Sergei Rachmaninoff - Symphony No. 1 - An Annotated Reconstruction of Eugene Ormandy's Performing Version

"The alterations Ormandy made to the Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 1 was much more than he did to any other score that I have had the pleasure of examining. He took a work by a then young and inexperienced composer and corrected my “rookie” orchestration mistakes. Rachmaninoff himself intended to rework the orchestration after the disastrous premier. These changed Ormandy made are part of the legacy of the Philadelphia Orchestra, his friendship with Rachmaninoff, his concept of orchestral sound and color. These traditions must be preserved, that is why I embarked on this project to preserve and share Ormandy’s perceptions about the Rachmaninoff 1st Symphony."
From the Preface

Preface

History of the Rachmaninoff Symphony No 1

Ormandy and Rachmaninoff and the Philadelphia Orchestra

Ormandy and the Ormandy Collection

Rachmaninoff Symphony No 1

First Movement – Grave – Allegro ma non troppo – Allegro Vivace

Second Movement – Allegro animato

Third Movement – Larghetto

Fourth Movement – Allegro con fuoco

Conclusions

Recording Comparison

Works Cited