RACHMANINOFF: SYMPHONIC DANCES; “THE ISLE OF THE...

RACHMANINOFF: SYMPHONIC DANCES; “THE ISLE OF THE DEAD”; “VOCALISE”; INTERMEZZO AND WOMEN’S DANCE FROM “ALEKO.” London Symphony conducted by Andre Previn. Angel Studio 7-69025-2 (compact disc). Angel’s mid-priced reissue series boasts no finer release than this 71-minute program, which finds the Previn of a dozen years ago delivering the essence of Rachmaninoff’s dark lyricism without once stooping to the inherent sentimentality of the material. The performances deftly balance atmospherics and tension. The Symphonic Dances crackle with kinetic vitality, while Previn re-creates the brooding harmonics of “Isle of the Dead,” while sustaining the pulse most other conductors ignore. The remastering makes the 1976-77 sonics reemerge with palpable clarity.