Rachmaninov drafted his second symphony in a charming garden villa in Dresden, where he had settled with his family in late 1906. The cinematic breadth of the second movement and the famous clarinet tune assure its immortality Underneath it is that surging melancholy and longing for an elusive homeland that characterises all of Rachmaninov's greatest music.
Valery Gergiev is unrivalled in his commitment to Russian music old and new. This recording is with 'his' Kirov Orchestra.