Related Links

Recommended Links

Give the Composers Timeline Poster



Site News

What's New for
Winter 2018/2019?

Site Search

Follow us on
Facebook    Twitter

Affiliates

In association with
Amazon
Amazon UKAmazon GermanyAmazon CanadaAmazon FranceAmazon Japan

ArkivMusic
CD Universe

JPC

ArkivMusic

Sheet Music Plus Featured Sale

CD Review

Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakoff

Schéhérazade

Sergei Levitin, violin
Kirov Orchestra, Marinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg/Valery Gergiev
Philips 470840-2 63m DDD
Find it at AmazonFind it at Amazon UKFind it at Amazon GermanyFind it at Amazon CanadaFind it at Amazon FranceFind it at Amazon Japan
Also released on Hybrid SACD:
Amazon - UK - Germany - Canada - France - Japan

Gergiev returns to the Russian orchestral field after an excellent 'Pictures' which received high praise from almost all quarters. This time he tackles Rimsky's overtly famous and over recorded symphonic suite, 'Schéhérazade'.

The demonic conductor brings the passionate vitality, intrinsic power, and an eye for detail for which he is famous. The reading positively overflows with brilliant orchestral playing on all counts and in all departments.

'The Sea and Sinbad's Ship's is suitably romantic whilst the wild abandon of the concluding shipwreck is almost spine-tingling in certain places. The recording compares well with two timeless classics in my books, the first being Ansermet's outstanding 1960 foray with the OSR that is still in the demonstration class with regards to sound.

The underrated Kletzki for EMI, formerly available on CFP but now on Testament is also given a fine run for its money here. Gergiev is definitely a strong front runner if you haven't come to this work yet (which is admittedly quite impossible).

The accompanying pieces are also outstandingly done with Borodin's 'Steppes' that reminds me of the old classic Svetlanov version whilst 'Islamey' is also in the best Russian tradition. No qualm about this one then, this is Gergiev showing us he knows a thing or two about the more popular works in the repertoire. Outstanding!

Copyright © 2002, Gerald Fenech

Trumpet