Search - Sergey Rachmaninov, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Adrian Boult :: Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 8; Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 3

Two intriguing performances

Mr. Ian A. Macfarlane | Fife, Scotland | 09/28/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Fabio Costa , in his review, characterises the tempi as 'fast and dry'. In the case of the Vaugham Williams, he's simply wrong. These tempi are exactly to the composer's metronome and middle-of-the-road. The Symphony, which is somewhat experimental and not easy to bring off, sounds well and is presented more convincingly than is often the case. As for the Rachmaninov, I've known this recording since it came out in the late 1950s (on RCA) and I am really fond of it. It is so easy to wallow in Rachmaninov, but here there is a strong sense of structure and the music seems better than it usually does, especially the relatively weak last movement. The big tunes are fine - not opulent, not luxuriant but nicely phrased and well controlled - and the big climaxes really work. This is a brisk, no-nonsense approach which serves the music well. It is true that the LPO in those days could sound a little ragged, and they do in the Scherzo of the VW and once or twice in Rach., but this is nothing compared to the musicality and strength of both performances. The recordings are old, but both are genuine stereo and sound pretty well. It's a good CD."