Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances

Vladimir Ashkenazy’s first recordings as conductor were of the symphonies of Rachmaninov, a composer he’d long championed as a pianist. This very fine pairing of the Third Symphony—perhaps the hardest to do really well, which he does—and the Symphonic Dances is a delight. Ashkenazy coaxes rich, multicolored playing from a Philharmonia at white heat, and the live recording captures the frisson of the occasion. The symphony is done with great love and the Dances, almost another symphony in their ambition and spirit, are fabulously played.

This highly anticipated album-set brings together Valery Gergiev's acclaimed cycle of the complete Rachmaninov symphonies. He leads the London Symphony Orchestra in performances recorded between 2008 and 2015. These masterful accounts are accompanied by his Symphonic Dances and and two symphonic poems by Mily Balakirev that echo the luxurious textures present throughout Rachmaninov's music.

There are compositions whose title sounds purposely reductive, and these certainly include Symphonic Dances, Rachmaninov's last composition, so the name of symphony would not seem usurped even if the form does not correspond to the classical one.

Pianists Martha Argerich and Nelson Freire are stupendous virtuosos, and there's nothing in this recording of their 2009 Salzburg recital of staggeringly difficult works they cannot play. They know each other so well as old duo piano partners that their playing is stunning in its unity, but their distinctive individuality also comes across. What's most impressive about this recital is how completely Argerich and Freire have made this music their own. Brahms' Haydn Variations sound freer and fresher, more playful, and more profound than ever. Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances are thrillingly rhapsodic, rapturous, and dramatic. Schubert's Grand Rondeau is more lyrical, intimate, and graceful than usual, and Ravel's La Valse more ecstatic and apocalyptically over-the-top frightening than in any comparable recordings, including Argerich's own earlier releases. Captured in wonderfully clear yet wholly present digital sound, the performances on this disc will be compulsory listening for anyone who loves music, any music.

Intensity of feeling and drama, joy of playing and energy: on its second album Symphonic Dances, the Cologne-based Xenon Saxophone Quartet presents a rich palette of emotions and a different facet of musical expression with each work. In the eponymous Symphonic Dances by Rachmaninoff, in which the quartet is expanded to include the pianist Sergey Markin, the five play to the full the "Russian soul" of Rachmaninoff. Their recording of Franck's Prélude, Fugue et Variation brings the almost mystical character of the work to life, and in Ligeti's Six Bagatelles, their profound avant-garde modernity becomes clear.

Intensity of feeling and drama, joy of playing and energy: on its second album Symphonic Dances, the Cologne-based Xenon Saxophone Quartet presents a rich palette of emotions and a different facet of musical expression with each work. In the eponymous Symphonic Dances by Rachmaninoff, in which the quartet is expanded to include the pianist Sergey Markin, the five play to the full the "Russian soul" of Rachmaninoff. Their recording of Franck's Prélude, Fugue et Variation brings the almost mystical character of the work to life, and in Ligeti's Six Bagatelles, their profound avant-garde modernity becomes clear.

Intensity of feeling and drama, joy of playing and energy: on its second album Symphonic Dances, the Cologne-based Xenon Saxophone Quartet presents a rich palette of emotions and a different facet of musical expression with each work. In the eponymous Symphonic Dances by Rachmaninoff, in which the quartet is expanded to include the pianist Sergey Markin, the five play to the full the "Russian soul" of Rachmaninoff. Their recording of Franck's Prélude, Fugue et Variation brings the almost mystical character of the work to life, and in Ligeti's Six Bagatelles, their profound avant-garde modernity becomes clear.

The month of March will be marked by the 150th birthday of the great Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninov. Though mostly remembered for his piano compositions, he excelled in every genre, and his symphonies and tone poems are no exception. We release here the highly praised complete recordings made by Andrew Litton and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, including the famous Vocalise in its instrumental version, and the Symphonic Dances, both making their digital debut.

A very interesting, sometimes even fascinating, study of the composer, the works, and the performers, this two-disc set will be mandatory viewing for anyone interested in the life and music of Sergey Rachmaninov. Directed by Enrique Sánchez Lansch and featuring conductor Semyon Bychkov leading the WDR Sinfonie Orchester Köln, the program is a mixture of documentaries and performances. The documentaries alternate between scenes from rehearsals, Bychkov describing Rachmaninov's life, and musicians from the orchestra discussing the scores and their relationship to them and to each other. The performances include not only The Bells and Symphonic Dances, but also Second Symphony. The documentaries create a vivid portrait of the composer and the performances paint a compelling fresco of his music. Though the performances of The Bells and the Symphonic Dances are also available on compact disc, anyone captivated by the Russian late romantic's music will likely find these video discs more involving. (James Leonard)