Portrait of Sergei Rachmaninov Photo: Konstantin Somov Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Performed by Orchestra Wellington conducted by Marc Taddei.
Rachmaninov's last work was written in difficult circumstances: he was not well, he was an exile in America suffering from homesickness, and he feared for his daughter Tatiana, trapped in France during the German invasion.
It's a tougher less sentimental work than his earlier symphonies, with a muscular hard edge and spiky orchestration that show Prokofiev as an influence.
Recorded 26 September 2020, Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington by RNZ Concert
Producer: David McCaw
Engineer: Darryl Stack
