The phenomenon of a long traditional connection between an orchestra and a repertory occurs less often in the U.S., where orchestras have had to be generalists, than it does in Europe. However, an idea of the flavor can be gained by considering performances of
Rachmaninov by the
Philadelphia Orchestra, which date back to the composer's years in the U.S.; he conducted many of his works himself, and the performances led by
Leopold Stokowski and later
Eugene Ormandy were imbued with his spirit. Listeners have been delighted to find that the tradition continues with conductor
Yannick Nezet-Seguin, who has led the orchestra since 2012 and shows every sign of shaping it into an ensemble for the ages; the album landed on classical best-seller lists in the summer of 2023. The fabled
Philadelphia strings are in top form here, and
Nezet-Seguin exploits them in a display of full-blooded sentiment, fully controlled. He adds portamento to the string lines in the last two movements of the
Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27, and the strings respond naturally, but it is not just the string section. Sample the delicate wind work at the beginning of the Adagio second movement of the
Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 44, which receives the right feel of mystery.
Deutsche Grammophon's engineers add appropriately lush sound, working in Philadelphia's Verizon Hall, in a recording that sounds like a classic in a very crowded marketplace for these works. ~ James Manheim
