Owain Arwel Hughes’ Rachmaninov First is a marked improvement over his recording of Symphony No. 3 (type Q5500 in Search Reviews). What was tepid and bland has become terse and bristling, indicating Hughes’ stronger affinity for the early Rachmaninov idiom. The fiery first movement launches with considerable energy and vigor that continues right through the lyrical second subject. At first Hughes’ refusal to ruminate seems insensitive, but his delicate, short-breathed phrasing maintains the overall flow of the piece. However, the development section is less exciting than Litton’s colorful rendition (albeit with added percussion), while the Scottish brass sound tame next to the fearsome sounds of the Concertgebouw Orchestra on Ashkenazy’s recording. The brass come into their own in the scherzo’s trio, while the strings offer beautifully muted intensity in the Larghetto, which also moves along smoothly under Hughes’ direction.
Hughes starts the feisty finale at a good clip and leads a predominantly straightforward performance for the remainder of the movement (albeit with some fine orchestral solo work in many passages). Unfortunately he spoils it all by underplaying the tam-tam at the symphony’s darkly dramatic conclusion–you can barely tell it’s there. Is it that important? Listen to the doom-laden crashes in Askhenazy’s gripping performance and you’ll feel seriously short-changed by Hughes’ ending.
Hughes’ crisply phrased, lean-textured yet emotionally tender reading of Rachmaninov’s gorgeous, Tchaikovsky-influenced early symphonic poem Prince Rostislav almost makes up for the deficiencies in the symphony. But to really experience this piece you must hear Svetlanov’s luxuriously sonorous, romantically indulgent rendition on Canyon Classics. BIS’ wide-ranging recording presents the orchestra with decent clarity and impact, though low frequencies (particularly the bass drum) take on a boominess that reflects the empty recording venue.
