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USSR State Symphony Orchestra
Evgeny Svetlanov, conductor

Written abroad, the symphony is often seen as Rachmaninov’s reflection on Russia — noble in restraint, deeply moving, and imbued with that unmistakable Rachmaninov sound.

“The Third Symphony is the most vivid and most honest embodiment in music of a struggle — a doomed struggle from the very start — against the pain and despair that come with an overwhelming longing for one’s homeland. It is the anguish of a man no longer young, who knows that he will never return home.” – J. B. Priestley, English writer and playwright

USSR State Symphony Orchestra
Evgeny Svetlanov, conductor

Rachmaninov composed The Bells after receiving an anonymous letter in Rome suggesting he set Poe’s poem to music. Structured in four movements, the work traces the arc of human life — from the bright hopes of youth to death — transforming Poe’s symbolism into a deeply Russian meditation on fate and emotion. 

It was the last work Evgeny Svetlanov conducted and recorded, on April 19, 2002 in London. Two weeks later, on May 3, the Maestro passed away.

USSR State Symphony Orchestra
Evgeny Svetlanov, conductor

Rachmaninov’s music was central to Evgeny Svetlanov’s artistic life. As a student at the Moscow Conservatory, he included Symphony No. 2 in his graduation program.

USSR State Symphony Orchestra
Evgeny Svetlanov, conductor

The premiere of Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 1 was a complete failure — yet today it is regarded as one of his most powerful and expressive symphonic works. Experience the symphony in the hands of one of the greatest interpreters of the Russian repertoire, conductor Evgeny Svetlanov.

USSR State Symphony Orchestra
Evgeny Svetlanov, conductor

During a May Day celebration in the 1940s, as music echoed through Moscow’s loudspeakers, Evgeny Svetlanov suddenly heard an unfamiliar work that left him spellbound. Only later did he learn that the piece was Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances, performed by the Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra under Nikolai Golovanov. The discovery marked the beginning of a lifelong devotion to Rachmaninov’s music — a revelation that would shape Svetlanov’s artistic path forever.

Through rare footage of concerts and rehearsals, together with recollections from those who knew him best, the documentary “Conductor Evgeny Svetlanov” offers a sensitive and inspiring depiction of an exceptional artist. The program features works by P. I. Tchaikovsky, S. Rachmaninov, I. Stravinsky, E. Svetlanov, D. Shostakovich, and A. Scriabin.

To the famous question about a desert island, Evgeny Svetlanov usually replied as follows:

A desert island? Never. My colleague Yuri Temirkanov would tell you that he’d gladly take with him a recording of Mozart’s Requiem … I’d rather set off for a star — with the score of Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances in hand.

Film “Conductor Evgeny Svetlanov”, produced by Ekran Studio, 1972.