Work: The Isle of the Dead, Symphonic poem, Op.29

Jakub Hrůša leads the CSO in pedestrian Janáček and Rachmaninov, but Strauss's Four Last Songs and Wagner's Tristan excerpts send audiences home deeply touched.

***11

Passion and precision from the Berlin Phil at Carnegie Hall

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Cameron Kelsall, 17 Nov

Under the leadership of Chief Conductor Kirill Petrenko, the Berliners produced a deep, muscular and forward sound that invigorated familiar music.

****1

Gerts' dark Rachmaninov brings NSO season to a close in Dublin

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Michael Roddy, 26 May

The Isle of the Dead and The Bells make gloomy bookends to the final concert of the season, but Mihhail Gerts makes a great case for both at the National Concert Hall.

****1

Day of Wrath: Rachmaninov and the Dies irae

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Mark Pullinger, 01 Apr

The demonic Dies irae motif haunts many of Rachmaninov’s compositions – but what meaning did this Catholic hymn have for the Russian composer?

Bachtrack top ten: Sergei Rachmaninov

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Mark Pullinger, 01 Apr

Possibly the greatest pianist of the 20th century and one of its greatest composers too, Sergei Rachmaninov left a relatively small catalogue – only 45 published works – yet many of them appear frequently in concert programmes.