One of the last great Romantic composer-performers, Sergey Rachmaninov was also an experienced conductor, although he left only the three recordings to be found on this album. The Isle of the Dead charts a symphonic journey from life to death relieved by a feeling of sweet nostalgia. Superbly orchestrated and with plenty of emotional fire and lyrical beauty, his Third Symphony was composed for The Philadelphia Orchestra which responds brilliantly to the composer’s personal emphases and impulses. The much-loved Vocalise is heard here in Rachmaninov’s own orchestral guise.