Conductor
John Wilson and the
Sinfonia of London are known mostly for light music and crossover work, but they have increasingly often been recording mainstream symphonic repertory. Their
Rachmaninov is distinctive. Listeners new to the
Sinfonia of London may be surprised by the remarkable sheen of the group's string section. The rub is that that sheen is not what many people want from
Rachmaninov; there is little here of the over-the-top emotionalism that often makes up the whole reason to listen to this composer.
Wilson's tempos in the
Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27, are unusually fast, making the performance a bit finale-heavy;
Wilson seems to be driving toward the next event rather than lingering on the sentiments of the moment. It is a reading that is worth hearing and one about which listeners can disagree; if one wants to hear the most extreme point, sample the rather bumptious Adagio third movement. If, on the other hand, one wants to hear
Wilson at an unequivocal best, try the opening transcription by
Leopold Stokowski of
Rachmaninov's
Prelude for piano in C sharp minor, Op. 3, No. 2; the marriage of
Stokowski, who was all about string sheen, and
Wilson is one made in heaven.
Chandos' church sound lacks the warmth that would have complemented
Wilson's ideas, but this remains a novel
Rachmaninov release. ~ James Manheim
