Vasily Petrenko - Rachmaninoff: The Bells - Elgar: Falstaff (CD)

To inaugurate their collaboration with harmonia mundi, Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra have recorded a program as subtle as it is unexpected, with two seldom-heard masterpieces of 1913. From the bitingly ironical Shakespearian portrait of an ageing knight (Falstaff), to an existential meditation inspired by Poe (The Bells), both these 'literary' scores dramatically prolong the enchantments of a dying romanticism.

Track List:

Disc: 1

1. Rachmaninoff: The Bells, Op. 35: I. The Silver Sleigh Bells. Allegro ma non tanto
2. Rachmaninoff: The Bells, Op. 35: II. The Mellow Wedding Bells. Lento
3. Rachmaninoff: The Bells, Op. 35: III. The Loud Alarm Bells. Presto
4. Rachmaninoff: The Bells, Op. 35: IV. The Mournful Iron Bells. Lento lugubre
5. Elgar: Falstaff, Op. 68: I. Falstaff and Prince Henry. Allegro
6. Elgar: Falstaff, Op. 68: IIa. Eastcheap. Allegro molto
7. Elgar: Falstaff, Op. 68: IIb. Gadshill - The Boar’s Head. Allegro molto
8. Elgar: Falstaff, Op. 68: IIc. Revelry and Sleep. Molto tranquillo
9. Elgar: Falstaff, Op. 68: IId. Dream Interlude. Poco allegretto
10. Elgar: Falstaff, Op. 68: IIIa. Falstaff’s March. Allegro
11. Elgar: Falstaff, Op. 68: IIIb. The Return Through Gloucestershire. Poco sostenuto
12. Elgar: Falstaff, Op. 68: IIIc. Interlude. Gloucestershire, Shallow’s Orchard. Allegretto
13. Elgar: Falstaff, Op. 68: IIId. The New King. Allegro molto - The hurried ride to London
14. Elgar: Falstaff, Op. 68: IVa. King Henry V’s Progress. Più moderato
15. Elgar: Falstaff, Op. 68: IVb. The Repudiation of Falstaff, and his death. Poco più lento