russian easter overture

[david johnson]

it's almost easter and i must ring up my almost favorite selection of all.
which recording of rimsky's opus do you like best?

- my choices -

barenboim/cso/dg
ansermet/losr/london

...but it's got to be really bad for me NOT to like it.

dj

[val]

The best version, to me, is the one of Igor Markevitch conducting the Concertgebow Orchestra.

But Ansermet and Ormandy are also very good.

[Morigan]

My favourite would be N. Järvi with the Gothenburg SO

[david johnson]

My favourite would be N. Järvi with the Gothenburg SO

i have that.  very good performance.

dj

[vandermolen]

I like the old Ansermet (OSR Decca). Rimsky was my first classical composer discovery when I was about 14/15. My old Decca Ace of Diamonds LP had the Ansermet recording of REFO + Sadko, May Night, Christmas Eve etc: a great disc.

[david johnson]

I like the old Ansermet (OSR Decca). Rimsky was my first classical composer discovery when I was about 14/15. My old Decca Ace of Diamonds LP had the Ansermet recording of REFO + Sadko, May Night, Christmas Eve etc: a great disc.

i still have the lp.  mine is london (decca).

dj

[Daverz]

Rodzinski with the RPO.

[FredT]

Fiedler and the Boston Pops. No one does this stuff better...well maybe Stokowski.

[M forever]

My favorite recording of this - by far - is Dutoit and the OSM. The is - again, by far - the most colorful and exuberant, but also athmospheric and mysterious reading I have ever heard. The trombones at the end sound so good, there are no words to describe the majestic sound they make there, very grand with depth and weight, but not blaring and the sparkling of all the fine detail in percussion, high winds and strings is just marvelously plastically shaped and very well recorded. This is almost a "perfect" recording orchestrally, musically, sonically. There is only one detail that I would want different in this recording, there is one place right before the end where I would have wanted more timpani. But that is just one detail in an otherwise breathtakingly good performance. The only one I know which comes close to that is Philharmonia/Sinopoli, he may find a little more "mystery" in the dark colors of the slow passages and some of the fast passages are a little bit more frenzied, but overall, I still prefer Dutoit, not least because of the fabulous trombone playing.

[Tsaraslondon]

I have an ancient (1929) recording of Stokowski conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra. I've no doubt it would hands down if it was in modern sound.

[M forever]

I have an ancient (1929) recording of Stokowski conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra. I've no doubt it would hands down if it was in modern sound.

Yes, but it isn't, so what's your point here?

[david johnson]

Yes, but it isn't, so what's your point here?

that he thinks it could be the best.

dj

[Tsaraslondon]

that he thinks it could be the best.

dj

Thank you, DJ. I thought my meaning was clear.

[Moldyoldie]

Fiedler and the Boston Pops. No one does this stuff better...

Ditto.  I've heard others, but this is da one!