Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - Rachmaninoff: The Bells - Elgar: Falstaff - Import CD

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Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Description:

Vasily Petrenko & the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra launch a new series! The first two pieces in the series are Rachmaninoff's "The Bells" and Elgar's "Falstaff. Two masterpieces from 1913 are re-presented in their literary context The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Vasily Petrenko, explodes with descriptive power! Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, which will celebrate its 80th anniversary in 2026, will begin a collaboration with harmoniamundi! The first program chosen for this collaboration is full of surprises: two rarely performed masterpieces from 1913. The program is part of a series titled "Icons Rediscovered" and features works by Russian and British "icon" composers Rachmaninoff and Elgar. Rachmaninoff, a tall, melancholy man who defected from imperial Russia and became a world-renowned pianist, and Elgar, a socially anxious Worcestershire violin teacher. Elgar was a generation older than Rachmaninoff and had achieved success on his own as the son of a provincial merchant, while Rachmaninoff came from a wealthy Russian aristocracy.Although at first glance they seem to be in stark contrast, both reached the pinnacle of their creations and careers in the first 15 years of the 20th century, and both felt a great loss in the post-World War I world, but both became the embodiment of the musical spirit of their respective countries. In times of unrest and heightened emotion, the Russian people instinctively listen to Rachmaninoff, while the English speak of Elgar's melody as their "second national anthem. For Rachmaninoff, the sound of Orthodox church bells was the voice and soul of Russia. It is said that Rachmaninoff placed the highest value on "The Bells" in his own compositions. Its emotional journey is as inevitable and powerful as the changing seasons in Russia, and it is told with Rachmaninoff's unique gift for melody. Elgar was a voracious reader and lifelong admirer of William Shakespeare, also from the Midlands (he once lived in Stratford-upon-Avon). And of all Shakespeare's characters, the one who best embodies Englishness (including its contradictions) is probably Falstaff, the foodie knight. He is a braggart and a dreamer, a soldier and a clown, an unstoppable life force.But Elgar, like Shakespeare, also saw the other side of the story - the melancholy, the anxiety, the strong sense that all good things will eventually end. Elgar was a lifelong lover of the countryside, and Falstaff, in his last days, "murmured of green fields. Elgar's "Falstaff" does the same thing in a very different way. Both composers show us the depths of their own hearts by exploring the essence of their respective countries - and sharing with us what it means to be human. (1/2) HARMONIA MUNDI