Die Glocken op. 35

"Dmitri Kitajenko recorded The Bells for Chandos in 1990 with the Danish National Symphony choir and orchestra. Returning to it the best part of 30 years later, this time with the Gürzenich Orchestra of Cologne, with whom he has recently recorded all the Rachmaninov symphonies, and with the Czech Philharmonic Choir, the surprising thing is how little his interpretation has changed, In terms of tempi, dynamic shading, pacing of climaxes and shaping of Rachmaninov's rich melodic palette, the two performances are remarkably similar. What is different is the sound. While the earlier recording luxuriated in Chandos's rich, warm and resonant sound, Oehms have come up with something altogether more clinical".

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"You simply cannot go wrong with this collection. Its a budget price item with all the merits of a premium production and with each disc packed close to maximum playing time. There are no printed texts for The Bells but thats the only compromise made".

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"This is a striking live performance by the Chor und Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks under Jansons, supported by a fine trio of Russian soloists".

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"Gianandrea Noseda handles the work [The Bells] skilfully, with sensitivity to the contrasted moods and to the orchestral detail as well as the balance with the chorus and soloists".

"Recorded live is a disappointment ... The whole performance sounds as though it could have done with a bit more in-depth preparatory work. If The Bells can musically hold its own, the patchy cantata Spring needs more of a helping hand than it gets here, and the Three Russian Songs would have benefited from more pointed orchestral detail and definition of character".

"The performance is strong on mood, individual movements probingly characterised and eloquently drawn together as structural entity [Bells] ... Lucid detail, refined shaping, polished instrumental solos and a shrewd way with texture and rhythmic ebb and flow contribute to an interpretation as astutely conceived as it is vital in execution [Symphonic dances]".

"Vurdering: Empfehlung des Monats" - " ... dennoch schaffen sie es mit dieser Einspielung aus dem Stand zur modernen Referenz. Rattle beweist untrügliches Gespür für Rachmaninows gleichermassen expansive wie diffizile Tonsprache".

"This Bells may be unsurpassable ... The three soloists are superb, even if Dmytro Popov is a more heroic tenor than usual and Luba Orgonasova plays firm matriarch at the wedding rather than young bride. Mikhail Petrenko's bass is another quality voice, prefaced and mirrored by the most human cor anglais solo I've ever heard ... A remarkable achievement".

"Rattle ... emerges with one of his most succesful collaborations from Berlin, uncovering much of the essence of what DG refers to as 'the last glimpse of a 19th-century Romantic tradition unsullied by commercialism'. Untainted by disingenuity too, perhaps?".

"Recording of the month, editors choice: This superlative performance ... is one of those stratospherically accomplished, 'cosmic' ones that Jansons says he is always trying to attain ... Jansons has Rachmaninov in his very soul; but he is also able to capitalise on his remarkable ear for colour, clarity and atmosphere, coupled with his distinctive energy and probing depth of emotional understanding ... This new Jansons coupling ... is of such outstanding quality that it is in a class of its own".