Debussy, Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, and Prokofiev

The great conductor Yevgeny Svetlanov frequently dedicated himself to the works of Claude Debussy, among others. His interpretation of Debussy's "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune" in this 2001 Philharmonia concert recording has an almost operatic singing style, paired with generous tempi. He achieved highly remarkable reactions both in this piece and in "La Mer," where the dramatically assertive sound of the brass section contributes to a particularly powerful interpretation of the French composer's music. Svetlanov's conducting of Respighi's orchestration of two Études-Tableaux by Rachmaninoff with the BBC Symphony Orchestra in October 1999 is typically atmospheric and demonstrates the conductor's wonderful sense of color. Prokofiev's Overture on Hebrew Themes was composed for sextet in 1919 during a stay in the USA, but was re-scored for orchestra in 1934. Svetlanov's concert with the LSO from October 1979 is a rarity, as his only recording on the Melodiya label is currently unavailable.