Rachmaninov Symphony No. 2; The Isle of the Dead; Vocalise Sinfonia of London/John Wilson Chandos CHSA 5297 (CD/SACD) 67:14 mins
Here are precisely the three works that Rachmaninov-the-conductor committed to disc. Inevitably one is tempted to make comparisons – but an album should stand on its own terms.
The new recording starts well with the moodily atmospheric Isle of the Dead, and the Vocalise taken fairly swiftly, though John Wilson adds an artful ebb and flow to the tempo. Yet, despite the orchestra’s admirable ensemble and immaculate playing, hearing these beautifully recorded performances left me unmoved. The reason why became clear with the Symphony.
Some wag once said the trouble with Rachmaninov’s symphonies is that you’re always half-expecting a piano to start up. While I’ve never felt this, there are moments in the Third Symphony when the orchestra appears to be providing a colourful backdrop to some grand opera (Rachmaninov, it may be remembered, largely gained his conducting credentials in the opera house), and one half expects an impassioned soprano solo to start up. The fact I felt this more than usual here is not, I think, a positive sign. The orchestra appears to be presenting an immaculate drawing room ready for a diva to make her entrance, rather than itself being the compelling protagonist. Listen to the St Petersburg Philharmonic under Mariss Jansons, a conductor fluent in the Russian tradition with a proven affinity to opera, and you hear the strings playing their collective hearts out. If only Wilson and his orchestra brought that emotional commitment.
Daniel Jaffé
