Mariss Jansons, the chief conductor on this recording, was appointed the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra's sixth chief conductor in September 2004, after frequently appearing as a guest conductor since 1988.
Composition History
Rachmaninoff composed his Second Symphony in Dresden, aiming to prove his mastery of the symphonic form after the disastrous premiere of his First Symphony.
Critical Reception
Rachmaninoff's First Symphony was a complete failure, leading him to seek psychiatric help and feel he had something to prove with his Second Symphony.
Compositional Technique
All three of Rachmaninoff's symphonies begin with a significant melodic figure, which in the Second Symphony is a conjunct motif in the cellos and double basses.
Notable Performances
Rachmaninoff himself conducted the premiere of his Second Symphony in Saint Petersburg in 1908, where it was a great success, especially in the United States.
Composer's Artistic Vision
According to John Culshaw, a Rachmaninoff monographer, the composer's creative power was driven by fatalism combined with a longing for peace of mind.
Composer Biography
Sergey Rachmaninoff, already an accomplished pianist and conductor at the Bolshoy Theatre, moved to Dresden at age 33 to focus more on composition.
You might also enjoy...
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.4
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 36, TH. 27
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 3
Peter Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64
Infinity Digital: Rachmaninoff: Symphony No.2 in E minor
