Mravinsky recommendations

[Peregrine]

What are your favourite recordings?

Handy discography here:

http://www32.ocn.ne.jp/~yemravinsky/discography.htm

[alkan]

Tchaikovsky symphonies 4, 5 and 6.      The price of the set is worth paying just for one movement of the 6th symphony ... the march.   I break out in a sweat every time I hear it ..... the level of controlled hysteria is overwhelming.

[val]

Some of my favorites:

Tchaikovsky:    Symphonies 4, 5 & 6

Schubert:  8th Symphony

Shostakovitch:  6th & 8th Symphonies.

Prokofiev:  6th Symphony.

Bartok:  Music for strings, percussion and celesta.

Very good but not as exceptional as the above, Beethoven's 4th Symphony and Sibelius 7th.

[Que]

A Mravinksy thread - excellent idea!

My recommendation is this. It doesn't seem much from the programming but it's an amazing experience. Makes you wonder when on earth didn't he conduct more Tchaikovsky ballets?  And his Francesca da Rimini is pretty stellar as well.

   

Q

[Peregrine]

Tchaikovsky symphonies 4, 5 and 6.      The price of the set is worth paying just for one movement of the 6th symphony ... the march.   I break out in a sweat every time I hear it ..... the level of controlled hysteria is overwhelming.

Yes, although often cited by many as great, they are truly exceptional recordings.

A Mravrinksy thread - excellent idea!

My recommendations is this. It doesn't seem much from the programming but it's an amazing experience. Makes you wonder when on earth didn't he conduct more Tchaikovsky ballets?  And his Francesca da Rimini is pretty stellar as well.

   

Q

The first CD must almost be worn out the amount of times I've played it!

Some of my favorites:

Tchaikovsky:    Symphonies 4, 5 & 6

Schubert:  8th Symphony

Shostakovitch:  6th & 8th Symphonies.

Prokofiev:  6th Symphony.

Bartok:  Music for strings, percussion and celesta.

Very good but not as exceptional as the above, Beethoven's 4th Symphony and Sibelius 7th.

The Sibelius - again, another superb recording I own. Will have to get hold of the Scubert...

[Drasko]

DG Tchaikovsky set, and Scribendum 4CD set of Moscow '65 concerts (Sibelius, Hindemith, Honegger, Bartok, Stravinsky, Debussy) and some Shostakovich should be the first things to get.
And, second on both of Que's choices.

Check also these two threads
http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,4172.0.html
http://www.good-music-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,13452.0.html

[Peregrine]

I've long wondered about these live CD's from Japan. Anyone own/heard them?:

http://www.hmv.co.jp/search/quicksolutionindex/index/genre/700/keyword/mravinsky/adv/1/formattype/1/label/Altus+%2Acl%2A

[ezodisy]

I've long wondered about these live CD's from Japan. Anyone own/heard them?:

http://www.hmv.co.jp/search/quicksolutionindex/index/genre/700/keyword/mravinsky/adv/1/formattype/1/label/Altus+%2Acl%2A

I have the Tchaikovsky 6 and Sibelius 7/ballet suite CDs. I would recommend both if you don't have other ones already (umm...)

[Drasko]

I've long wondered about these live CD's from Japan. Anyone own/heard them?:

http://www.hmv.co.jp/search/quicksolutionindex/index/genre/700/keyword/mravinsky/adv/1/formattype/1/label/Altus+%2Acl%2A

Sidoze has/had few of those and from what I heard DSCH 5th, Tchaikovsky Pathetique, Sibelius 7th are superb (maybe his finest DSCH 5th) in somewhat swimmy hall acoustics (Bunkakaikan Hall?) but still better than most Melodiya engineering. I'd love to have couple of those but they are quite expensive.

Different thing is that Sibelius 3rd, that is not concert from Japan but some recently unearthed radio tape from Leningrad radio from early 60s of a piece everyone thought was never recorded. Very fine interpretation in somewhat murky and compressed sound (mono and fake stereo on same disc).

I see Tony beat me to the post.

[Herman]

Makes you wonder when on earth didn't he conduct more Tchaikovsky ballets? 

Because in Petersburg people went to the Mariinsky Theatre to see / hear Tchaikovsky ballets, and there used to be a bunch of special ballet conductors there, like Viktor Fedotov. The Len Phil was more for symphonic concerts.

[dirkronk]

The thing that's so compelling about Mravinsky's Nutcracker excerpts--to me, at least--is that he provides a completely different setting, much darker, more serious and symphonic, than the typical "happy dance/exotic sound" bonbons glued together for concert consumption. Those expecting only the "big" numbers may be disappointed; those wanting a great presentation of music will be ecstatic.

My recs have already been covered well: the Tchai 4/5/6 from 1960, the series of 1965 items--and I'll add the live Vienna concerts from the '70s with Mrav & the Leningrad which were originally on an EMI vinyl box set: with a Brahms sym.2, a somewhat different and IMO fascinating Shostakovich 5th, Schubert Unfinished and a few other pieces. A number of Praga CDs--Prokofiev 6th, LvB 4th and assorted Shostie symphonies--are also well worth tracking down.

BTW, the 1965 live concerts were originally issued by Melodiya in an exceptionally plush off-white cloth-covered box of LPs with the title "Evgeny Mravinsky Conducts" (in cyrillic, of course, and embossed into the cloth) and distributed in very limited numbers. A copy was purchased by friend of mine who was studying Russian several decades back and got to go on the first trip for students into the USSR under relaxed travel rules. The box itself is a treasure--as are the performances it offered. Most of these were reproduced in the 10-CD BMG/Melodiya Mravinsky Edition vol. 1. HOWEVER...one of the LPs was of almost all short pieces (overtures, etc.) and was exported to the US & western Europe as a single LP only, under the same name as the box set. When transferred to CD, the short pieces were used as fillers for longer pieces and NOT ALL MADE IT into the CD set. Thus, if you still have a working turntable and ever see this LP, grab it. Don't ask questions. Just grab it. Wonderful stuff.

Cheers,

Dirk

[George]

   
Q

Dude is tough looking, ain't he? I need that CD.

[Novi]

The thing that's so compelling about Mravinsky's Nutcracker excerpts--to me, at least--is that he provides a completely different setting, much darker, more serious and symphonic, than the typical "happy dance/exotic sound" bonbons glued together for concert consumption. Those expecting only the "big" numbers may be disappointed; those wanting a great presentation of music will be ecstatic.



Cheers,

Dirk

Dirk, your description is very enticing. I saw a production of Nutcracker over Christmas which was very much 'bonbon-lite' (me, and a hall full of 6 year old little girls and their mothers ). Dark and symphonic is sounding good.

[Drasko]

Dirk, your description is very enticing. I saw a production of Nutcracker over Christmas which was very much 'bonbon-lite' (me, and a hall full of 6 year old little girls and their mothers ). Dark and symphonic is sounding good.

Definitely do try to get that, Mravinsky in Nutcracker Pas de Deux from that disc brings out maestoso marking better than anyone I ever heard, it's one of those 'omg' moments where I'd like to shout from the window and bring in people from the street just to hear it with me (not many such a moments exist).

The discs that interest me the most these days (apart from those japanese concerts) are several Russian Disc releases. Russian Disc released during mid 90s about 15-20 discs of mostly otherwise unavailable material in variable sound quality, I think most of it is radio sourced. Series is by now thoroughly out of print (with used copies generally cheaper from british amazon), I have few and from the rest most interesting (for me) seem Debussy La Mer, Stravinsky's Le Basier de la Fee and Prokofiev 5th and of somewhat lesser interest Strauss and Mozart horn concertos and Mozart Sinfonia Concertante for winds, all with orchestra's principals. So, is anyone perhaps familiar with sound quality and performances on these?

[dirkronk]

The discs that interest me the most these days (apart from those japanese concerts) are several Russian Disc releases. Russian Disc released during mid 90s about 15-20 discs of mostly otherwise unavailable material in variable sound quality, I think most of it is radio sourced. Series is by now thoroughly out of print (with used copies generally cheaper from british amazon), I have few and from the rest most interesting (for me) seem Debussy La Mer, Stravinsky's Le Basier de la Fee and Prokofiev 5th and of somewhat lesser interest Strauss and Mozart horn concertos and Mozart Sinfonia Concertante for winds, all with orchestra's principals. So, is anyone perhaps familiar with sound quality and performances on these?

Drasko:
I do have all of these three CDs (and some others besides) but haven't listened to them in several years. Let's hope someone with more recent experience chimes in. Otherwise, I'll pull these out of my storage boxes at work (it's all CDs at work, all LPs at home) and see if I can't give you some fresh impressions of them next week sometime.
Cheers,

Dirk

[Häuschen]

I bought the first BMG-Melodiya 10 disc box that was issued back in 1997/8 and I'm still kicking myself for not buying the second one.  I love his Wagner and Bartok recordings and his recording of Hindemith's Die Harmonie Der Welt is also quite beautiful.  I've found the live recordings to have fantastic sound (kudos to the engineers!) and the Russian audiences are dead quiet most of the time.

I would also recommend (although not a recording) the book Yevgeny Mravinsky: The Noble Conductor by Gregor Tassie which was published a few years ago:

[dirkronk]

Dirk, your description is very enticing. I saw a production of Nutcracker over Christmas which was very much 'bonbon-lite' (me, and a hall full of 6 year old little girls and their mothers ). Dark and symphonic is sounding good.

Oh, it is. Not that I have anything against the bonbon approach, when done well...Reiner/Chicago, Ansermet/ROHO and others come to mind...and I do like the full score, as well, usually by Dorati/COA or Dorati/LSO. But Mravinsky is unique. BTW, recordings of his approach were done on more than one occasion: I have him in Nutcracker excerpts from 1946 and 1981 on CD (and I THINK from another date, as well, on LP). I'm guessing, however, that the one Drasko refers to is the 1981 Melodiya, which is coupled w/ Prokofiev R&J (as in Que's example, though my copy is in the BMG/Melodiya Mravinsky Edition vol. 1 mentioned earlier). Am I right, Drasko?

Cheers,

Dirk

[Dancing Divertimentian]

This is a wonderful rendition of Bartok's Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta:

[Drasko]

I'm guessing, however, that the one Drasko refers to is the 1981 Melodiya, which is coupled w/ Prokofiev R&J (as in Que's example, though my copy is in the BMG/Melodiya Mravinsky Edition vol. 1 mentioned earlier). Am I right, Drasko?

Yes, the 1981. That recording was the one most often issued and reissued: Melodiya, BMG, Philips, Icone.

Also, thanks in advance for impressions on Russian Discs, at your leisure Dirk. No pressing urgency there since I'll have to get them used and can't order used directly so usually have to bother other people to forward me the discs and I don't like to do that too often.
I remember La Mer had very positive review somewhere (Third Ear?). Fairy's Kiss as Stravinsky's homage to Tchaikovsky is a piece i personally think would fall nicely under Mravinsky's baton and even though his Prokofiev 6th is legendary I know next to nothing about 5th, can't recall it ever being mentioned.

Here is something I found rather interesting. There is unofficial Mravinsky site (completely in russian) which among other things lists his concert performances, and since all of his recordings post 1961 are concert recordings here is list of stuff that unfortunately wasn't recorded (or maybe languishes in some archives?). Mravinsky's repertoire wasn't ever the broadest one but there are quite a few very enticing titles:

Balakirev 1st; Borodin 1st & 2nd; Mussorgsky Night on Bald Mountain; Myaskovsky 24th & 27th; Prokofiev Alexander Nevsky, Piano Cto No.1 (with Richter); Rachmaninov 2nd Cto (with Richter, Oborin, Zak), 3rd Cto (with Flier); Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherezada; Scriabin 2nd; Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliete, Tempest, Hamlet, 1812,  Rococo Variations (with Knushevitsky, Shafran), Violin Cto (19 performances with Oistrakh and Baranova among others), 2nd and 3rd Piano Cto (with pianist Vitkind (sp?)), Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty suites, 3rd Orchestral Suite, Symphonies No.1 & No.2; Shostakovich 9th, Violin Cto (no soloist mentioned).

Berlioz Requiem, Roman Carnival; Beethoven 8th & 9th, Violin Cto (Oistrakh), Piano Ctos 1st & 3rd (Gilels), 4th (three pianists unknown to me), Egmont, Leonora III, Coriolan, Consecration of the House, Choral Fantasy (Yudina), Missa Solemnis; Bruckner 4th; Handel Judas, Cto Grosso 12/6; Liszt Preludes, Piano Ctos 1st (Richter, Oborin) 2nd (?) Totentanz (Serebryakov); Mahler 5th; Mozart 41st, Clarinet Cto (Gensler (sp?), Violin Cto No.4 (Oistrakh), Sinfonia Concertante (Kogan & Barshai), Eine Kleine Nachtmusik; Honegger Pacific 231; Rossini 3 overtures; Franck Le Chasseur Maudit, Symphonic Variations (Serebryakov); Chopin 2nd Cto (Zak); Strauss Till Eulenspiegel; Schumann 4th, Manfred, Cello Cto (Shafran).

http://www.mravinsky.org/pages/op-list.htm
               

[Peregrine]

I'm really thinking about buying this box, it's just over twenty quid from MDT and I see there's another box from Scribendum as well. Decisions, decisions...