San Francisco Symphony/Semyon Bychkov conducts Rachmaninoff

PROGRAM:
Rachmaninoff/The Bells, Opus 35
Rachmaninoff/Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Opus 27

Tickets: $35-130

Semyon Bychkov, conductor
Nuccia Focile, soprano

Frank Lopardo, tenor
Mikhail Petrenko, baritone
San Francisco Symphony
San Francisco Symphony Chorus
Ragnar Bohlin, director

BROADCAST: Portions of these concerts will be broadcast on Classical 102.1 KDFC at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 17.

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Comment by Rozalina Gutman on November 6, 2009 at 2:45am

I am very pleased to be able to hear live performance of “Bells”, the piece that is not performed as often as it deserves. Anyone who spent some time in Russia will understand why bells are highly symbolic for Russians. So, hearing this remarkable piece simply transports you into Russia almost physically... Rachmaninov’s choral writing is quite miraculous, as it both follows long and very rich Russian choral tradition, as well as weaves in his own, unmistakably unique “Rachmaninov’s-only” features. Indeed, Rachmaninov loved and knew well how to write for voice (not to mention – for a large chorus of voices). And, of course, coloristic chorus-orchestra nuances are another treat. I admit that it is quite hard to do justice to this piece through talking about its almost “fragrant” musical beauty…
I also look forward to hearing the 2nd Symphony (how hard to believe today that this composition somehow failed to impress the audience at the premiere… I only wonder why Rachmaninov did not conduct it himself (politics, or..?) Ahhh, what Rachmaninov’s feast!