Sergei Rachmaninov; Edward Elgar - The Bells; Falstaff (Vasily Petrenko)

Information

Composer: Sergei Rachmaninov; Edward Elgar

• Rachmaninov - The Bells, Op. 35
• Elgar - Falstaff, Op. 68

Mirjam Mesak, soprano

Pavel Petrov, tenor

Andrii Kymach, baritone

Philharmonia Chorus

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Vasily Petrenko, conductor

Date: 2025

Label: harmonia mundi

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To mark their collaboration with harmonia mundi, Vasily Petrenko and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra present a recording of two rarely performed 1913 masterpieces. The programme spans the ironic, Shakespearian portrait of an aging knight in Falstaff and the existential, Poe-inspired meditation of The Bells. Both works exemplify the lingering allure of late Romanticism, combining literary inspiration with rich orchestral imagination to create music of dramatic intensity and subtle nuance.

Vasily Petrenko (b. 1976) is one of today’s most acclaimed conductors, known for his dynamic artistry and leadership of major orchestras worldwide. Trained in St. Petersburg, he launched his career at the Mikhailovsky Theatre and has since held key posts, including Chief Conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic (2006–2021), Oslo Philharmonic (2013–2020), and European Union Youth Orchestra (2015–2024). Since 2021, he has served as Music Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. A frequent guest with leading ensembles and opera houses, Petrenko is also a distinguished recording artist, celebrated for acclaimed symphony cycles of Shostakovich, Rachmaninov, Elgar, Scriabin, Strauss, Prokofiev, and Myaskovsky.