Review: Petrenko and Berlin Almost Deliver Great Rachmaninoff

[@twwc960]

I have tickets to hear Petrenko conducting the Berlin Philharmonic in Ann Arbor in November and one of the pieces on the program is _The Isle of the Dead_ so based on this review I'm even more excited for this concert than I already was!

[@gerbs139]

Dave’s rendition of the Symphonic Dances finale coda: priceless!

[@robhaynes4410]

I truly don't understand the purpose of the bloated, "deluxe" packaging for a two-disc sampler of random Rachmaninov orchestral works. Even if it weren't at a premium price, something like this ought to be reserved for something special. Even if these were four perfect, "new reference" versions, what's the point of this giant box for, again, two discs of random Rachmaninov? It strikes me as being about the ego of the orchestra & not about the music. Wasteful.

[@Warp75]

I hear you

[@NecronomThe4th]

You gotta collect those sweet sweet euros.

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

It must occupy a special place on your shelf, so that ALL of your audiophile friends will see and admire it.

[@tedwilson2805]

There are so many exceptional alternatives, many classics where the romance runs free. Anaemic - Berlin - Rachmaninov. Oh dear!

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

Berlin and Rachmaninoff…..all you need is Maazel. Just Rachmaninoff……you REALLY need Slatkin. My preference is the early St. Louis (Susan Slaughter totally amazes!!), but the later Detroit is just as good, and many think it’s even better.

[@omegashore]

Please more reference recordings videos! It will great if possible doing some videos that explore reference recordings grouped by Composer. Similar to the ones you are doings when suggesting key works to listen for specific composers to get to know the composer

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

Check out the US Marine Band recording of Symphonic Dances as arranged by Paul Lavender. On KZbin. Nothing to sneeze at, as it’s very wind oriented. (I had nothing to do with this recording.)

[@lovettboston]

Since these are live, it would have been good to hear a comparison with Slatkin's live Symphony No. 2 for Naxos. In some performances, the last two movements can sound flabby and tiresome. Slatkin keeps things on a tight rein, without seeming perfunctory. Instead of lyrical passages that stagnate, you get something with more intensity, more like a breath of fresh air.

[@CluelessClutz]

As Sir Simon is praised, will we ever get video reviews of his Beethoven and Sibelius cycles? They are kinda his legacy with Berlin, as they were made at the end of his directorship. For my ears the Beethoven is at least better than the recent efforts by Nelsons, Nezet-Seguin, Thielemann or other conductor big-shots. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t want get to see Dave commenting the Olympic Sibelius bout Rattle vs Mäkelä, old vs new messiah, the “Silver Poodle” vs the “Ken Doll”?

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

I have yet to hear a single Rattle recording that made me want to hear it a second time.

[@clementewerner]

@@LyleFrancisDelp I recommend his recording of Szymanowski's Stabat Mater, you will want to hear it multiple times, if you like the work.

[@stevemcclue5759]

A pity. I heard the piano concerto on the radio and was rather underwhelmed. And as you say, karajan wouldn't have made these mistakes with the strings - but then you wouldn't have heard the woodwind or percussion! But for a premium price, you'd expect a premium performance - maybe, as you say, it's better on Blu-Ray. I'm happy to check that for you if you send it to me!😉

[@elmerglue21]

Spotify has been recommending these to me weirdly enough, I liked the second symphony 3rd movement

[@301268bmh]

The piano concerto was performed at an open air concert. So, the sound itself is ok but not great - a bit billowy and lacking in focus.

[@MisterPathetique]

I actually think this version of the The Isle of the Dead really suffers from the comparison with Maazel's recording, with the same orchestra. Because in my opinion, Maazel has everything that's lacking in Petrenko's performance, namely more strings. And more brass too, especially in the buildup that leads to the final climax.

[@johannesortmann2789]

Have you lost interest in reference recordings?

[@DavesClassicalGuide]

Not at all.

[@barryguerrero6480]

They're certainly assuming you'd want just that combination of works. Or, are you supposed to buy this purely because of who the artists are?

[@doctorzingo]

The major labels haven't done proper studio (i.e. without an audience in a venue with the best possible acoustics) for a generation. These modern live recordings tend to share the same problems - they are too closely and multi-miked in order to be able to spotlight orchestral sections and soloists and minimize audience noise. The problem is that you lose the bloom and sheen of the instruments (especially the strings as you point out) and most of the hall acoustics, giving a harsh, monochrome sound with little depth that sounds more or less the same whatever the orchestra or venue is. Personally I avoid these recordings. They simply sound worse than recordings from the 80s and 90s and are just made because they are so much cheaper - Mr Petrenko wouldn't be allowed to make proper studio recordings with his BPO in the manner of Karajan even if he wanted to. Some classic recording venues with examples might be an interesting topic for a talk (Sofiensaal, Kingsway Hall, St Eustache, Lukaskirche).

[@PhillipYewTree]

I’m a great fan of the Berlin Phil streaming concerts. Gerstein’s Rach at the Waldbruhne was memorable. But I’ve no enthusiasm for buying over packaged discs, and I don’t want a blue ray gizmo either.

[@violadamore2-bu2ch]

Berlin's live performances are outstanding regardless of who's conducting. It's beyond my understanding. I don't think the interpretations are always good. Petrenko is a bit of an automaton to my ears. The tam-tam in the BPO is NEVER struck loud enough, it's not a polite instrument like the viola........

[@LyleFrancisDelp]

Well…considering the awkward packaging…and the fact that I am totally happy with the Slatkin recordings….I really don’t need this. I might have been tempted, had the packaging not been such.

[@razmigkechichian782]

Petrenko's got the Celibidache virus too, I guess ...

[@AlexMadorsky]

At least K. Petrenko favors swift tempi compared to his fellow studio-loather, the late Celibidache.