André Previn and the London Symphony Orchestra recorded Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony for EMI on January 3 and 4, 1973, at Kingsway Hall in London. The Angel Records LP — Angel was EMI's North American Capitol-pressed imprint — followed shortly after. The release this Discogs entry points at is the 1978 Angel reissue. The performance itself is the 1973 master.
What makes this recording historically important isn't just Previn's pacing or the LSO's playing — it's the word "Complete" on the cover. For decades, Rachmaninoff's Second was performed with sizable cuts, often well over 10 minutes shaved off in the second and third movements. Previn's 1973 reading restored every bar Rachmaninoff wrote, and is widely credited with making the uncut version the standard for everyone who came after.
Cool stuff:
- The "Complete Version" wasn't a marketing gimmick. Before this recording, Rachmaninoff's Second was almost always performed with substantial cuts — Previn restored the full score and changed how the symphony has been played ever since
- Recorded in just two days at Kingsway Hall, London, on January 3 and 4, 1973 — the venue used for many of EMI's classic LSO sessions
- Previn was Music Director of the LSO during this era (1968-1979), making this a peak-partnership recording
- Angel Records was EMI's US classical imprint, distributed by Capitol — the iconic label sleeve of the period
- Still cited as a benchmark recording in Classic FM and Gramophone surveys of the symphony — the version every later Rachmaninoff Second is measured against
Spin it for: the recording that made conductors stop cutting Rachmaninoff's Second — sumptuous LSO strings, Previn at his peak, full uncut score.
Standouts: "I. Largo — Allegro moderato" · "II. Allegro molto" · "III. Adagio" · "IV. Allegro vivace"
Sources: Wikipedia: Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2 · Discogs · Classic FM — How To Buy Rachmaninoff's 2nd · The Skeptical Audiophile