Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Sergei Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27 is undeniably a showcase piece for English-Italian conductor Sir Antonio Pappano. In this performance, Pappano leads the London Symphony Orchestra, of which he is chief conductor, in Rachmaninoff's late-Romantic masterpiece. The concert took place on April 14, 2024, at the Barbican Hall in London.
(00:00) I. Largo – Allegro moderato
(19:27) II. Allegro molto
(30:17) III. Adagio
(44:29) IV. Allegro vivace
Thanks to its remarkable richness, it's no surprise that Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27 by Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943) is so beloved by audiences. Themes, rhythms, tempi, orchestral colors and moods continually alternate, as do passages for the full orchestra and solo instruments. Yet this constant interplay remains effortlessly balanced throughout. Combined with its lush tonality, the symphony embodies the sumptuous, expressive character of the late Romantic orchestral tradition.
Composed in 1906–07 while he was in Dresden, Rachmaninoff dedicated his Symphony No. 2 to the Russian composer and Tchaikovsky pupil Sergei Taneyev (1856–1915). The premiere took place on January 26, 1908, at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg under the composer's own direction and was a tremendous success. For Rachmaninoff, who had long struggled with self-doubt, this triumph came as a profound relief. Following the disastrous premiere of his First Symphony in 1897, he had endured years of deep creative paralysis.
In Symphony No. 2, every aspect of the work feels perfectly balanced. The four movements are proportioned with great care, and each is shaped with an equally refined sense of form. The first movement opens in a dark and melancholic mood, yet its unusually long introduction already hints at brighter horizons. Following a transition led by an English horn solo, a masterfully crafted sonata-form movement unfolds, establishing the symphony's fundamentally optimistic character. The second movement, a scherzo, revels contrasts — a piercing, rhythmically driven theme propels the music forward with almost manic energy, while an exceptionally lyrical and graceful second theme provides moments of serene calm.
In the third movement, an Adagio, the clarinet introduces a yearning melody that defines the movement's elegiac atmosphere. The finale begins with a fanfare-like gesture that transforms the scherzo's driving principal theme into something bright and exuberant. The symphony concludes with a finale in which Rachmaninoff develops and combines his thematic material into a magnificently crafted climax of irresistible momentum. Musical optimism scarcely comes more vividly expressed than this.
For a worthwhile comparison, you can watch Pappano's 2018 performance of Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2 with the Staatskapelle Dresden here: youtube.com/watch?v=eXxSpl4FrXo
Text: Rita Kass
© 2024 C Major Entertainment
Watch more masterpieces her: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBV5A14dyRWy1KSkwcG8LEey
or in our symphonies playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBXvpOWNmQ1AUBPQeyNanpxY
And don't forget to subscribe to DW Classical Music: youtube.com/dwclassicalmusic
#rachmaninov #symphony #legendarycomposer
Sergei Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27 is undeniably a showcase piece for English-Italian conductor Sir Antonio Pappano. In this performance, Pappano leads the London Symphony Orchestra, of which he is chief conductor, in Rachmaninoff's late-Romantic masterpiece. The concert took place on April 14, 2024, at the Barbican Hall in London.
(00:00) I. Largo – Allegro moderato
(19:27) II. Allegro molto
(30:17) III. Adagio
(44:29) IV. Allegro vivace
Thanks to its remarkable richness, it's no surprise that Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27 by Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943) is so beloved by audiences. Themes, rhythms, tempi, orchestral colors and moods continually alternate, as do passages for the full orchestra and solo instruments. Yet this constant interplay remains effortlessly balanced throughout. Combined with its lush tonality, the symphony embodies the sumptuous, expressive character of the late Romantic orchestral tradition.
Composed in 1906–07 while he was in Dresden, Rachmaninoff dedicated his Symphony No. 2 to the Russian composer and Tchaikovsky pupil Sergei Taneyev (1856–1915). The premiere took place on January 26, 1908, at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg under the composer's own direction and was a tremendous success. For Rachmaninoff, who had long struggled with self-doubt, this triumph came as a profound relief. Following the disastrous premiere of his First Symphony in 1897, he had endured years of deep creative paralysis.
In Symphony No. 2, every aspect of the work feels perfectly balanced. The four movements are proportioned with great care, and each is shaped with an equally refined sense of form. The first movement opens in a dark and melancholic mood, yet its unusually long introduction already hints at brighter horizons. Following a transition led by an English horn solo, a masterfully crafted sonata-form movement unfolds, establishing the symphony's fundamentally optimistic character. The second movement, a scherzo, revels contrasts — a piercing, rhythmically driven theme propels the music forward with almost manic energy, while an exceptionally lyrical and graceful second theme provides moments of serene calm.
In the third movement, an Adagio, the clarinet introduces a yearning melody that defines the movement's elegiac atmosphere. The finale begins with a fanfare-like gesture that transforms the scherzo's driving principal theme into something bright and exuberant. The symphony concludes with a finale in which Rachmaninoff develops and combines his thematic material into a magnificently crafted climax of irresistible momentum. Musical optimism scarcely comes more vividly expressed than this.
For a worthwhile comparison, you can watch Pappano's 2018 performance of Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2 with the Staatskapelle Dresden here: youtube.com/watch?v=eXxSpl4FrXo
Text: Rita Kass
© 2024 C Major Entertainment
Watch more masterpieces her: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBV5A14dyRWy1KSkwcG8LEey
or in our symphonies playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBXvpOWNmQ1AUBPQeyNanpxY
And don't forget to subscribe to DW Classical Music: youtube.com/dwclassicalmusic
#rachmaninov #symphony #legendarycomposer
