rendition. Jarvi's handling of this capriccio is heavily moving and quite sensational. And the tambourine obviously gives this piece the perfect bohemien feel. I give this CD an A+++"

A very exciting performance, with amazing sound quality.

meltbanana | 08/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Neeme Jarvi performance is one of the most well-balanced recordings I have heard. In general, I think his work with the Chandos label has resulted in some of the best CD's out there. His dynamic and ferocious conducting coupled with the sonic superiority of the recording makes this performance of Symphonic Dances the most intense experience on a good stereo.



I'll use the Ashkenazy as a benchmark performance as a basis of comparison, since it is quite popular and i am personally very fond of it. The Ashkenazy performance has a more close-up sound, much brighter, with far less resonance than the Jarvi. With Ashkenazy, the performance feels (and is) much quicker, but does not sacrifice expressiveness. Many of the passages seem much more routine and straightforward compared to the Jarvi, allowing the music to speak for itself. Just listen to the finale. Whereas Ashkenazy goes right through it in a brisk, consistent tempo, Jarvi pushes with so much momentum, feeling on the verge of collapse, only to be held back for a few soft measures and coming back in full force with the final five blows culminating in one of the creepiest gong crashes which reverberates for over 20 seconds.



I really like this recording and it is right up there with Ashkenazy's."