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.