Tchaikovsky ballets

[MichaelRabin]

I think Naxos did badly in their earlier days of recording an orchestra but have improved since.

[hautbois]

I have this version. The recording quality is not ideal, that is true. Maybe not the best Sleeping Beauty, but the balletic approach taken by Mogrelia is perfect for ballet dancers. The performance is uplifting and imaginative. The biggest problem for me is the very restrained brass section.

By the way I live in the town of the orchestra (Kosice) and attend their concerts.

Interesting point Marcel, because that to me is really what differentiate good ballet conductors from less good ones. For me an approach to serve the music rather than the choreography is always more rewarding, in which perhaps Dorati deserves high praise, but, as always, nothing is absolute in music. I highly recommend the Dorati/RCO for The Sleeping Beauty because the tempi choices just seem so natural and the orchestra is absolutely unrestrained, you seem to "see" them enjoying themselves, almost!

Howard

[DarkAngel]

The Lanchbery/EMI has always been one of my very favorite versions, now sold at budget price in a box set
with all three Tchaikovsky major ballets:



Also agree with praise for Dorati/Phillips Duo version at mid price

[Marcel]

After some hard times, I finally come across with absolutely superb Sleeping Beauty recording by Rozhdestvensky.

It's Vinyl rip from very talented guy from Demonoid. He did the wonderful job to bring this enjoymnet to us. Anyone interested in the torrent file, you can find it on Demonoid site. This is rarity, indeed. The sound quality although it is from vinyl is surprisingly good.

Some info:

TCHAIKOVSKY - The Sleeping Beauty - Rozhdetsvensky (Vinyl Rip and restoration)
Ballet in three acts with prologue, op. 66
BBC Symphony Orchestra
cond. Gennadi Rozhdestvensky

Studio recording 3-5 X, 1979, London
**********
Ape files (3), cue files (ape and wav), custom booklet included.

Only hope, that it will be re-released one day officially.

What a luck !

[rubio]

Isn't this the same performance?

http://www.amazon.com/Tchaikovsky-The-Sleeping-Beauty/dp/B000063CMH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1223961838&sr=1-1

[Marcel]

Isn't this the same performance?

http://www.amazon.com/Tchaikovsky-The-Sleeping-Beauty/dp/B000063CMH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1223961838&sr=1-1

Nope. The recording I am talking about is complete SB, studio recording. As I know it took place few days before "late tuba" concert at the Royal Festival Hall.

[ChamberNut]

Listened to this DVD last night in class.

Nureyev, Dame Margot Fonteyn
Vienna Orchestra w/ John Lanchbery
1966

[Coopmv]

Listened to this DVD last night in class.

Nureyev, Dame Margot Fonteyn
Vienna Orchestra w/ John Lanchbery
1966

I have the DVD.  It is pretty nice given its age - audio and video are both decent ...

[ChamberNut]

Wow, I agree with some others that the Gergiev/Kirov Orchestra recording of The Nutcracker is very fast! 

Oh well, at least it fit on 1 CD. 

Actually, I kind of like the brisk pace.  Just can't imagine how the dancers would have kept up with this speed!

[Wanderer]

I can't recommend this highly enough:

[Brahmsian]

Does anyone have the EMI Budget Box Set with Andre Previn and London Symphony Orchestra?

If so, do you recommend it?   

[Tsaraslondon]

Does anyone have the EMI Budget Box Set with Andre Previn and London Symphony Orchestra?

If so, do you recommend it?   

I have it. I wouldn't place any of the performances at the very top of the list of complete recordings, but none of them are duds, and, as I bought it for just a few pounds in the HMV sale, it was worth every penny.

[Herman]

Does anyone have the EMI Budget Box Set with Andre Previn and London Symphony Orchestra?

If so, do you recommend it?   

No I would not recommend it, regardless of the price.

In the seventies they used to be valuable, because there weren't that many full ballet recordings around. I used to have the Sleeping Beauty LP set. A couple of years ago I bought the CD box and was stunned at the careless conducting. There's no rhythmic acuity and accasionally the orchestra coordination gets out of whack.

The problem with big name conductors and / or ditto orchestras recording ballet scores is that these people do not perform this music on a regular basis. Theatre orchestras may be a notch lower on the orchestra spitting pole, but usually they are better prepared to perform this music than a big name orchestra. Same with conductors. Esp in Russia there are ballet specialists who have conducted this music many times more than Karajan or Previn.

[Drasko]

Sony just reissued at budget prices Mark Ermler's Covent Garden recordings of all three ballets. Probably better choice than Previn.

[Brahmsian]

Thank you all for your comments regarding the Previn Box set.  I will definitely consider other sets in light of this.

[Beetzart]

1-  Andre Previn/ London Symphony Orchestra/ EMI
                                 

2-  Richard Bonynge/ National Philharmonic Orchestra/ Decca
                                 

3-  Seiji Ozawa/ Boston Symphony Orchestra and Mikhail Pletnev/
     Russian National Orchestra/ DG   
                                 

[DarkAngel]

Lanchbery/EMI has always been my favorite complete set of three ballets. He is a ballet specialist and competed directly with Boyngne during the 1970-80 period recording for EMI. He is more exciting to listen to with lifted dance ryhtms and slightly faster tempos compared to Boyngne......Boyngne would be my 2nd choice over Previn and Ozawa boxsets, close competitor to Lanchbery. Individually you could build a better set choosing different conductors for each ballet.........

I had some of Previns ballets but eventually sold them,  a bit too relaxed and smoothed over, lacks the sparkle of Lanchbery

[Herman]

I would definitely stay away from Previn.

[mc ukrneal]

I would definitely stay away from Previn.

Yet in Prokofiev, Previn is excellent (thinking here of Romeo and Juliet).

I have the Rozhsestvensky Sleeping Beauty on BBC. Fabulous stuff, marred a bit by the overdone resonance in parts and shrill sound at times. And the audinece is audible at times as well. But stylistically and interpretively, this is a winner (bigtime).

[Brahmsian]

*BUMP*!