Walter Weller’s idiosyncratic Symphony No. 1 makes its welcome first appearance on CD. This is a highly volatile rendition, with Weller keenly attuned to the music’s every shift in mood and color yet always keeping within the larger context and spirit of the work. The first movement’s opening is arrestingly dramatic, with bold-sounding brass and percussion. Throughout the work Weller underlines Rachmaninov’s often frenzied string writing with urgent tempos and razor-sharp phrasing. The climax of the scherzo is exciting, as is the whole of the finale (with prominent tam-tam at the conclusion). Weller is a bit heavy-handed in the Larghetto, but nonetheless he presents the music with much sensitivity and textural beauty. The highly motivated Suisse Romande orchestra keeps up with Weller’s demanding pace, providing first-rate playing even if it can’t match the polished execution of the Concertgebouw for Ashkenazy. Neither can the recording, which is on the dry side with some dynamic limitation. However, the sound is noticeably more open for the coupled The Rock–another excellent Weller rendition, this time with the London Philharmonic. In all, this is a fine Rachmaninov disc, especially at the Eloquence price.
