Although They Have Been Intermittently Available, Walter Weller's Cycle of the Three Rachmaninov Symphonies Have Hidden Their Blazing Light Under the Decca Bushel for Far Too Long. Recorded in Absolutely Thrilling Decca Sound with L'orchestre de la Suisse Romande (no. 1) And the London Philharmonic Orchestra (nos. 2 And 3), These Three Masterpieces Are Now Collectively Issued on Australian Eloquence. Weller's View Is at Once Trenchant And Expansive. He Is Able to Extract the Last Ounce of Emotion from Such Symphonic-scapes As the Slow Movement of the Second - Taken at a Seemingly Dangerously Slow Tempo, But Which, with His Unerring Shaping of That Popular Movement, Seems Just Right. Grippingly Emotional, These Readings Will Now Take Their Rightful Place in Recording History with Such Other Great Stereo Recordings As Those By Eugene Ormandy And Vladimir Ashkenazy. Artists: L'orchestre de la Suisse Romande (no. 1), London Philharmonic Orchestra (no. 2), Walter Weller.
R**T
ALMOST GREAT!
JUST AS EVERY CONDUCTOR HAS THEIR OWN VIEW ON PIECES OF MUSIC,SO THE LISTENER HAS THEIR OWN RESPONSE TO THAT INTERPRETATION.WELLER IS A FINE CONDUCTOR AND THESE ARE FINE READINGS. I AN ONLY GIVING FOUR STARS IN COMPARISON TO MY FAVOURITE RECORDINGS BY ASHKENAZY AND THE FANTASTIC AMSTERDAMERS ON DECCA FROM THE EARLY 80s. THE LATER RECORDING HAS SUPERIOR SPACIOUS SOUND QUALITY,GLOWING STRINGS AND ASHENAZYS RUSSIAN SOUL! UNSURPASSED.
F**7
La Référence absolue
Il existe de nombreuses versions des symphonies de Rachmaninov et certaines restent des références. La version de Weller reste, après plusieurs écoutes comparées (Ashkenazy, Prévin, Svetlanov, Jansons...), la plus passionnée des interprétations existantes. De plus, elle bénéficie d'une prise de son exceptionnelle.
A**R
Where Are the Reviews for This Terrific CD?
I find it astonishing that fellow Rachmaninov lovers have not reviewed this wonderful collection of the symphonies. Perhaps they're too uppity about this not that well known conductor (at least not to me), perhaps they're too busy raving about the less than stellar newer versions like Petrenko (blechhh), or perhaps they simply don't know these versions. Well, Weller is swell in these - I can't say his second and third are in my top five, but they are far ahead of other more raved about versions, especially Ashkenazy and the aforementioned Petrenko, but also others. These are really well done and the remastered sound, as with most Australian Eloquence CDs is really nice. But where Weller really took giant strides ahead of most others is with the first. This is the first first, and that includes Ormandy and Previn, where I've actually thought, this is a really impressive work. Everything about this performance of the first works, especially the sound and the way Weller makes everything seem cohesive from beginning to end. So, I'd give this a high recommendation and one to take a chance on - and while you're at it, the Paul Keltzki second and third, also on two separate Eloquence CDs, are pretty great. There. I've said it and I'm glad.
P**Y
The Best Rachmaninoff Interpreter Alive
I had the old London LP of the Rachmaninoff First Symphony with Weller; performance was wild, but the sound was not good. That problem has been solved with the CD reissue here (so much for LPs supposedly sounding better). Weller brings off the 3rd Symphony off better than any other recording I know as well (save maybe the composer's own). This leads me to the conclusion I state in the title line of this review.
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