Rachmaninov's First Symphony, for any number of reasons, received one of the most venomous, disdainful premieres in music history. Everything from the score itself to unprepared musicians to a supposedly drunken conductor (Glazunov) has been blamed for its icy reception. No matter the cause, the result was a devastated composer who was not to return to the form for more than a decade, and only then after the assistance of a hypnotherapist. The Second Symphony, heard here on this Naxos disc, was a complete rebirth for ...
Read More
Rachmaninov's First Symphony, for any number of reasons, received one of the most venomous, disdainful premieres in music history. Everything from the score itself to unprepared musicians to a supposedly drunken conductor (Glazunov) has been blamed for its icy reception. No matter the cause, the result was a devastated composer who was not to return to the form for more than a decade, and only then after the assistance of a hypnotherapist. The Second Symphony, heard here on this Naxos disc, was a complete rebirth for Rachmaninov and was received with great acclaim. Its American premiere was conducted by Modeste Altschuler, the great uncle of conductor Leonard Slatkin. How appropriate it is, then, that the Detroit Symphony Orchestra should celebrate its own new beginnings with Slatkin, who was principal conductor during the 2008-2009 season. The revitalized sound Slatkin draws from the DSO is simply superb, reaffirming its position as one of the country's preeminent orchestras. The strings produce a...
Read Less
