The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Netherlands Radio Choir, under Chief Conductor Karina Canellakis, present Rachmaninoff: The Bells & Symphonic Dances, a powerful and deeply expressive interpretation of these late masterpieces by Sergei Rachmaninoff. In The Bells, radiant choral textures and richly coloured orchestration trace a journey from youthful shimmer and lyrical warmth to ominous tolling, overwhelming drama and a final vision of serene transcendence.
The outstanding soloists – Dmytro Popov, Kristina Mkhitaryan and Alexander Vinogradov – bring vocal brilliance and emotional depth, while the choir illuminates the text with clarity and a glowing, golden sound. In Symphonic Dances, rhythmic vitality and earthy drive give way to moments of nostalgia and introspection, culminating in a bold and exhilarating finale that captures the composer’s unmistakable voice in his final orchestral work.
Internationally acclaimed for her emotionally charged performances, technical command and interpretative depth, Canellakis has become one of the most in-demand conductors of her generation. She returns to PENTATONE as Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, further expanding a recording partnership that began with GRAMMY-nominated Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra (2023) and continued with Bartók: Duke Bluebeard’s Castle (2025).
Karina Canellakis, Conductor
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra
Netherlands Radio Choir
Dmytro Popov, Soloist
Kristina Mkhitaryan, Soloist
Alexander Vinogradov, Soloist
Tracklist
Please note that the below previews are loaded as MP3.Total time: 01:14:00
Additional information
| Label | |
|---|---|
| SKU | PTC5187523 |
| Qualities | DSD 128, DSD 512, DSD 64, DSD 256, DXD 32 Bit, DXD 24 Bit, FLAC 192 kHz, FLAC 96 kHz |
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| Original Recording Format | |
| Release Date | June 12, 2026 |
Press reviews
Gramophone
Idiomatic-sounding Rachmaninov from the Netherlands – and a coupling replete with memories of the homeland resonating from afar. It’s easy to forget that the four evocations of The Bells after Edgar Allan Poe were set down in Rome. A city of bells, for sure – as with every Italian city, large or small – but without, perhaps, the weight of a troubled history sat on the shoulders of Mother Russia. Poe’s texts awakened all of that in Rachmaninov and his response to them – both personal and universal –
was/is thrilling.
The Bells is for me the better of the two performances here, which is not to underestimate Karina Canellakis’s prowess in this repertoire but rather to acknowledge that on the day the added dimension of words and voices unlocked something really vital in these forces. The playful sleigh-riding of the opening movement is duly animated and light-catching with that startling moment where the tenor, Dmytro Popov, with one word ‘listen’ silences everything and everyone in one breath-catching moment.
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