I would like to hear members input on which Rimsky-Korsakov orchestral works are worth collecting, besides the obvious. I understand his symphonies, especially #2, are worth investigating. There's a set on Brilliant (http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2002/Oct02/Rimsky_Brilliant.htm (http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2002/Oct02/Rimsky_Brilliant.htm)) and Bis (http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=11191 (http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=11191)) that have gotten decent reviews, but I look forward to other suggestions...
The only things you need are Scherazade, Russian Easter Fantasy Overture, and the Capricio Espanol. Everything else I have heard by him range from the forgettable (opera music, I can't take an entire opera unfortunately) to outright terrible (symphonies for example)
RW1883 - your links interest me, and I'll take a serious look @ the listings.
Another recommendation that I own is a great bargin 2-CD set shown below - includes the usual R-K suggestions, plus others; but, I'd love to hear comments from others who might have the 'larger' sets of your links! :)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21SRGWTPQBL._AA180_.jpg)
"The obvious" with Reiner is all you need. $:)
As well as the obvious, I would suggest getting the suite from Le Coq d'Or.
I have the 4-disc Brilliant Classics set which I picked up some time ago for about £6; it has the 3 symphonies, Sheherazade, Sadko (musical picture), Song of India, Overture on Russian Themes, The Tsars Bride Overture, Fantasia on Serbian Themes, Fairy Tale (Skazka), The Tale of Tsar Saltan Suite, Le Coq d'Or, Flight of the Bumble Bee and Christmas Eve Suite. Some of it is interesting, but none of it is essential unless you are a real Rimsky-Korsakov completist.
Quote from: BorisG on December 11, 2007, 07:50:07 PM
"The obvious" with Reiner is all you need. $:)
very true. i would add 'russian easter overture' (barenboim/chicago) and 'tsar slatan' (ansermet/osr)
the ones you listed are probably very good, too.
many people dig beecham's 'scheherazade'.
dj
You should have also his magnificent piano trio, his SQ
and his string sextet. And don't forget the movements
he wrote for string quartet on the collective works. :D :D
Definitely listen to the symphonies, particularly Antar, which should appeal to anyone who enjoys Scheherazade. I have that Brilliant set but so far find Butt's Antar exasperatingly slow and leaden. There's a Naxos recording of it with more get-up-and-go.
The orchestral works are very worthwhile, for RK was one of the great orchestrator's around.
The inexpensive set on BIS with the Malaysian SO/Kees Bakels. That will give you the major works in pristine performances and sound.
The Chambermusic is also very worthwhile....
Is the Brilliant set all Yondoni Butt? They've issued some other ASV recordings, so that makes sense.
Some of my favorites:
Scheherazade: Stokowski/LSO/Cala
Capriccio Espagnol: Kondrashin/RCA
Opera orchestral suites: Järvi
Russian Easter: Rodzinski
For Antar, Beecham makes the most of the work, but that's in mono. I wish Sony/BMG would reissue the Morton Gould recording.
Here's a nice budget issue with some classic recordings:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/412MRHFN59L._AA240_.jpg)
Rimsky was primarily an opera composer. I suppose he was neglected for a long time because his works were in Russian and were based on fairy tales rather than being verismo works. But in recent years more has become available on CD and DVD, so maybe one of our opera experts can comment on some desirable releases.
Daverz, it's a 50/50 split between Butt and Loris Tjeknavorian (who is also an ASV artist). Both of the latters' CD's are with the Armenian Philharmonic whereas the Butts' are one with the LSO and one with the Philharmonia.
Quoterw1883
I would like to hear members input on which Rimsky-Korsakov orchestral works are worth collecting, besides the obvious.
Well, that is not what you asked, but I would strongly suggest some of his operas: Kitege, Le coq d'or, Tzar Saltan, Sadko, Katshei the Immortal, among others. They are very beautiful.
Daverz - The Capriccio Espagnole - is the Kondrashin/RCA better than the Maazel/BPO on DG?
Quote from: val on December 13, 2007, 01:07:34 AM
Well, that is not what you asked, but I would strongly suggest some of his operas: Kitege, Le coq d'or, Tzar Saltan, Sadko, Katshei the Immortal, among others. They are very beautiful.
Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. I'll definitely look into the operas as well. I've read Golovanov conducting "May Night" is one worth getting...
By chance I just this morning put a mini-comment about Rimsky's First and Third Symphonies under the topic "The Worst First."
Check for a 2-CD set with Neemi Jarvi conducting the Scottish National Orchestra in all of the best suites from the operas. I also have his DGG set with all 3 symphonies and the Russian Easter Overture and the Capriccio Espagnol.
Although you said orchestral CD's, the ultimate Rimsky-Korsakov work to have is the opera The Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya.
Quote from: Cato on December 13, 2007, 09:26:02 AM
By chance I just this morning put a mini-comment about Rimsky's First and Third Symphonies under the topic "The Worst First."
Check for a 2-CD set with Neemi Jarvi conducting the Scottish National Orchestra in all of the best suites from the operas. I also have his DGG set with all 3 symphonies and the Russian Easter Overture and the Capriccio Espagnol.
Although you said orchestral CD's, the ultimate Rimsky-Korsakov work to have is the opera The Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya.
Concerning "The Invisible City of Kitezh", is the Gergiev the one to get?
Night on Mount Triglav
30+ minutes of Orchestral, from the Opera Mlada...wonderful themes, lovely work
Marco Polo
Quote from: AnthonyAthletic on December 13, 2007, 09:32:27 AM
Night on Mount Triglav
30+ minutes of Orchestral, from Opera...wonderful themes, lovely work
Marco Polo
I was completely unaware of this work, but just the title alone has me interested. Mount Triglav (Three-Head) is the highest peak in Slovenia (formerly the highest peak in Yugoslavia). This the triple-peaked mountain is a national symbol of Slovenia and can be seen in the coat of arms on the flag of Slovenia.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Coat_of_Arms_of_Slovenia.svg/85px-Coat_of_Arms_of_Slovenia.svg.png)
The Marco Polo recording you mention appears to be OOP. But there is a Naxos CD with the Moscow SO and Igor Golovschin conducting. Has anyone heard that one?
Buy this CD and you'll never need another Rimsky-Korsakov recording.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DK9YB1P0L._SS500_.jpg)
On the other hand, this one is also pleasant, if you like chamber music.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41YRE45RHRL._SS500_.jpg)
Quote from: rw1883 on December 13, 2007, 09:30:20 AM
Concerning "The Invisible City of Kitezh", is the Gergiev the one to get?
Yes, I am fairly happy with it, even with the stage noise. Some reviewers complained about a few of the singers, but if you want a complete recording, this is - I think - the only game in town. There was another recording years ago, but it had cuts of about an hour.
Quote from: head-case on December 13, 2007, 11:10:16 AM
Buy this CD and you'll never need another Rimsky-Korsakov recording.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DK9YB1P0L._SS500_.jpg)
How would you know whether the OP needs another RK recording? How many
Scheherazades have you heard? Is this another one of your bone-headed nutjob recommendations?
Quote from: PerfectWagnerite on December 13, 2007, 02:32:28 PM
How would you know whether the OP needs another RK recording? How many Scheherazades have you heard? Is this another one of your bone-headed nutjob recommendations?
I happen to know these are the finest R-K available, and that R-K didn't manage to compose enough decent orchestral music to spill over on to a third CD. 0:)
Quote from: head-case on December 13, 2007, 03:24:28 PM
I happen to know these are the finest R-K available, and that R-K didn't manage to compose enough decent orchestral music to spill over on to a third CD. 0:)
That's crap!
A truly exuberant Tsar Bride overture (Gergiev is not even CLOSE with his lack of detail and precision with Kirov, sad to say), a Snow Maiden with extreme beauty (with modern sound and precision that embarrasses Ansermet and his gang), a Scheherazade that is interpretatively and technically comparable to any big name in the catalogue etc, the MPO/Kees Bakels on BIS is the way to go. Of course there are better recordings of each individual one, for example, Kodrashin's RCO Scheherazade has a more organic sense in tempi choices while Bakels is more Reiner like, slightly forward, which i don't like. But for the sound and the price, you can't go wrong. And what a hall too!
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NDNVIpa2L._SS500_.jpg)
Howard
He wrote some interesting songs as well. "A Flight of Passing Clouds" is an absolutely ravishing, haunting piece. I have this sung by Jennie Tourel on an old Columbia LP, but I don't know whether it is available on CD.
Quote from: PerfectWagnerite on December 13, 2007, 02:32:28 PM
How would you know whether the OP needs another RK recording? How many Scheherazades have you heard? Is this another one of your bone-headed nutjob recommendations?
the ansermet is a great collection and worth having for r-k fans.
dj
The most stunning Capriccio espagnole for me is the BPO/Maazel on DG Originals that even tops Argenta & Dorati!
Quote from: david johnson on December 16, 2007, 02:52:11 AM
the ansermet is a great collection and worth having for r-k fans.
dj
That I agree with completely.
Quote from: hautbois on December 15, 2007, 06:44:55 PM
That's crap!
A truly exuberant Tsar Bride overture (Gergiev is not even CLOSE with his lack of detail and precision with Kirov, sad to say), a Snow Maiden with extreme beauty (with modern sound and precision that embarrasses Ansermet and his gang), a Scheherazade that is interpretatively and technically comparable to any big name in the catalogue etc, the MPO/Kees Bakels on BIS is the way to go. Of course there are better recordings of each individual one, for example, Kodrashin's RCO Scheherazade has a more organic sense in tempi choices while Bakels is more Reiner like, slightly forward, which i don't like. But for the sound and the price, you can't go wrong. And what a hall too!
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NDNVIpa2L._SS500_.jpg)
Howard
Could not agree more Howard....as I said earlier in this thread the same. :)
Apart from the obvious, I would recommend The Invisible City of Kitezh and the charming Christmas Eve with its lovely ballet of the stars.
Quote from: techniquest on December 11, 2007, 10:47:04 PM
As well as the obvious, I would suggest getting the suite from Le Coq d'Or.
Why only the suite? The opera itself is quite fun. As far as I know, it was supposed to ridicule and expose the Russian tsarist regime of the time. The libretto is sometimes hilarious. And beside that, the opera is very coherent with great music. The first part takes place at King Dodon's palace, but then they meet Queen of Shemakha, and from that time on there is a lot of music resembling the Sheherazade suite in style. Beside ethereal Queen of Shemakha arias, there are several orchestral pieces, such as the dance at the Queen's pavilion and the wedding procession, with the Arabian and the Dodon's motives blending. The Astrologer's music is somewhat "Chinese", and the tenor has to have the high E-flat, so some of them transpose the role.
Anyway, I am just totally exalted with the opera and think that it would be interesting to those who enjoy the Sheherazade suite.
Quote from: PerfectWagnerite on December 16, 2007, 04:24:15 AM
That I agree with completely.
Yes, the Ansermet R-K collection is great. My favorite Scheherazade along with a very fine Tsar Saltan Suite, Russian Eastern Festival Overture, May Night, and Christmas Eve.
I like this 2-CD set and have the set ...
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZV3A9TWFL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
This is my favourite RK CD set too:
See also http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,9104.0.html
I've picked up sets of the Rimsky symphonies by Jarvi, Svetlanov and Kitajenko, and also have the Ansermet 2-disc set on Australian Decca Eloquence (including Antar).
The 1st and 3rd symphonies I think confuse interpreters because they cannot be included with Rimsky's "exotica". They are in fact much more classical in style. I love the 1st under Kitajenko - he makes it sound like early Schubert, which I think is how it should sound. Svetlanov heavily Russo-fies it, which is interesting especially if you enjoy that flavour, but the andante is deformed into a Slavic funeral - not at all what Rimsky intended. Jarvi by contrast is swifter but entirely arbitrary compared to Kitajenko. Kitajenko's pretty good in the 3rd too, but unfortunately is just too slow in the scherzo. Apparently Rohzdestvensty is great in the 3rd, but that recording is totally OOP.
Jarvi, Svet, Kitajenko and Ansermet are all decent in Antar, but none really reaches the top level, as far as I'm concerned. The last movement in particular, and the end of the last movement in especial particular, really need to be weightier and more impressive IMO. What other good recordings are there of this from the last 30 years?
"Ansermet in Rimsky suites" may sound like a done deal - and the result is pleasant if immediately forgettable. However, if you get the Regis disc of Svet in the Rimsky suites, you'll find something much more gripping and effective. I think assuming Ansermet is all you need in this area is a real mistake.
EDIT: One advantage of Ansermet is he includes the female choir in the Snow Maiden suite (they sound suspiciously like Rhine maidens).
I haven't encountered the operas yet, but from what I've heard about their exotic settings and crazy plots, they'd make fine DVD fodder.
I agree with the others who recommend the BIS set under Bakels: generally very fine performances, spectacular sound (befitting Rimsky's colorful orchestration), and a good bargain.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51o0T3UtgXL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
Another good bargain is from Chandos, a very pleasant surprise when I've bought this from Amazon. Spectacular performances and sound, on the same level as Bakels, which is also in my possession.
Quote from: Coopmv on July 12, 2009, 04:46:18 PM
I like this 2-CD set and have the set ...
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZV3A9TWFL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
This set was a huge disappointment for me. Jarvi isn't really into the music of RK.
Quote from: Harry on March 01, 2010, 02:29:52 AM
This set was a huge disappointment for me. Jarvi isn't really into the music of RK.
Järvi is a highly variable conductor (though I haven't heard this DG set). His set of Rimsky-Korsakov suites on Chandos is fabulous.
[I see I've already recommended the Järvi/Chandos set in this thread...more than 2
years ago!]
I really enjoyed the quintet on this CD.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61RS6BSVJSL._SS400_.jpg)
I have the Gergiev Sadko CDs and have heard Gergiev do the Invisible City of Kitzeh (twice). I highly recommend both pieces. Kitezh, in particular, is a beautiful, visionary work. The opera Sadko cannot be judged by the symphonic poem of the same name, which is uninspired in comparison. I think the negative comments about R-K partly reflect an understable but wrongheaded focus on the incorrect part of his work.
BTW, no mention of the Reiner Scheherazade on this thread? This has always been the strongly recommended version of the work and has just been rereleased on SACD to enthusiasm.
Another vote for The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh, which has some really gorgeous music. Gergiev and the Kirov brought it to the Lincoln Center Festival in 2003, and I enjoyed it immensely. Here (http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/18/arts/music/18KIRO.html?scp=4&sq=Kitezh&st=cse) is the New York Times review.
I haven't yet heard Sadko, but have heard it's marvelous--another example of Rimsky-Korsakov's talents as an orchestrator.
--Bruce
Reading over this thread from scratch, I'm surprised how relatively few people have recommended Rimsky's operas?
The single most-performed opera in Russia - far outplaying EVGENY ONEGIN or THE QUEEN OF SPADES even - is Rimsky's THE TSAR'S BRIDE (TSARSKAYA NEVESTA). I can't pretend I am over-found of this overly-melodramatic (to my mind) work, but Russians adore the piece beyond all reasonable level of devotion! It's a fact I use by way of illustration... Moscow has FIVE full-time professional opera companies, and TSAR'S BRIDE is the only opera which all five of them maintain permanently in their continuous every-season repertoire. And it is always sold-out.
But surely his most inspired and imaginative work for the stage is SNOW MAIDEN. Although written before the Tsar's assassination in 1881, it had the good luck to be produced soon after, in 1882 - ushering in a new era of ultra-patriotism and nationalism in the Arts in Russia ("foreign anarchists" were blamed for killing Tsar Alexander II, although in fact no-one was ever found - but foreign arts and culture came under heavy nationalist suspicion for decades afterwards).
Unlike the increasingly conservative and pseudo-patriotic works R-K produced later, this has the light touch of a fairyland kingdom, and deals touchingly with animist beliefs and traditions that are still found in the depths of Siberia. The entire score is imbued with astonishing beauty, and the three dances for Snow-Maiden's suitor Lel' are often performed in the concert-hall too - a calling-card for young mezzo-sopranos (it's a breeches role). Of course the role of the dopey sap Mizgir appeals to the Russian sense of humour, as he's a prototype for "Simpleton Ivan", anti-hero of Russian folk-tales and fairytales.
Oh, and we ought to put in a word for R-K's charming opera for children, KASHCHEY THE INVINCIBLE - again based on a Russian folktale. In Russia at least it still turns up in the repertoire, and still staged primarily for children to enjoy :)
(http://www.helikon.ru/img/wysiwyg/PICT5761.jpg)
Vladimir Bolotin (Kaschey) & Anna Grechishkina (The Queen)
(http://www.helikon.ru/img/wysiwyg/PICT5956_1.jpg)
Oles Paritsky (in a NASA uniform!) as Prince Ivan, and Anna Grechishkina (The Queen)
(http://www.helikon.ru/img/wysiwyg/PICT5900.jpg)
Ksenia Vyaznikova as the Wicked Witch (who turns out to be a Good Witch after all) & Oles Paritsky (Prince Ivan)
(all production photos from the Helikon Opera (Moscow) production by Dmitry Bertmann)
Quote from: False_Dmitry on June 07, 2010, 12:42:46 PM
But surely his most inspired and imaginative work for the stage is SNOW MAIDEN. Although written before the Tsar's assassination in 1881, it had the good luck to be produced soon after, in 1882 - ushering in a new era of ultra-patriotism and nationalism in the Arts in Russia ("foreign anarchists" were blamed for killing Tsar Alexander II, although in fact no-one was ever found - but foreign arts and culture came under heavy nationalist suspicion for decades afterwards).
Unlike the increasingly conservative and pseudo-patriotic works R-K produced later, this has the light touch of a fairyland kingdom, and deals touchingly with animist beliefs and traditions that are still found in the depths of Siberia. The entire score is imbued with astonishing beauty, and the three dances for Snow-Maiden's suitor Lel' are often performed in the concert-hall too - a calling-card for young mezzo-sopranos (it's a breeches role). Of course the role of the dopey sap Mizgir appeals to the Russian sense of humour, as he's a prototype for "Simpleton Ivan", anti-hero of Russian folk-tales and fairytales.
Ah, I forgot that I've seen a concert version of
The Snow Maiden--again thanks to Gergiev and the Kirov at Carnegie Hall a couple of years ago. Loved it! I'm not nearly as well-acquainted with these operas as you are, but it made an immediate (positive) impression. And of course I recognized bits here and there, e.g., the fantastically conceived "Dance of the Tumblers."
Have never heard
The Tsar's Bride (nor
Kashchey), and the Met has never produced it. (Although according to the Met database, a few arias were done on a Met concert program in 1926.)
However, the Met did stage
The Snow Maiden for 7 performances in 1922 ( :o) and
Sadko was done 11 times in 1930. Amazing, that neither one has returned since.
--Bruce
Quote from: bhodges on June 07, 2010, 12:57:21 PMHave never heard The Tsar's Bride (nor Kashchey), and the Met has never produced it. (Although according to the Met database, a few arias were done on a Met concert program in 1926.)
By way of a tit-for-tat, the Bolshoi were compelled to admit they hadn't staged THE MAGIC FLUTE since 1898(!) - until it came around for the Mozart Birthday Bash just recently :)
Quote from: False_Dmitry on June 07, 2010, 01:04:27 PM
By way of a tit-for-tat, the Bolshoi were compelled to admit they hadn't staged THE MAGIC FLUTE since 1898(!) - until it came around for the Mozart Birthday Bash just recently :)
Wow...
really? :o
Now that is quite something...
--Bruce
Quote from: bhodges on June 07, 2010, 01:08:03 PM
Wow...really? :o
They phoned-around the cast from last time - but most of them were n/a ;)
Quote from: False_Dmitry on June 07, 2010, 01:13:30 PM
They phoned-around the cast from last time - but most of them were n/a ;)
;D ;D ;D
--Bruce
But they managed to stage such a violently unpopular new production of MAGIC FLUTE that it's certain not to come back into repertoire until 2098 now (or whenever they finish the rebuilding of the theatre - whichever comes first ;) )
I enjoyed this one a lot, although I see it is now OOP.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TC372B73L._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
For Rimsky opera, check out this DVD:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51crBVrUT3L._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Delightful stuff.
Quote from: Grazioso on June 08, 2010, 10:28:12 AM
For Rimsky opera, check out this DVD:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51crBVrUT3L._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Delightful stuff.
Oooh, I have that one too, although have not found time to watch it yet. Need to put it near the top of the to-watch pile!
Quote from: cosmicj on June 07, 2010, 11:28:00 AM
I have the Gergiev Sadko CDs and have heard Gergiev do the Invisible City of Kitzeh (twice). I highly recommend both pieces. Kitezh, in particular, is a beautiful, visionary work. The opera Sadko cannot be judged by the symphonic poem of the same name, which is uninspired in comparison. I think the negative comments about R-K partly reflect an understable but wrongheaded focus on the incorrect part of his work.
BTW, no mention of the Reiner Scheherazade on this thread? This has always been the strongly recommended version of the work and has just been rereleased on SACD to enthusiasm.
Reiner's Scheherazade was my first ever classical LP c 1969. I just bought the CD - what a great nostalgia trip! It is not like any other version known to me and head and shoulders above them all (IMHO).
I'm astonished to note that no one has mentioned the Beecham/Royal Philharmonic SCHEHEREZADE, but maybe you have to be of a certain age. I've just listened to the vinyl, and it is still a superb performance. Steven Staryk is the 1st violin soloist.
Surprisingly little action here!
Anyone familar with this recording? Mlada is the one with the Procession of the Nobles (often a piece played separately).
[asin]B00579EKZ0[/asin]
I haven't heard that recording, but the bumping up of this thread reminds me that I need to pint out that the recent Rimsky recordings by Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony on Naxos are outstanding!
"Scheherazade" has of course been issued in many more fine recordings ...
My Top-5 are probably (all are stereo):
- Silvestri EMI (very broad and grandiose, yet idiomatic)
- Celibidache DG
- Morton Gould, Morton Gould Orchestra
- Chalabala, Prague PO or Czech PO (LP cover has both), stereo (he also made a mono in 1953 which I haven´t heard)
Both Gould and Chalabala have an unusually "novellistic" approach with a lot of varied details.
- Beecham, RPO /emi
Other fine ones are
- Stokowski, RPO (not quite so dramatic as one could expect)
- Muti/EMI
As regards Dorati/Minneapolis I find it somewhat disappointing, the interpretation is fluent and rather fast, but the sound of both a Philips Fontana stereo LP and a Mercury mono LP was really annoying, very thin and tin-can-like.
Tjeknavorian is rather anonymous.
Had the Scherchen, but it is not among his most successful releases IMO & I sold it.
I'd like to plant a small seedling here, which I hope may grow into something more substantial.
I first heard Scheherazade when I was sixteen - one of the very first few pieces of classical music to make an impact. Rapidly I grew to love it. I spent serious money (at the time) on an LP of Paul Kletzki's version:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51dCoaftIaL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
I didn't realise at the time that I had a real firecracker of a performance (didn't even know how different performances could be). I only knew I loved it. I listened to it several times a week for many months, and in due course wore it out completely. I think also, that I overdid it, and allowed it to wear me out. So when eventually I threw away my vinyl, I didn't bother to replace Scheherazade with a CD version.
Years went by. I thought Scheherazade was part of my past - immensely valuable, but definitely past. But then one day I had a fancy to hear it again, and bought the Naxos CD, under Batiz:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51xC6C4KOLL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
This confirmed me in my suspicion that Scheherazade and I were now ex-lovers. I didn't stop to think that the Batiz performance might fall a good way short of Kletzki's; or at least might just not be my cup of tea. I just shrugged and moved on.
More years slipped by. Then I discovered that Immerseel and Anima Eterna had done a period instrument version of Scheherazade:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51V%2B1QkSAPL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
I was still riding the crest of the wave generated by Immerseel's fantastic Beethoven symphonies, so I couldn't get out my credit card fast enough. But although it was interesting to hear his take on the piece, I have to say that after several listenings it lost ground with me, and certainly failed to reignite my old passion for the music. (I listened to it again today, and found it even more disappointing: it's probably the least energising of all the Scheherazades I've been gathering together in recent weeks - more of which, anon.)
Which brings me to the Big Event of a couple of months ago, when purely on a whim, I bought this:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FUI0oXCYL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
After all, it was cheap; I had nothing much to lose, giving Scheherazade 'one more try', with a recording that is regarded as one of the very finest ever made. But I didn't expect much. I certainly didn't expect what happened, namely, that the music blew me out of my chair and left me in a state of gibbering bewilderment. My first love, Kletzki, may have been good, but by golly he was never this good. Out of the blue, Scheherazade was back on my personal map. I thought I knew the music backwards. I didn't. Beecham articulates the music with such clarity, such panache, such drama, and such delicacy, that I am no longer sitting in my chair: I'm in there with the princess through the night, being beguiled by her words, falling in love with her; I'm there on the ship, hanging on for dear life in the raging storm, marvelling in awe at the giant waves that tower over the boat.
This experience started a raging flashfire. If Beecham could bring Scheherazade back to vivid, pulsing life for me, then what about other conductors? I started reading reviews, and selectively ordering Scheherazade CDs online. More recently, I found myself digging about in the secondhand section at Bath Compact Discs, presenting my heap of purchases at the counter while mumbling self-consciously about not really being some sort of Rimsky Korsakov nerd. In this way I've gathered together versions by Reiner, Kondrashin, Svetlanov, Litton, Schwarz, and Gergiev, and am currently waiting for Ansermet, Ormandy, and Stokowski. I haven't heard anything yet that challenges Beecham for the number 1 spot, but there are some superb versions out there, regardless. As I get to know them better I hope to add comments about them.
But I'll tell you this - to think that you've lost one of your oldest and dearest loves, and then discover, 50 years on, that you haven't, after all - that's a fine and heartwarming discovery to make.
Quote from: Elgarian on February 11, 2012, 09:09:14 AM
I'd like to plant a small seedling here, which I hope may grow into something more substantial.
I first heard Scheherazade when I was sixteen - one of the very first few pieces of classical music to make an impact. Rapidly I grew to love it. I spent serious money (at the time) on an LP of Paul Kletzki's version:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51dCoaftIaL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
I didn't realise at the time that I had a real firecracker of a performance (didn't even know how different performances could be). I only knew I loved it. I listened to it several times a week for many months, and in due course wore it out completely. I think also, that I overdid it, and allowed it to wear me out. So when eventually I threw away my vinyl, I didn't bother to replace Scheherazade with a CD version.
Years went by. I thought Scheherazade was part of my past - immensely valuable, but definitely past. But then one day I had a fancy to hear it again, and bought the Naxos CD, under Batiz:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51xC6C4KOLL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
This confirmed me in my suspicion that Scheherazade and I were now ex-lovers. I didn't stop to think that the Batiz performance might fall a good way short of Kletzki's; or at least might just not be my cup of tea. I just shrugged and moved on.
More years slipped by. Then I discovered that Immerseel and Anima Eterna had done a period instrument version of Scheherazade:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51V%2B1QkSAPL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
I was still riding the crest of the wave generated by Immerseel's fantastic Beethoven symphonies, so I couldn't get out my credit card fast enough. But although it was interesting to hear his take on the piece, I have to say that after several listenings it lost ground with me, and certainly failed to reignite my old passion for the music. (I listened to it again today, and found it even more disappointing: it's probably the least energising of all the Scheherazades I've been gathering together in recent weeks - more of which, anon.)
Which brings me to the Big Event of a couple of months ago, when purely on a whim, I bought this:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FUI0oXCYL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
After all, it was cheap; I had nothing much to lose, giving Scheherazade 'one more try', with a recording that is regarded as one of the very finest ever made. But I didn't expect much. I certainly didn't expect what happened, namely, that the music blew me out of my chair and left me in a state of gibbering bewilderment. My first love, Kletzki, may have been good, but by golly he was never this good. Out of the blue, Scheherazade was back on my personal map. I thought I knew the music backwards. I didn't. Beecham articulates the music with such clarity, such panache, such drama, and such delicacy, that I am no longer sitting in my chair: I'm in there with the princess through the night, being beguiled by her words, falling in love with her; I'm there on the ship, hanging on for dear life in the raging storm, marvelling in awe at the giant waves that tower over the boat.
This experience started a raging flashfire. If Beecham could bring Scheherazade back to vivid, pulsing life for me, then what about other conductors? I started reading reviews, and selectively ordering Scheherazade CDs online. More recently, I found myself digging about in the secondhand section at Bath Compact Discs, presenting my heap of purchases at the counter while mumbling self-consciously about not really being some sort of Rimsky Korsakov nerd. In this way I've gathered together versions by Reiner, Kondrashin, Svetlanov, Litton, Schwarz, and Gergiev, and am currently waiting for Ansermet, Ormandy, and Stokowski. I haven't heard anything yet that challenges Beecham for the number 1 spot yet, but there are some superb versions out there, regardless. As I get to know them better I hope to add comments about them.
But I'll tell you this - to think that you've lost one of your oldest and dearest loves, and then discover, 50 years on, that you haven't, after all - that's a fine and heartwarming discovery to make.
Very interesting read. I think we all go through this sort of thing with one piece or other that for some reason captures our imaginiation, falls to side for a while, and then the magic is recaptured.
I love Scheherezade. And you have some wonderful versions. I would add the Mackerras version on Telarc, which is excellent and in demonstration quality sound to boot.
Quote from: mc ukrneal on February 11, 2012, 11:40:02 PM
I would add the Mackerras version on Telarc, which is excellent and in demonstration quality sound to boot.
Thanks for the tip. Mackerras is on my radar, and I'll certainly pick one up at some point.
Do you share my disappointment with Immerseel, I wonder? (It would be good to learn that it has subtle qualities that I just haven't managed to discern yet.)
Quote from: Elgarian on February 11, 2012, 11:52:03 PM
Thanks for the tip. Mackerras is on my radar, and I'll certainly pick one up at some point.
Do you share my disappointment with Immerseel, I wonder? (It would be good to learn that it has subtle qualities that I just haven't managed to discern yet.)
Sorry, I have not heard that version.
There a new complete (3CD) set of Kitezh on Naxos on its way into the shops. I wonder how that does. Wonderful work, and though I love Gergiev's version, it's far from perfect.
QuoteThe new erato
There a new complete (3CD) set of Kitezh on Naxos on its way into the shops. I wonder how that does. Wonderful work, and though I love Gergiev's version, it's far from perfect.
I don't know the Naxos version, but I love the old version conducted by Nebolssin (1956) with the wonderful Natalya Rozhdestvenskaia as Fevronia and other great voices of the Bolshoi (Petrov, Ivanovski and Tarkhov as Gritshka).
Nebolssin also conducted (and very well) a splendid version of Tsar Saltan with the great Ivan Petrov, Verbitskaia and Rechetine (1955)
Not forgetting also the best Sadko I ever heard, conducted by Golovanov, with the extraordinary tenor Nelepp and other legendary voices such as Reizen, Lisitsian and Koslovsky.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/510HQcoxMOL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
I listened to Ormandy's Scheherazade this morning, so thought I'd jot down a few thoughts. These aren't carved in stone. It's quite possible that a second hearing would cause me to change my mind.
If I try to think of words to describe the performance, I'd be thinking of things like 'stately', 'beautiful', 'smooth', 'grand'. The third movement is lovely, but lovely in a silky and serene sort of way, rather than the bitter-sweet poignant sort of way that I tend to prefer. Not saying this isn't a valid way to go - I'm not saying what I think is best; just trying to express impressions and differences as I hear them.
Thinking next of the great climaxes - at the end of the second movement for instance, or the finale - the words I'd use are 'sweeping', 'majestic', 'epic'. This is a kind of Cinemascope Scheherazade, very enjoyable in its own terms, and if it were the only version a person had, I guess he could be happy with it. But I think he'd miss some important things: at no stage do I ever get a real sense of excitement as I do with, for example, Beecham. On board ship, with the storm raging, I get a sense of impressive 'special effects' rather than real danger. I feel there's a certain lack of forward momentum. And Scheherazade is a lovely creature but her voice doesn't quite manage to seduce me.
So Ormandy provided me with a very enjoyable 45 minutes this morning, and showed me an approach rather different to those I already know, but at the moment I don't think it's the approach I'd ever become most fond of.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51lOUOosoQL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
The Scheherazade odyssey continues with Svetlanov and his band of Russians (of course there's a lot more than Scheherazade in this 5 CD box).
I expected scrunchy and blaring Russian brass - and I did get some of that, though perhaps not as prominently as I'd anticipated. But what really struck me was that this is a wild ride. I don't know how accurate an interpretation it is, but I get the feeling that Svetlanov was determined not to let any part of the piece seem dull or laboured. The result seems a bit rough in places, but rough in all the best ways, and I must say I love it. There's lots of excitement and wiry fiddling, and he makes the music seem more Arabian than usual. (Or do I mean Russian, really? Maybe I can't tell the difference between these differently nuanced shades of exotica.)
If I had to have only one Scheherazade, it wouldn't be this one. It seems just a bit too idiosyncratic for that. But I shall want to revisit it, often.
Quote from: Elgarian on February 17, 2012, 01:30:17 PM
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51lOUOosoQL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
The Scheherazade odyssey continues with Svetlanov and his band of Russians (of course there's a lot more than Scheherazade in this 5 CD box).
I expected scrunchy and blaring Russian brass - and I did get some of that, though perhaps not as prominently as I'd anticipated. But what really struck me was that this is a wild ride. I don't know how accurate an interpretation it is, but I get the feeling that Svetlanov was determined not to let any part of the piece seem dull or laboured. The result seems a bit rough in places, but rough in all the best ways, and I must say I love it. There's lots of excitement and wiry fiddling, and he makes the music seem more Arabian than usual. (Or do I mean Russian, really? Maybe I can't tell the difference between these differently nuanced shades of exotica.)
If I had to have only one Scheherazade, it wouldn't be this one. It seems just a bit too idiosyncratic for that. But I shall want to revisit it, often.
I need to add this box to my collection ...
Recently got the Svetlanov "Scheherazade" LP & am looking forward to hearing it ...
Another charming and relatively overlooked, yet quite substantial work, is the "Concert Fantasy" op.33 (1886) for violin and orchestra, lasting 16 mins. It has been recorded by Issakadze (melodiya & licensed on other labels) and Rosand (vox-turnabout), among others. It doesn´t reach the level of say, Scheherazade, in creativity, though.
Quote from: DieNacht on February 17, 2012, 10:48:51 PM
Recently got the Svetlanov "Scheherazade" LP & am looking forward to hearing it ...
Another charming and relatively overlooked, yet quite substantial work, is the "Concert Fantasy" op.33 (1886) for violin and orchestra, lasting 16 mins. It has been recorded by Issakadze (melodiya & licensed on other labels) and Rosand (vox-turnabout), among others. It doesn´t reach th elevel of say, Scheherazade, in creativity, though.
I wasn't aware of the 'Concert Fantasy' so thanks for the tip-off. I'll look out for it.
When you've listened to your Svetlanov
Scheherazade, do please come back here and tell us your impressions of it.
About the Fantasy, there's a Milstein's recording, but it wasn't the original NRK but a Kreisler arrangement (that damn Austrian guy had nothing better to do that to made arrangements and transcriptions?)
About Sheherazade,there's an very old recording by Nikolai Golovanoff with the Bolshoi Orq. The orch.was a third class one, the sound is bad, but the violin solos were made by King David, and I've never heard something so beautiful.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41mocDbL9WL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Alright. Stokowski's 1975 recording of Scheherazade with the RPO. I prepared myself for fireworks, switched on, and sat down.
Well, this has me beat. It's full of little idiosyncrasies that would be acceptable if they achieved something, but ... what, exactly? In the third movement, for example, he goes for extreme variations of loudness between alternating phrases for no sensible reason that I can discern. If it's an attempt to suggest delicate nuances of feeling, it doesn't work for me. It seems more like the blunderbuss approach to delicacy of expression. There are weird breaks of rhythm that make the music seem choppy rather than lyrical. And worst of all, through the whole 4 movements I never came close to a sense of excitement.
Now, what shocks me is what the Gramophone reviewer said back in 1977:
"a vital, electrifying and colourful reading"; "the thrust of the music is irresistible, and in a work which can very easily seem fragmented, the Stokowskian concentration and persuasiveness will be hard for anyone to resist"; "delighted by the vividness and sense of reality".
I can hardly believe we're contemplating the same recording, but there's no mistake. We are. So maybe someone out there will find this the bees' knees. Alas, I'm one of those who is not delighted by it. I think it's niggly, overcooked, sometimes disruptively arrhythmic, but mostly just plain dull (I picked up a book and read while the last movement was playing). To make Scheherazade seem dull is quite a spectacular achievement, I'd say.
Quote from: Elgarian on February 18, 2012, 09:04:08 AM
Alright. Stokowski's 1975 recording of Scheherazade with the RPO.
Alas, I'm one of those who is not delighted by it. I think it's niggly, overcooked, sometimes disruptively arrhythmic, but mostly just plain dull ...
Me too.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61GBpxqCtvL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
One of the aspects of Rimsky Korsakov's work that I've never been involved with is his operas. I've had my eye on the Gergiev box for a while, thinking 'Ooh, there's all that to explore sometime'. But then in Bath Compact Discs a couple of weeks ago I found this recording of Mlada, and took the plunge. I listened to the first disc today.
Well, I am really flummoxed. I can't hear any tunes. Oh, there are some tuneful choral bits, and orchestral bits (particularly the famous passage in Act 2 Scene 3), but it's as if all tunefulness has been forbidden as long as only one person is singing. Now this is Rimsky Korsakov, the great tunesmith. So I can't understand this. Why does it sound so much like Klingon opera?
I could understand it if I were an opera newbie, but my shelves are laden with opera recordings, and I've listened my way through the whole Ring cycle more times than I can remember. Why is Rimsky Korsakov beyond me? Worst of it is, there are two more discs full of this stuff in this package - I can't imagine being able to face listening to those. And it looks now as though buying the Gergiev box would be downright foolish. Unless, unless, Mlada just happens to be a particularly difficult opera to tackle? Does anyone have consoling words to offer?
Quote from: Elgarian on February 17, 2012, 01:30:17 PM
The Scheherazade odyssey continues with Svetlanov and his band of Russians (of course there's a lot more than Scheherazade in this 5 CD box).
Wow, that sounds like the exact opposite of Svetlanov's interpretation on BBC Legends with the LSO. The BBC Svetlanov is more akin to - well, it's almost Celibidachian in its slowness, titanic weight, and sensuality. It weighs in at 50 minutes and feels like a Major Event.
Quote from: Elgarian on February 19, 2012, 11:27:58 AM
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61GBpxqCtvL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
One of the aspects of Rimsky Korsakov's work that I've never been involved with is his operas. I've had my eye on the Gergiev box for a while, thinking 'Ooh, there's all that to explore sometime'. But then in Bath Compact Discs a couple of weeks ago I found this recording of Mlada, and took the plunge. I listened to the first disc today.
Well, I am really flummoxed. I can't hear any tunes. Oh, there are some tuneful choral bits, and orchestral bits (particularly the famous passage in Act 2 Scene 3), but it's as if all tunefulness has been forbidden as long as only one person is singing. Now this is Rimsky Korsakov, the great tunesmith. So I can't understand this. Why does it sound so much like Klingon opera?
I could understand it if I were an opera newbie, but my shelves are laden with opera recordings, and I've listened my way through the whole Ring cycle more times than I can remember. Why is Rimsky Korsakov beyond me? Worst of it is, there are two more discs full of this stuff in this package - I can't imagine being able to face listening to those. And it looks now as though buying the Gergiev box would be downright foolish. Unless, unless, Mlada just happens to be a particularly difficult opera to tackle? Does anyone have consoling words to offer?
Hmm. I have this in my cart at mdt as they have a sale. So I cannot comment on this release in particular. But I have some comments that may help. His operas are not wall to wall tunes. I think an opera like Sadko is closer to what you are looking for. It has a number of luxurious tunes - very much what I think you would expect. But even here, it is a bit episodic, and his operas can sometimes lack drama. He also had a different approach for human characters and fantasy characters, which helps emphasize this, where the sound of the music is different for the different characters. On top of that, Mlada is less well know for tunes (with the exception of one, though perhaps I am being too harsh).
I think you need to listen to again, but need to approach it not expecting his orchestral works. This may disappoint you if you want more of the same, but there are some riches here nonethless. It may be that an opera suites disc will be more to your liking.
Quote from: Brian on February 19, 2012, 11:49:21 AM
Wow, that sounds like the exact opposite of Svetlanov's interpretation on BBC Legends with the LSO. The BBC Svetlanov is more akin to - well, it's almost Celibidachian in its slowness, titanic weight, and sensuality. It weighs in at 50 minutes and feels like a Major Event.
Interesting! And thanks for this Brian. I already have my eye on that Prom recording. It's next on my list when I have money again.
I second ukrneal - I would go to Sadko, Tsar Saltan, Kitezh, The Golden Cockerel, maybe even The Snow Maiden before Mlada, which I think is an early work. I have yet to be really blown away by a Rimsky opera, but while less overtly melodic than Tchaikovsky's I find them to be just as good.
Quote from: mc ukrneal on February 19, 2012, 11:53:06 AM
I think you need to listen to again, but need to approach it not expecting his orchestral works. This may disappoint you if you want more of the same, but there are some riches here nonethless. It may be that an opera suites disc will be more to your liking.
Not too sure about the 'listening again' suggestion - well, not for a while, anyway. (You should have seen the grimaces on my wife's face while the CD was playing).
I have most of the well-known orchestral suites already, and of course based my expectations on their tunefulness - which I think is partly why I've come so unexpectedly unstuck.
After reading Brian's observation about the duration of the Svetlanov/LSO performance, I put my anorak on and burrowed, nerdlike, into my pile of Scheherazade CDs to put together this list of timings:
Batiz (Philharmonia) 41:33
Ansermet (Suisse Romande) 43:15
Ormandy (Philadelphia) 44:06
Kondrashin (Concertgebouw) 44:16
Stokowski (Chicago) 44:23
Reiner (Chicago) 44:30
Svetlanov (URSS) 44:49
Beecham (RPO) 45:41
Dutoit (RPO) 45:44
Gergiev (Kirov) 45:51
Schwarz (Seattle) 45:52
Litton (LPO) 45:54
And we can add to that, Brian's Svetlanov recording with the LSO
Svetlanov (LSO) 48:52
Some observations:
1. I find it hard to believe the Batiz timing and wonder if he made cuts somewhere, as well as playing rather fast. (It may be fast but I still find it feels rather pedestrian.)
2. 'Wildness' (which is the word I use to describe Svetlanov's performance with his Russian guys) doesn't seem particularly related to speed. It's more about perceived attitude, I think. (In terms of timing he's comfortably in the middle of the list.)
3. I'm shocked to see that Litton's is the slowest in my collection. It didn't seem at all slow when I listened to it, and a revisiting is in order. (By contrast, Schwarz's 'felt' slow and ponderous, yet times out pretty much the same.)
Quote from: Elgarian on February 20, 2012, 12:22:12 AM
And we can add to that, Brian's Svetlanov recording with the LSO
Svetlanov (LSO) 48:52
And if you want to add these:
Järvi (Scottish National) 45:30
Previn (LSO) 46:05
Rostropovich (O de Paris) 47:43
Celibidache (RSO Stuttgart) 49:59
Celibidache (Munich Phil) 54:11
For those who know me, you won't have trouble guessing my favorite Scheherazade 8)
Sarge
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on February 20, 2012, 01:42:18 AM
And if you want to add these:
Järvi (Scottish National) 45:30
Previn (LSO) 46:05
Rostropovich (O de Paris) 47:43
Celibidache (RSO Stuttgart) 49:59
Celibidache (Munich Phil) 54:11
For those who know me, you won't have trouble guessing my favorite Scheherazade 8)
Sarge
Hmm. Let me think....
One more timing (though I think this is not as useful as movement by movement):
Mackerras 45.06.
Quote from: mc ukrneal on February 20, 2012, 02:02:30 AM
One more timing (though I think this is not as useful as movement by movement):
Celi/Munich 12:04 15:47 12:11 14:09
Sarge
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on February 20, 2012, 01:42:18 AM
Celibidache (Munich Phil) 54:11
Blimey Sarge! Much slower and it'd have to be a 2CD set!
Quote from: mc ukrneal on February 20, 2012, 02:02:30 AM
I think this is not as useful as movement by movement)
You're right, but I thought I didn't have enough time going spare. Now I think about it though, it wouldn't have taken me much longer. I may have another shot.
Quote from: Elgarian on February 20, 2012, 04:32:26 AM
You're right, but I thought I didn't have enough time going spare. Now I think about it though, it wouldn't have taken me much longer. I may have another shot.
Oh I wasn't trying to criticize, but I see it came out that way - was trying to say it more as a fact. I totally understand - we all have lives outside of here.
Quote from: mc ukrneal on February 20, 2012, 04:38:26 AM
Oh I wasn't trying to criticize, but I see it came out that way.
No, it didn't, Neal. It was a pertinent comment, accepted as such, and agreed with in the best of humour, I promise.
This was once a sensible post, but then I edited it by accident and couldn't recover the original. In the original, I had presented the individual movement timings for my discs, but I felt that I did so with such once-in-a-lifetime panache, wit, enthusiasm and profound insight, that its loss seems like a personal tragedy of magnitude comparable to ... oh, to the loss of an empty cereal packet. At least.
Still, we keep on, under adversity.
Järvi (Scottish National) 45:30 (10:18; 12:12; 10:53; 12:06)
Previn (LSO) 46:05 (11:04; 11:40; 11:05; 12:19)
Rostropovich (O de Paris) 47:43 (11:30; 12:55; 10:27; 12:49)
Celibidache (RSO Stuttgart) 49:59 [10:53; 14:31; 11:18; 13:17)
Quote from: Elgarian on February 20, 2012, 06:49:17 AM
[Does anyone know how to line up the numbers in vertical columns?]
I think Opus106 does. He did it in the Haydn thread a few times if you want to search for an example. Or you could PM him.
Mackerras LSO 45:06 (10:03; 11:56; 10:11; 12:56).
Thanks Sarge & Neal.
Batiz (Philharmonia) 41:33 (9:13; 11:09; 9:52; 11:19)
Ansermet (Suisse Romande) 43:15 (10:07; 11:09; 9:34; 12:25)
Ormandy (Philadelphia) 44:06 (10:17; 11:41; 9:46; 12:22)
Kondrashin (Concertgebouw) 44:16 (10:10; 12:08; 9:37; 12:21)
Stokowski (Chicago) 44:23 (9:33; 11:19; 11:21; 12:00)
Reiner (Chicago) 44:30 (9:06; 11:35; 12:02; 11:47)
Svetlanov (URSS) 44:49 (10:41; 11:37; 10:13; 12:18)
Mackerras LSO 45:06 (10:03; 11:56; 10:11; 12:56)
Järvi (Scottish National) 45:30 (10:18; 12:12; 10:53; 12:06)
Beecham (RPO) 45:41 (10:04; 12:02; 10:42; 12:51)
Dutoit (RPO) 45:44 (10:45; 11:46; 10:36; 12:37)
Gergiev (Kirov) 45:51 (10:26; 12:26; 10:55; 12:04)
Schwarz (Seattle) 45:52 (10:46; 11:34; 10:43; 12:48)
Litton (LPO) 45:54 (10:46; 12:06; 10:46; 12:16)
Previn (LSO) 46:05 (11:04; 11:40; 11:05; 12:19)
Rostropovich (O de Paris) 47:43 (11:30; 12:55; 10:27; 12:49)
Celibidache (RSO Stuttgart) 49:59 [10:53; 14:31; 11:18; 13:17)
Celibidache (Munich Phil) 54:11 (12:04; 15:47; 12:11; 14:09)
A few more:
Karajan BPO 46:27 (10:02; 12:50; 10:40; 12:55)
Beecham RPO 44:20 (9:39; 11:47; 10:15; 12:39)
Temirkanov NYPO 47:52 (11:06; 13:10; 11:10; 12:26)
Quote from: mc ukrneal on February 20, 2012, 07:25:29 AM
Beecham RPO 44:20 (9:39; 11:47; 10:15; 12:39)
I take it this is an earlier Beecham recording? (Mine is 1958, stereo.)
Some more 8):
Silvestri, Bournemouth SO circa 45:25 (10:19, 11:51, 10:52, 12:24)
Muti, Philadelphia circa 45:05 (10:04, 12:31, 10:16, 12:14)(LP timings)
M.Gould, Morton Gould SO circa 43:25 (9:49, 11:16, 10:30, 11:50)(LP timings)
Chalabala, Czech PO (no timings yet; LP only)
Scherchen, Wiener StaatsOper Orchestra circa 46:35 (11:50, 11:09, 10:12, 13:22)
Golovanov, D.Oistrakh, SO (you-tube) circa 43:45 (10:01, 11:40; 10:49; 11:12)
Quote from: Elgarian on February 20, 2012, 08:34:02 AM
I take it this is an earlier Beecham recording? (Mine is 1958, stereo.)
I'd guess so. Not sure what year it is from though. It is a download (my only one) and that is all the info I have, though sound is definitely older.
Quote from: DieNacht on February 20, 2012, 08:41:58 AM
Muti, Philadelphia circa 45:05 (10:04, 12:31, 10:16, 12:14)(LP timings)
What's the Muti like? I've been wondering about acquiring that.
(I'll let all these extras keep coming in and then produce a quasi-definitive list at some point, to include all we've gathered.)
Quote from: Elgarian on February 20, 2012, 11:48:51 AM
What's the Muti like? I've been wondering about acquiring that.
(I'll let all these extras keep coming in and then produce a quasi-definitive list at some point, to include all we've gathered.)
It´s been a long time since I heard it; I´m going through a rather nostalgic trip as regards performances of this work these days, due to exceptionally cheap LP sales some elder recordings are available. Today I bought the
Rostropovich LP presenting a Chagall cover illustration allegedly made for the recording occasion, but it was not in the Angel edition which should specify the Chagall story a bit more and which is also more attractive visually.
I liked
Svetlanov, it´s the only distinctively Russian performance I have got (Golovanov´s on you-t is on top of the list for a listen though). "Scheherazade" is Svetlanov in good shape, like he is in Kalinnikov´s 1st, the early melodiya recording of Balakirev`s "Tamar", Prokofiev´s "Alexander Nevsky" etc., to mention some highlights. Fine playing and delicate phrasing in the strings, and good sound (unlike his thin-sounding "Sacre" which I recently got and which was disappointing). I imagine the CD version must have even more spacious and impressive sound.
As regards
Stokowski/RPO I too remember it as less dramatic, though having some moments. But facing the competition - it is indeed a crowded field - you´re probably right in pointing to its faults. I wasn`t aware of that he has made one with Chicago SO; it might very well be better, Stokowski recordings can be so different from each other ...
I remember the Muti as good and impressive as regards the sound, but don´t really remember any details ...
This is a temporary post which I'll continue to modify, gradually putting the list into table form. (I took a peek at one of Navneeth's tables and copied his system. Don't imagine for a moment that I have any clue about what I'm doing, but it seems to work. It's painfully slow though, I can say that!)
| Batiz (Philharmonia) | 41:33 | 9:13 | 11:09 | 9:52 | 11:19 |
| Leinsdorf (Concert Arts) | 41:51 | 8:59 | 11.29 | 9:20 | 12:03 |
| Ansermet (Suisse Romande) | 43:15 | 10:07 | 11:09 | 9:34 | 12:25 |
| M.Gould (Morton Gould SO) LP | 43:25 | 9:49 | 11:16 | 10:30 | 11:50 |
| Golovanov (D.Oistrakh, SO) YT | 43:45 | 10:01 | 11:40 | 10:49 | 11:12 |
| Ormandy (Philadelphia) | 44:06 | 10:17 | 11:41 | 9:46 | 12:22 |
| Kondrashin (Concertgebouw) | 44:16 | 10:10 | 12:08 | 9:37 | 12:21 |
| Beecham (RPO, early date) | 44:20 | 9:39 | 11:47 | 10:15 | 12:39 |
| Stokowski (Chicago) | 44:23 | 9:33 | 11:19 | 11:21 | 12:00 |
| Reiner (Chicago) | 44:30 | 9:06 | 11:35 | 12:02 | 11:47 |
| Svetlanov (URSS) | 44:49 | 10:41 | 11:37 | 10:13 | 12:18 |
| Muti ( Philadelphia) LP | 45:05 | 10:04 | 12:31 | 10:16 | 12:14 |
| Mackerras (LSO) | 45:06 | 10:03 | 11:56 | 10:11 | 12:56 |
| Silvestri (Bournemouth SO) | 45:25 | 10:19 | 11:51 | 10:52 | 12:24 |
| Järvi (Scottish National) | 45:30 | 10:18 | 12:12 | 10:53 | 12:06 |
| Beecham (RPO, 1958) | 45:41 | 10:04 | 12:02 | 10:42 | 12:51 |
| Dutoit (RPO) | 45:44 | 10:45 | 11:46 | 10:36 | 12:37 |
| Gergiev (Kirov) | 45:51 | 10:26 | 12:26 | 10:55 | 12:04 |
| Schwarz (Seattle) | 45:52 | 10:46 | 11:34 | 10:43 | 12:48 |
| Litton (LPO) | 45:54 | 10:46 | 12:06 | 10:46 | 12:16 |
| Previn (LSO) | 46:05 | 11:04 | 11:40 | 11:05 | 12:19 |
| Karajan BPO | 46:27 | 10:02 | 12:50 | 10:40 | 12:55 |
| Scherchen (Wiener StaatsOper Orch) LP | 46:35 | 11:50 | 11:09 | 10:12 | 13:22 |
| Rostropovich (O de Paris) | 47:43 | 11:30 | 12:55 | 10:27 | 12:49 |
| Temirkanov NYPO | 47:52 | 11:06 | 13:10 | 11:10 | 12:26 |
| Celibidache (RSO Stuttgart) | 49:59 | 10:53 | 14:31 | 11:18 | 13:17 |
| Celibidache (Munich Phil) | 54:11 | 12:04 | 15:47 | 12:11 | 14:09 |
Quote from: DieNacht on February 20, 2012, 12:13:12 PM
It´s been a long time since I heard it; I´m going through a rather nostalgic trip as regards performances of this work these days, due to exceptionally cheap LP sales some elder recordings are available. Today I bought the Rostropovich LP presenting a Chagall cover illustration allegedly made for the recording occasion, but it was not in the Angel edition which should specify the Chagall story a bit more and which is also more attractive visually.
I liked Svetlanov, it´s the only distinctively Russian performance I have got (Golovanov´s on you-t is on top of the list for a listen though). "Scheherazade" is Svetlanov in good shape, like he is in Kalinnikov´s 1st, the early melodiya recording of Balakirev`s "Tamar", Prokofiev´s "Alexander Nevsky" etc., to mention some highlights. Fine playing and delicate phrasing in the strings, and good sound (unlike his thin-sounding "Sacre" which I recently got and which was disappointing). I imagine the CD version must have even more spacious and impressive sound.
As regards Stokowski/RPO I too remember it as less dramatic, though having some moments. But facing the competition - it is indeed a crowded field - you´re probably right in pointing to its faults. I wasn`t aware of that he has made one with Chicago SO; it might very well be better, Stokowski recordings can be so different from each other ...
I remember the Muti as good and impressive as regards the sound, but don´t really remember any details ...
I recall reading that at the time Muti was very deliberately recording blockbuster versions of the popular classics, so it could be quite a bit of fun.
Incidentally, I recently discovered that Rozhdestvensky did a version of
Scheherazade as part of a series of 'The 50 best Classics' or something. Of course it's long out of print and I could find only one or two copies of it on CD, but I've decided to give it a try and am awaiting its arrival. I love Rozhdestvensky's approach to Sibelius symphonies, and although this is of course a very different kettle of fish, I'm hoping some of the raw blaringness that he expresses there might make for an interesting take on
Scheherazade.
Quote from: Elgarian on February 20, 2012, 12:25:00 PM
I recall reading that at the time Muti was very deliberately recording blockbuster versions of the popular classics, so it could be quite a bit of fun.
Incidentally, I recently discovered that Rozhdestvensky did a version of Scheherazade as part of a series of 'The 50 best Classics' or something. Of course it's long out of print and I could find only one or two copies of it on CD, but I've decided to give it a try and am awaiting its arrival. I love Rozhdestvensky's approach to Sibelius symphonies, and although this is of course a very different kettle of fish, I'm hoping some of the raw blaringness that he expresses there might make for an interesting take on Scheherazade.
It would be interesting to know the year of the Rozhdestvensky recording (a novelty to me); his early recordings can be very temperamental, whereas the later ones vary more in the attitude to the works ...
Quote from: Elgarian on February 20, 2012, 12:16:25 PMThis is a temporary post which I'll continue to modify, gradually putting the list into table form. (I took a peek at one of Navneeth's tables and copied his system. Don't imagine for a moment that I have any clue about what I'm doing, but it seems to work. It's painfully slow though, I can say that!)
Since the forum recognises multiple spaces in posts, you can use that as a quick-and-dirty way to get a similar result.
Quote from: Elgarian on February 20, 2012, 12:16:25 PM
| Ormandy (Philadelphia) | 44:06 | 10:17 | 11:41 | 9:46 | 12:22 |
You know Ormandy omitted several bars, right?
Quote from: DieNacht on February 20, 2012, 12:30:06 PM
It would be interesting to know the year of the Rozhdestvensky recording (a novelty to me); his early recordings can be very temperamental, whereas the later ones vary more in the attitude to the works ...
I'll let you know when the CD arrives.
Quote from: MishaK on February 20, 2012, 06:03:20 PM
You know Ormandy omitted several bars, right?
No, but thanks for the information. (It's generally safe to assume that I know very little!)
Quote from: eyeresist on February 20, 2012, 01:48:57 PM
Since the forum recognises multiple spaces in posts, you can use that as a quick-and-dirty way to get a similar result.
I've tried that, and I can get a kind of result that way, but the spacing isn't consistent (I presume the font is proportional, so each character occupies a slightly different space). So I end up with slightly wonky columns all the way down.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71Uvl9RRzYL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
I was surprised to discover that Litton's Scheherazade was one of the slower ones, and so I listened to it again today (third time). I find I'm quite lost for words. I really love this interpretation, though I can't say why. It doesn't sparkle in the way that Beecham does; it doesn't fly wildly like Svetlanov; it doesn't have the perfection of Kondrashin, or the smooth Cinemascope glossiness of Ormandy. It just suits me, almost perfectly. It's Romantic in all the ways I like; it has real weight in the climaxes. The wind whistles with just the right force, and the waves gather and crash mightily when they need to. The Prince and Princess are meltingly beautiful without being insipid. But I really haven't a clue just what it is that makes this feel so satisfying, compared with others.
Twenty years ago Gramophone damned it with faint praise ('exciting without being electrifying'), and I can see how one might say that - but it's not the whole truth. At least, not for me. It has a warmth; I get an impression of great affection for the music; I feel that affection myself. It breaks no new ground; it doesn't make me rethink any aspect of Scheherazade. It just fits me like a glove.
I'd like to think that at the end of this Arabian Odyssey, I'll be able to sort my Scheherazade discs into the 'indispensables' and the, well, 'not indispensables'. I've a fair way to go yet, but so far, Beecham, Svetlanov (with his Russian band), and now Litton have made it into the ranks of definite keepers.
This thread has rekindled my interest, long dormant, in R-K. I too had an early experience with Scheherazade and can almost attest to that work being my primary introduction to classical music in general. But, it has been decades since I have listened to any music from this composer.
I am sorely tempted to dive in again with the operas.
I found these two complementary box sets, both featuring Russian performers, which amazingly do not have any duplication as far as I can tell and are priced very nicely:
[asin]B004I4HCT6[/asin]
[asin]B001UUNAJM[/asin]
Yes, I am sorely tempted.
:)
Quote from: Arnold on February 22, 2012, 11:37:33 AM
I am sorely tempted.
Well we know what Oscar Wilde would advise:
"The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it."
Quote from: Elgarian on February 21, 2012, 12:59:46 AMI've tried that, and I can get a kind of result that way, but the spacing isn't consistent (I presume the font is proportional, so each character occupies a slightly different space). So I end up with slightly wonky columns all the way down.
You can change the font to a monospace one, e.g. Courier.
Quote from: eyeresist on February 22, 2012, 04:38:55 PM
You can change the font to a monospace one, e.g. Courier.
Ah yes! Thanks. I've just been trying that out, and I can see that eventually it would be possible to sort everything out that way, but I find there are still some weird effects, caused by the fact that what you see in the input panel isn't what you see in the final post. I may as well stick to the system I've started I think - though in any case I'm pressed for time at the moment and it may well lie unchanged for a week or two.
Ah, I have been misled. I'd ordered this version of Scheherazade believing it to be conducted by Rozhdestvensky.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51nXZPVSebL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Actually Rozhdestvensky does conduct the Russian Easter Overture on this CD (with the O de Paris), but Scheherazade is conducted by Leinsdorf with the Concert Arts Orch. No matter - it was a very cheap purchase, and it'll be interesting to see what Leinsdorf makes of it anyway. (Information on the packaging is sparse, but after scooting around the Internet I think I'm right in concluding that this was originally recorded in 1960.)
I recommend this one:
(http://s7.postimage.org/4rdu9w3gb/Rimsky_Korsakov_Schereazade_Op35_vinyl_LP.jpg)
and although this has nothing to do with R-K, you may wish to try this, too:
http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=1606892 (http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=1606892)
... the band are good instrumentalists, and Annie Haslam has an excellent voice.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51nXZPVSebL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
This 1960 Leinsdorf recording is so hard to find that it's not worth writing much about it - but I've listened to it, so I may as well comment.
It starts by setting itself an obstacle that's not easy to overcome subsequently. You know those opening bars - those powerful chords, which (I always suppose) represent the implacably threatening menace of Scheherazade's husband. Well, in this performance they aren't very threatening, they're not implacable, and they offer about as much menace as a bad-tempered wave of a feather duster. On the one hand, this is the low point in the whole recording; on the other, it gets things off to such a bad start that it's hard to forgive it.
Second problem is the speed. Like Batiz's performance, this one clocks in at under 42 minutes total, and, like Batiz's, it sounds rushed. Not exciting. Rushed. The fast tempo suggests to me (others may read it differently) not so much an enthusiasm to unfold the exciting tale, as a keenness to get home early for tea.
This is not to say that the performance is hopeless - it really does have its moments. For example the finale of the second movement (always a key point, for me) builds up the tension to the climax spectacularly well. And despite some really rather plodding passages where I'd hope for more delicacy, there's also plenty to disarm, in between. So it's not a write-off; but with so many cracking versions to choose from, I can't think of a really good reason for settling on this.
Quote from: Elgarian on February 29, 2012, 11:41:33 AM
This 1960 Leinsdorf recording is so hard to find that it's not worth writing much about it - but I've listened to it, so I may as well comment.
You listen, so we don't have to ;)
Danke for the Rimsky posts, I enjoy them. Do you feel anything even middlingly strong for his other comparable works - Antar for example?
Quote from: Lethevich on February 29, 2012, 12:02:20 PM
Do you feel anything even middlingly strong for his other comparable works - Antar for example?
Antar is pretty good, isn't it? I'm by no means impervious to it. And the
Easter Festival Overture, though there's one of the tunes - oh, a really lovely one that comes in very early and reappears a couple of times - that I always feel is seriously underdeveloped. He states this theme and I imagine he's going to do something amazing with it later, but he doesn't. (I know he had a particular agenda with this piece, so it's not fair of me to ask for it to be other than it is; but still, I do.)
But I've never heard anything yet that has the ravishing narrative, melodic, and richly textured orchestral dynamic qualities that
Scheherazade has. I can't begin to express how thrilled I am to have rediscovered it, after thinking I'd worn it out long ago. I'm still happily stumbling among the various versions I've recently accumulated, completely unable to decide which is 'best' (thank goodness), and really just enjoying the quiddity of each.
It may
seem that I've been listening to nothing but
Scheherazade for weeks, but I'm not quite so far gone as that, yet. It's just that I haven't been posting often, and the only interesting things I've had to
say have been about
Scheherazade; which isn't the same thing.
I've now finished tabulating the timings for
Scheherazade that have been contributed so far, and thought I'd repost the final table here (and maybe delete some of my untidy 'work in progress' clutter earlier in the thread).
If there are more, just post 'em, and I'll update the list. One day.
Scheherazade timings (Total, followed by each of the four movements)
| Batiz (Philharmonia) | 41:33 | 9:13 | 11:09 | 9:52 | 11:19 |
| Leinsdorf (Concert Arts) | 41:51 | 8:59 | 11.29 | 9:20 | 12:03 |
| Ansermet (Suisse Romande) | 43:15 | 10:07 | 11:09 | 9:34 | 12:25 |
| M.Gould (Morton Gould SO) LP | 43:25 | 9:49 | 11:16 | 10:30 | 11:50 |
| Golovanov (D.Oistrakh, SO) YT | 43:45 | 10:01 | 11:40 | 10:49 | 11:12 |
| Ormandy (Philadelphia) | 44:06 | 10:17 | 11:41 | 9:46 | 12:22 |
| Kondrashin (Concertgebouw) | 44:16 | 10:10 | 12:08 | 9:37 | 12:21 |
| Beecham (RPO, early date) | 44:20 | 9:39 | 11:47 | 10:15 | 12:39 |
| Stokowski (Chicago) | 44:23 | 9:33 | 11:19 | 11:21 | 12:00 |
| Reiner (Chicago) | 44:30 | 9:06 | 11:35 | 12:02 | 11:47 |
| Svetlanov (URSS) | 44:49 | 10:41 | 11:37 | 10:13 | 12:18 |
| Muti ( Philadelphia) LP | 45:05 | 10:04 | 12:31 | 10:16 | 12:14 |
| Mackerras (LSO) | 45:06 | 10:03 | 11:56 | 10:11 | 12:56 |
| Silvestri (Bournemouth SO) | 45:25 | 10:19 | 11:51 | 10:52 | 12:24 |
| Järvi (Scottish National) | 45:30 | 10:18 | 12:12 | 10:53 | 12:06 |
| Beecham (RPO, 1958) | 45:41 | 10:04 | 12:02 | 10:42 | 12:51 |
| Dutoit (RPO) | 45:44 | 10:45 | 11:46 | 10:36 | 12:37 |
| Gergiev (Kirov) | 45:51 | 10:26 | 12:26 | 10:55 | 12:04 |
| Schwarz (Seattle) | 45:52 | 10:46 | 11:34 | 10:43 | 12:48 |
| Litton (LPO) | 45:54 | 10:46 | 12:06 | 10:46 | 12:16 |
| Previn (LSO) | 46:05 | 11:04 | 11:40 | 11:05 | 12:19 |
| Karajan BPO | 46:27 | 10:02 | 12:50 | 10:40 | 12:55 |
| Scherchen (Wiener StaatsOper Orch) LP | 46:35 | 11:50 | 11:09 | 10:12 | 13:22 |
| Rostropovich (O de Paris) | 47:43 | 11:30 | 12:55 | 10:27 | 12:49 |
| Temirkanov NYPO | 47:52 | 11:06 | 13:10 | 11:10 | 12:26 |
| Celibidache (RSO Stuttgart) | 49:59 | 10:53 | 14:31 | 11:18 | 13:17 |
| Celibidache (Munich Phil) | 54:11 | 12:04 | 15:47 | 12:11 | 14:09 |
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CeZULY3aL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
This will be my 3000th post on GMG, and it feels right to use it to return again to Rimsky-Korsakov.
I can't claim any originality in singing the praises of Reiner's Scheherazade. Like Beecham's, it's been so long recognised as a classic; also like Beecham's, there's no need to make any allowances for the recording quality, despite both being recorded in the 1950s. They're both fine, open, dynamic recordings, and I don't think anyone need hesitate on that account.
From the very opening chords, powerful, menacing, and implacable, you feel you could be in for something very special, and at no stage afterwards does Reiner disappoint. He's the complete master of the ebb and flow of the music; of its lyrical beauty; of its narrative power. I can't find anything in his performance that doesn't deeply satisfy.
But that's not the whole story. There's one particular characteristic of this performance that I really love, but which is hard to describe. He continually makes tiny adjustments of tempo that are slightly unexpected but which, in their place, feel entirely right, and add to the sense of dramatic unfolding. I often have the impression that a note comes in a little later than expected here; or extends for slightly longer than expected there. I suppose these are nuances that are too small to register as changes from the score (I wouldn't know that), and yet they make a great difference to the perceived dynamics of the music. With a piece so very, very familiar as Scheherazade, there's always the risk of any performance seeming stale, but these idiosyncratic, affectionate, and expressive adjustments that Reiner makes pretty well rule out that possibility. Reading this through again, I fear I've given the impression of something pernickety or discomforting, but that's not the case at all. It's a performance of tremendous power and sensitivity, bringing (I would say) a unique perspective to the music that I think I could never tire of.
So my personal list of desert island Scheherazades has now increased to four, so far: Beecham, Svetlanov (with Russian band), Litton, and now Reiner.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Y4prrzasL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Two of the dangers of this extensive Scheherazade journey I've embarked upon are, first, the risk of getting stale, and, second, the possibility that I might search so hard to find differences between the recordings that I overemphasise them. I don't yet feel any sense of staleness, however; and I think the differences I'm hearing are significant differences to me. They may of course not be very significant to others.
Anyway, for good or ill, Dutoit is now up for discussion. This is quite a recent recording (2010-ish). And if someone bought this with a view to having just one recording of Scheherazade in their collection, they could do a lot worse. They may even fancy themselves close to Total Scheherazade Happiness, and they may be right - as long as they never hear Beecham or Reiner, which might upset the apple cart a bit.
I have the feeling that this performance starts quite well, but gets steadily better. Certainly the final movement lacks nothing in excitement, and Dutoit (and the recording engineers) get a big, warm, impressive and exciting driving sound from the orchestra. It's a good performance; it won't shake the roots of your understanding of the music, but you'll enjoy the ride.
I hope I'm not imagining this, but I think I detect some interesting and unusual playing from the solo violinist, Clio Gould. A female solo violinist, no less. I think (I haven't checked) this is the only female solo violinist I've heard playing Scheherazade, and I wonder if this accounts for the effect I think I'm noticing: against an orchestral performance which basically takes few risks, the violin passages sometimes seem quite strikingly individualistic. Does Clio Gould have a greater empathy with Scheherazade herself than a man could manage, merely by being a man? Or am I just being fanciful? [For what it's worth, I hadn't noticed the gender of the violinist until after I'd noticed the idiosyncrasies I've mentioned.] At any rate, this thought is going to keep me going back to this performance a few more times yet, at least, if only to listen more intently to the solo violin parts.
[One last thought - The Russian Easter Festival Overture that fills out this disc is really deliciously, heart-meltingly played; this could be my favourite performance of the piece.]
Many good recordings of Sheherazade were already listed in the thread. But I believe I should also mention Pierre Monteux.
There are 2 recordings of Scheherazade by Pierre Monteux – the first (rec 1942) with the San Francisco SO and the latter (rec 1957) with the London SO. They are both exciting performances. The San Francisco is much less transparent but the tension is amazing, with immaginative colors, surprising details and wonderful panache.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ENVPwyj8L._SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://api.ning.com/files/U4oVgKZNaeDOqdmar9ceI5KNWJO6*UVBJvJxqao8kbNhkSEJlVVRgDvb*4YO34ZmYDj8IKkBgKjCONLMjYXD0eibBFzter6B/Monteux.jpg) (http://cover7.cduniverse.com/CDUCoverArt/Music/Large/23/6697523.jpg)
Well, well, well. A couple of days ago Muti's Scheherazade dropped onto the doormat:
(http://www.europadisc.co.uk/images/products-190/5747512.jpg)
I'd ordered this, to be honest, with only mild interest. It cost me £2.99, post free. I had no great expectations. I put it into the player, picked up my book, and began to read, not anticipating that my reading would be much disturbed. In any case, I've listened to far too many Scheherazades in recent weeks. I must be suffering to some extent from Rimsky fatigue - right?
I lasted less than 5 minutes before putting the book down. I'm having difficulty pinpointing what it is about this performance that so captivates me, but captivate me it most certainly does. The orchestral sound is wonderfully and warmly spacious. The very sound of it makes me think of balmy Arabian evenings. Solo instruments seem to sing with exquisite clarity against this background like birdsong in the sultan's garden. But over and through all this is a sense of romantic lyricism and dramatic responsiveness that I find I can accept without question and allow it to carry me along. As I write that, I realise that I'm in danger of making it seem a bit wishy-washy, but oh no: the second movement, for example, is full of tension, strained to just the right degree, and then released with perfect timing. The climactic ending of the 2nd movement is simply superb. It makes me want to punch the air, turn up the volume, open the window, and frighten the neighbours with it.
Three quid, for this stunning recording? Could be the best bargain basement value-for-money Scheherazade on the market. This joins my list of keepers and gets glued in for good. It could even challenge Beecham for my desert island Scheherazade choice (never thought that would be possible). And if I were able to conduct an orchestra (in my dreams!), then this is the kind of Scheherazade interpretation that I would be wanting to present. Oh yes.
I have 8 or 10 recordings of Schehrezade. It's one of my favorites. I've heard most of the versions mentioned here, but the best I've heard is Previn. I stumbled across it in a used bin. It's been out of print for years. Perfect!
Quote from: Elgarian on March 09, 2012, 01:27:12 PMI'm having difficulty pinpointing what it is about this performance that so captivates me, but captivate me it most certainly does. The orchestral sound is wonderfully and warmly spacious. The very sound of it makes me think of balmy Arabian evenings. Solo instruments seem to sing with exquisite clarity against this background like birdsong in the sultan's garden.
Well, EMI's recordings of the Philharmonia tend to sound pretty awesome! I will have to keep an eye out for this one.
Well well well. Fancy this. I've been hoping throughout my Scheherazade explorations to find on CD the recording that originally enchanted me (on LP) nearly 50 years ago: Kletzki with the Philharmonia, and Hugh Bean on violin:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51dCoaftIaL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
I think maybe it was never transferred to CD. Certainly I can't find one. But I discovered the other day that it can be had as an Amazon download:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005Q3SWSS/ref=dm_sp_alb?ie=UTF8&qid=1338019663&sr=1-1-catcorr (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005Q3SWSS/ref=dm_sp_alb?ie=UTF8&qid=1338019663&sr=1-1-catcorr).
I'm really not interested in downloading music, but in this case beggars couldn't be choosers; and Amazon had given me some promotional downloading points, which would otherwise be wasted, so I took the plunge. The experiment cost less than £2, so nothing to lose. Burned the tracks onto CD, took it into the garden, and sat in the sunshine, prepared to be ravished by Kletzki's Scheherazade.
Well there was always a chance that my memory had deceived me into elevating this ('my first Scheherazade') to a status it didn't really deserve; but no, it really is a smashing performance. Maybe not quite up to Beecham, Svetlanov or Muti, but I certainly hadn't been deceived as a mere stripling. Even so, at the end I felt rather flattened. Not because of the performance, but because of the recording quality. This was obviously transferred from a vinyl LP. And it showed, in the continuous surface rustle apparent in the quiet bits, spits and pops, lack of dynamic range, and slightly unpleasant 'boxy' sound. I doubt if I shall want to listen to this very often. Despite the performance, I can't recommend this download , for these very reasons.
Curiously, I don't have this problem with recordings from 78 (eg Elgar's conducted stuff) because I can approach it differently; it doesn't offer anything like a hifi experience, and one can settle for that. But a bad transfer from vinyl does raise hifi expectations - and then goes on and on disappointing, to exhaustion.
For the record, Kletzki's timings are 10.24, 11.14, 10.31 and 12.20. (44.29 altogether.)
Chalabala´s recording is now on a first-CD issue, a twofer for one cd´s price or an mp3 at Amazon.de
Timings are:
10.09 11.32 11.33 12:20
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51fIqAxPzaL._SS500_.jpg)
EDIT: This is the early Chalabala-recording from 1953 in mono. He also made a stereo version. I´m beginning to wonder whether my LP version which clearly states "stereo" by the same forces is in fact this 1953 recording "restored". The sound is very spacious and clear, yet not very differentiated between the loudspeakers, so I guess that is the case.
95% dedicated to Sherhazade. Seem that as almost always happen, you don't know or don't care about chamber music. NRK string quartet and sextet, his piano and winds quintet and his huge piano trio don't mean nothing to you? And what about the movements he wrote for the collective string quartet works in honor to their protector Mitrofan Belaiev?
Quote from: carlos on May 26, 2012, 03:31:41 PM
95% dedicated to Sherhazade. Seem that as almost always happen, you don't know or don't care about chamber music. NRK string quartet and sextet, his piano and winds quintet and his huge piano trio don't mean nothing to you? And what about the movements he wrote for the collective string quartet works in honor to their protector Mitrofan Belaiev?
The focus on
Scheherazade has arisen because I've been (with the help of my friends here) engaging in an exploration of the various recordings of that particular work. For the explanation, see here (#56):
http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,4892.msg600643.html#msg600643 (http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,4892.msg600643.html#msg600643)
I'd add that I find
Scheherazade almost inexhaustible, so I don't see these extended discussions of its recorded interpretations as in any way reprehensible. Rather, the music itself invites and rewards such attention.
I've dipped a toe into the operas but find them difficult to get into, much to my regret. But I'd surely appreciate some comment on the other works by R-K that I'm not familiar with (such as the chamber works you mention), and warmly invite you to say more about them.
.[asin]B0007INY4E[/asin]
Best I've heard of both pieces.
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on May 27, 2012, 06:12:21 AM
.[asin]B0007INY4E[/asin]
Best I've heard of both pieces.
Fascinating! Of all the
Scheherazades I've tried, the only one I couldn't get on with at all was Stokowski's!
Which goes to show, as I've said before - how lucky we are to have such a wide diversity of interpretations available that there's something to suit everyone.
Quote from: Elgarian on May 27, 2012, 07:57:39 AM
Fascinating! Of all the Scheherazades I've tried, the only one I couldn't get on with at all was Stokowski's!
Which goes to show, as I've said before - how lucky we are to have such a wide diversity of interpretations available that there's something to suit everyone.
This is very true, Elgarian. Which is why I also try to never label a recording as "definitive" because I don't think that exists. Different strokes for different folks. ;D
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on May 27, 2012, 08:02:31 AM
This is very true, Elgarian. Which is why I also try to never label a recording as "definitive" because I don't think that exists. Different strokes for different folks. ;D
Emphatically yes. I rejoice in your choice!
Quote from: DieNacht on May 26, 2012, 05:10:42 AM
Chalabala´s recording is now on a first-CD issue, a twofer for one cd´s price or an mp3 at Amazon.de
Timings are:
10.09 11.32 11.33 12:20
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51fIqAxPzaL._SS500_.jpg)
This sounds like an interesting recording. Czech Philharmonic is probably the best orchestra in central/eastern Europe ...
Quote from: Coopmv on May 27, 2012, 08:14:55 AM
This sounds like an interesting recording. Czech Philharmonic is probably the best orchestra in central/eastern Europe ...
I'm tempted myself, though the recording was (I think) made in the mid-1950s, and the samples I've heard are mono; and so I think I might end up just listening to it once, admiring it, then leaving it on the shelf.
Concerning Chalabala, I like it a lot. Many narrative details and fluent tempo.
EDIT: You are right. Checking further info, it is recorded from 1953. I´m beginning to wonder whether my LP version which clearly states "stereo" by the same forces is in fact a "restored" 1953 recording. The sound is very spacious and clear, yet not very differentiated between the loudspeakers, so I guess that is the case.
@Elgarian: I'm and have been a serious listener and records collector for more than 55 years, but I'm not a musician, don't play any instrument nor can I read a sheet. So, can't made a musical analysis nor a technical comment about NRK chamber. All I can say is that I love those works, and IMO, the big piano trio is one of the best in Russian in the 19Th.century, with Tchaikovsky's and Taneyev's.
BTW, anybody knows Scheherazade by Nicolai Golovanoff and Moscow Bolshoi orch.(1947)?. The orchestra was third class, and the sound is really bad (in 1947, recording technique in Russian was crap), but the concertino was David Oistrakh, and the violin solos are just marvellous.
Quote from: DieNacht on May 27, 2012, 11:37:32 AM
Concerning Chalabala, I like it a lot. Many narrative details and fluent tempo.
EDIT: You are right. Checking further info, it is recorded from 1953. I´m beginning to wonder whether my LP version which clearly states "stereo" by the same forces is in fact a "restored" 1953 recording. The sound is very spacious and clear, yet not very differentiated between the loudspeakers, so I guess that is the case.
Unfortunately, I checked on Amazon under Vaclav Neumann, who was the conductor of the Czech Philharmonic for many years but cannot find any recording of works by Rimsky-Korsakov ...
Quote from: carlos on May 27, 2012, 01:23:17 PM
@Elgarian: I'm and have been a serious listener and records collector for more than 55 years, but I'm not a musician, don't play any instrument nor can I read a sheet. So, can't made a musical analysis nor a technical comment about NRK chamber. All I can say is that I love those works, and IMO, the big piano trio is one of the best in Russian in the 19Th.century, with Tchaikovsky's and Taneyev's.
That's all OK. Heck, anyone around here will tell you that I'm a complete musical ignoramus in the technical sense. I just listen and write about what I hear, and hope it makes sense to someone else, somewhere.
Can you recommend particular recordings of the chamber pieces you love?
OK:
Quartet op12+quartet B-La-F (in honor to Belaief). This is a collective in 4 movements by RK,Lyadov, Borodin and Glazunov. The Lyric quartet.
Sextet for strings.Ensemble Classique Koln.
Quintet piano and winds. Eva Knardahl and Gothemburg wind quintet.
Piano trio: Oistrakh trio.
He ;D wrote string quartet single movements for "Fridays" and "Birthday", also collective works.
Quote from: carlos on May 27, 2012, 01:23:17 PMBTW, anybody knows Scheherazade by Nicolai Golovanoff and Moscow Bolshoi orch.(1947)?. The orchestra was third class, and the sound is really bad (in 1947, recording technique in Russian was crap), but the concertino was David Oistrakh, and the violin solos are just marvellous.
That conductor's better known as Golovanov, a bit of a cult figure. Apparently his Scriabin is amazing, but in horrible sound.
[ASIN]B004PGNN40[/ASIN]
Horrible sound of itself is amazing, in a way....
Golovanov's Liszt is something else too.
Quote from: Elgarian on March 09, 2012, 01:27:12 PM
Well, well, well. A couple of days ago Muti's Scheherazade dropped onto the doormat:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71%2BibCQR64L._SL1068_.jpg) (http://www.amazon.com/Rimsky-Korsakov-Scheherazade-Tchaikovsky-1812-Overture/dp/B00005NPJR)
I'd ordered this, to be honest, with only mild interest. It cost me £2.99, post free. I had no great expectations. I put it into the player, picked up my book, and began to read, not anticipating that my reading would be much disturbed. In any case, I've listened to far too many Scheherazades in recent weeks. I must be suffering to some extent from Rimsky fatigue - right?
I lasted less than 5 minutes before putting the book down. I'm having difficulty pinpointing what it is about this performance that so captivates me, but captivate me it most certainly does. The orchestral sound is wonderfully and warmly spacious. The very sound of it makes me think of balmy Arabian evenings. Solo instruments seem to sing with exquisite clarity against this background like birdsong in the sultan's garden. But over and through all this is a sense of romantic lyricism and dramatic responsiveness that I find I can accept without question and allow it to carry me along. As I write that, I realise that I'm in danger of making it seem a bit wishy-washy, but oh no: the second movement, for example, is full of tension, strained to just the right degree, and then released with perfect timing. The climactic ending of the 2nd movement is simply superb. It makes me want to punch the air, turn up the volume, open the window, and frighten the neighbours with it.
Three quid, for this stunning recording? Could be the best bargain basement value-for-money Scheherazade on the market. This joins my list of keepers and gets glued in for good. It could even challenge Beecham for my desert island Scheherazade choice (never thought that would be possible). And if I were able to conduct an orchestra (in my dreams!), then this is the kind of Scheherazade interpretation that I would be wanting to present. Oh yes.
Courtesy of your enthusiasm, Elgarian, I looked for, found, and have now heard Muti's
Scheherazade (http://www.amazon.com/Rimsky-Korsakov-Scheherazade-Tchaikovsky-1812-Overture/dp/B00005NPJR) – and I love it. I'm with you: I'd also put it up there with Beecham's (http://www.amazon.com/Rimsky-Korsakov-Scheherazade-Borodin-Polovtsian-Dances/dp/B000023Z0O) and Reiner's (http://www.amazon.com/Rimsky-Korsakov-Scheherazade-Stravinsky-Song-Nightingale/dp/B000003FWQ) (and Silvestri's)
Scheherazades.
Muti's
Scheherazade is now available on Spotify:
https://play.spotify.com/album/5TrYvDXbKpGJquTj7eAJCX (https://play.spotify.com/album/5TrYvDXbKpGJquTj7eAJCX)
or
https://play.spotify.com/album/0riQAkw6CLit4AHlTwtnOd (https://play.spotify.com/album/0riQAkw6CLit4AHlTwtnOd)
By the way, I've been reading and enjoying your survey of
Scheherazades (http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,5601.msg902065.html#msg902065), and I've come to the conclusion that your taste in
Scheherazade is incredibly similar to mine. I agree with pretty much everything you've said about the recordings you've heard.
Quote from: Peter Power Pop on June 20, 2015, 10:27:32 PM
By the way, I've been reading and enjoying your survey of Scheherazades (http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,5601.msg902065.html#msg902065), and I've come to the conclusion that your taste in Scheherazade is incredibly similar to mine. I agree with pretty much everything you've said about the recordings you've heard.
Isn't that smashing? I mean, we definitely don't need to agree with others when we're discussing these things (and actually I find I benefit a lot from reading viewpoints very different from my own), but it is ever so nice when we do, isn't it? There's a sort of virtual handshake in it. A nod of understanding made possible by the music. Cheers.
Quote from: Elgarian on February 21, 2012, 07:34:26 AM
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71Uvl9RRzYL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
I was surprised to discover that Litton's Scheherazade was one of the slower ones, and so I listened to it again today (third time). I find I'm quite lost for words. I really love this interpretation, though I can't say why. It doesn't sparkle in the way that Beecham does; it doesn't fly wildly like Svetlanov; it doesn't have the perfection of Kondrashin, or the smooth Cinemascope glossiness of Ormandy. It just suits me, almost perfectly. It's Romantic in all the ways I like; it has real weight in the climaxes. The wind whistles with just the right force, and the waves gather and crash mightily when they need to. The Prince and Princess are meltingly beautiful without being insipid. But I really haven't a clue just what it is that makes this feel so satisfying, compared with others.
Twenty years ago Gramophone damned it with faint praise ('exciting without being electrifying'), and I can see how one might say that - but it's not the whole truth. At least, not for me. It has a warmth; I get an impression of great affection for the music; I feel that affection myself. It breaks no new ground; it doesn't make me rethink any aspect of Scheherazade. It just fits me like a glove.
I'd like to think that at the end of this Arabian Odyssey, I'll be able to sort my Scheherazade discs into the 'indispensables' and the, well, 'not indispensables'. I've a fair way to go yet, but so far, Beecham, Svetlanov (with his Russian band), and now Litton have made it into the ranks of definite keepers.
I've just bought the Litton
Scheherazade. It's part of a 2-CD set from Virgin Classics called
Russian Music ($10 on eBay – bargain!):
(http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NTAwWDUwMA==/z/iNkAAOSwrklVa7PO/$_12.JPG) (http://www.amazon.com/Russian-Music-Modest-Mussorgsky/dp/B00004LCAX) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51J2fH01e%2BL.jpg) (http://www.amazon.com/Russian-Music-Modest-Mussorgsky/dp/B00004LCAX)
I'll be buying the Beecham next.
Thanks for these recommendations, young Elgarian.
Quote from: Peter Power Pop on June 22, 2015, 12:26:17 AM
"young Elgarian."
Ha! I wish!
Looking forward to what you say about your new purchases.
Quote from: Peter Power Pop on June 22, 2015, 12:26:17 AM
I've just bought the Litton Scheherazade. It's part of a 2-CD set from Virgin Classics called Russian Music ($10 on eBay – bargain!):
(http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NTAwWDUwMA==/z/iNkAAOSwrklVa7PO/$_12.JPG) (http://www.amazon.com/Russian-Music-Modest-Mussorgsky/dp/B00004LCAX) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51J2fH01e%2BL.jpg) (http://www.amazon.com/Russian-Music-Modest-Mussorgsky/dp/B00004LCAX)
The stand-out in that program (in being much less frequently programmed than the rest) is the
Tchaikovsky. How do you like it?
As per the Scheherazade thread my recs would be
Beecham
Silvestri
Reiner
I have to admit that I have not yet heard a complete Rimsky opera although I bought a Brilliant box set a few years ago.
But I love the suites from some of the operas like Christmas Eve, Tsar Saltan, The Golden Cockerel etc. I also like the 2nd symphony "Antar" at least as much as Sheherazade (which is a little overlong for me).
Quote from: karlhenning on June 22, 2015, 03:56:26 AM
The stand-out in that program (in being much less frequently programmed than the rest) is the Tchaikovsky. How do you like it?
Er, I've never heard it. A quick trip to YouTube will fix that. Hang on...
https://www.youtube.com/v/FuyyNgctv8o
Mmm: Moody. I love the rumbling cellos and fluttering woodwinds at 3:35.
While I'm listening to it, I'm not thinking of a storm at all. I'm thinking Tchaikovsky must have written a piece called
Hänsel und Gretel (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hansel_and_Gretel) instead, because I'm picturing Hansel and Gretel walking through a forest to the old witch's house. The cellos are the children's footsteps, the wind instruments are the birds in the trees, and the violins are the wind. At calm section starting at 4:35 is Hansel and Gretel finding the witch's house, and they think is a welcoming home. Once they're inside they're a little bit frightened (the music changes to reflect the children's apprehension), but at 8:39 the violins signify the witch reassuring Hansel and Gretel that everything's fine and they are completely safe. This bit goes on for ages, so the witch is really doing a number on them. ("Why, think of me as the granny you never had, but always wanted. I'm the best granny ever!") But at 12:53 there's a seed of doubt from Hansel or Gretel. At 13:34 one of the children realises, "Oh-oh, I think we're in trouble here", and at 13:43 the other child says, "Yep." For the next couple of minutes the kiddies are getting more and more frantic, wondering how they're going to get out of that house. ("What are we going to do?"; "This is dreadful!"; "We must do something!" etc.) At 15:28 Granny finally notices the young'uns are beside themselves, and tries to calm the junior campers by telling them everything's fine. At 18:33 Hansel and/or Gretel says to Granny, "You're lying!", and, as per the "Hänsel und Gretel" story, the anklebiters chuck Granny/The Old Witch into the oven at 18:45 (the big cymbal crash tells me that's what happened). Everything after that is the happy ending (you can hear it all in the music).
I enjoyed Tchaikovsky's
The Tempest Hänsel und Gretel.
The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia is not only one of Rimsky-Korsakov's best works, it is one of the greatest operas ever composed.
[asin]B005G4YEE8[/asin]
Quote from: Elgarian on May 26, 2012, 12:26:40 AM
Well well well. Fancy this. I've been hoping throughout my Scheherazade explorations to find on CD the recording that originally enchanted me (on LP) nearly 50 years ago: Kletzki with the Philharmonia, and Hugh Bean on violin:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51dCoaftIaL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
I think maybe it was never transferred to CD. Certainly I can't find one. But I discovered the other day that it can be had as an Amazon download:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005Q3SWSS/ref=dm_sp_alb?ie=UTF8&qid=1338019663&sr=1-1-catcorr (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005Q3SWSS/ref=dm_sp_alb?ie=UTF8&qid=1338019663&sr=1-1-catcorr).
The Kletzki is on Spotify.
I'm really not interested in downloading music, but in this case beggars couldn't be choosers; and Amazon had given me some promotional downloading points, which would otherwise be wasted, so I took the plunge. The experiment cost less than £2, so nothing to lose. Burned the tracks onto CD, took it into the garden, and sat in the sunshine, prepared to be ravished by Kletzki's Scheherazade.
Well there was always a chance that my memory had deceived me into elevating this ('my first Scheherazade') to a status it didn't really deserve; but no, it really is a smashing performance. Maybe not quite up to Beecham, Svetlanov or Muti, but I certainly hadn't been deceived as a mere stripling. Even so, at the end I felt rather flattened. Not because of the performance, but because of the recording quality. This was obviously transferred from a vinyl LP. And it showed, in the continuous surface rustle apparent in the quiet bits, spits and pops, lack of dynamic range, and slightly unpleasant 'boxy' sound. I doubt if I shall want to listen to this very often. Despite the performance, I can't recommend this download , for these very reasons.
Curiously, I don't have this problem with recordings from 78 (eg Elgar's conducted stuff) because I can approach it differently; it doesn't offer anything like a hifi experience, and one can settle for that. But a bad transfer from vinyl does raise hifi expectations - and then goes on and on disappointing, to exhaustion.
For the record, Kletzki's timings are 10.24, 11.14, 10.31 and 12.20. (44.29 altogether.)
Quote from: Cato on June 22, 2015, 05:17:24 PM
The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia is not only one of Rimsky-Korsakov's best works, it is one of the greatest operas ever composed.
[asin]B005G4YEE8[/asin]
Does this particular release include the libretto? I have this recording on the five-opera box set where there is, as you'd expect, no libretto, but it doesn't seem to be available anywhere in English. Not sure, but I think the Naxos is the only other complete recording (and no lib there), so it's safe to say any other recording wouldn't include the complete text.
Quote from: KevinP on November 29, 2019, 01:09:00 PM
Does this particular release include the libretto? I have this recording on the five-opera box set where there is, as you'd expect, no libretto, but it doesn't seem to be available anywhere in English. Not sure, but I think the Naxos is the only other complete recording (and no lib there), so it's safe to say any other recording wouldn't include the complete text.
(https://www.classicalarchives.com/images/coverart/6/2/5/2/028946222522_300.jpg)
Yes, it has the libretto! A great work and performance!
Good to know. Not sure I really want to buy the recording again just for the libretto, but I'll keep an eye out for used copies.
Have not read all the posts here, but...
you MUST go find the Jennie Tourel performance of the song "A Flight of Passing Clouds". Her recordings of Russian songs were issued on Columbia LP in the 60s/70s. I would assume they are also available on CD
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91gQGDwGk9L._SL1500_.jpg)
.
| [asin]B005G4YEE8[/asin] | (https://www.classicalarchives.com/images/coverart/6/2/5/2/028946222522_300.jpg) |
Quote from: Cato on November 29, 2019, 01:39:18 PM
Yes, it has the libretto! A great work and performance!
These are two different issues, the
reissue pictured on the left has no libretto (but offers a link to a download).
Just follow the link and read the comments....
Q