Prokofiev's Paddy Wagon

[karlhenning]

The best entire Romeo & Juliet I've heard to date is the Ozawa/BSO.

[Brahmsian]

The best entire Romeo & Juliet I've heard to date is the Ozawa/BSO.

It seems that Ozawa (belittled in many respects), holds high praise in his works of Russian Ballet.

[Scarpia]

I think that Jarvi is overhyped on this forum, I find his cycle hit and miss.  Even Kuchar brings more fire to Prokofiev.  There is also a heavier cycle done by Gergiev, and man is it stirring!  Well unless you're wanting a lighter take on the symphonies.

Stick with R&J, just go with the suite instead.  It has some of Prokofiev's most inspired writing, very intense.

I got to know it through the suite, but after listening to Maazel/Cleveland recording of the complete ballet I don't find the suite as satisfying.  A good alternate the the Maazel is the Ansermet/OSR, which gives it a "French" lightness and sparkle, compared to the heft of the Cleveland sound. 

I've got alternate symphony cycles lined up, Gergiev, Kitajenko and Ozawa on the shelf.  I don't know which will take it's turn next.  Another issue, I've never listened to any of the Prokofiev piano concerti, and I have those recordings waiting for me as well.  But I don't have as much free time for listening as some, so it will take some time before I bet back into a Prokofiev mood.  Currently interested in Weinberg, Ravel and some other stuff.

[karlhenning]

I got to know it through the suite, but after listening to Maazel/Cleveland recording of the complete ballet I don't find the suite as satisfying.  A good alternate the the Maazel is the Ansermet/OSR, which gives it a "French" lightness and sparkle, compared to the heft of the Cleveland sound. 

I've got alternate cycles lined up, Gergiev, Kitajenko and Ozawa on the shelf.  I don't know which will take it's turn next.  But I don't have as much free time for listening as some, so it will take some time before I bet back into a Prokofiev mood.  Currently interested in Weinberg, Ravel and some other stuff.

Quite right, I generally like to mix things up.

[DavidW]

I think that Ozawa gets belittled because he is guilty of the same thing that Karajan and Bernstein are: recording everything under the sun whether he has anything interesting to say or not.  Obviously sometimes he is going to hit a home run, but we're just less likely to notice since he has yards of uninspired recordings as well.

I think his Prokofiev has stood the test of time though.

[Brahmsian]

I think that Ozawa gets belittled because he is guilty of the same thing that Karajan and Bernstein are: recording everything under the sun whether he has anything interesting to say or not.  Obviously sometimes he is going to hit a home run, but we're just less likely to notice since he has yards of uninspired recordings as well.

I think his Prokofiev has stood the test of time though.

I also love his recording with Itzhak and BSO for the Stravinsky concerto.  Perhaps he's part Russian. 

[DavidW]

I've got alternate symphony cycles lined up, Gergiev, Kitajenko and Ozawa on the shelf.  I don't know which will take it's turn next.  Another issue, I've never listened to any of the Prokofiev piano concerti, and I have those recordings waiting for me as well.  But I don't have as much free time for listening as some, so it will take some time before I bet back into a Prokofiev mood.  Currently interested in Weinberg, Ravel and some other stuff.

Well I like the piano concertos more than the symphonies in general, at least I would say they are on par with symphonies #1, 5, 6.  I hope that you'll like those pcs, I love 'em!

[DavidW]

I also love his recording with Itzhak and BSO for the Stravinsky concerto.  Perhaps he's part Russian. 

Oh I know that recording!  Yeah that's a good un.

[Brahmsian]

I'm lukewarm with some of the symphonies, but REALLY love # 1 and # 4.

Haven't yet heard the PC's, and wasn't enjoying the piano sonatas.  LOVE the violin sonatas, cello sonatas and string quartets.

Favorite work though is still Romeo & Juliet, and Cinderella is exquisite also.

[karlhenning]

Favorite work though is still Romeo & Juliet, and Cinderella is exquisite also.

Aye, got 'em both on my Sansa Fuze!

[DavidW]

Well check out those piano concertos Ray, they are great.  I put them right up there with Shostakovich and Bartok!

[Scarpia]

Ashkenazy/Previn acceptable for the PCs?  I think I've got some Richter recordings, somewhere, but I'm not a big Richter nut.

[karlhenning]

Ashkenazy/Previn acceptable for the PCs?

Here's where Järvi done good (two different pianists in the set). I also like Béroff/Masur.

[DavidW]

Ashkenazy/Previn acceptable for the PCs?  I think I've got some Richter recordings, somewhere, but I'm not a big Richter nut.

Yup that will do.  I prefer the more dynamic playing of Paik/Wit, but Ashkenazy/Previn is fine.

[karlhenning]

The Anne-Marie M^cDermott set of the piano sonatas is down to $38 on Amazon . . . pulled the trigger.

[lescamil]

Here's where Järvi done good (two different pianists in the set).

Agreed. For my money, absolutely no one plays the second piano concerto than Horacio Gutiérrez. Listen to the cadenza from the first movement and you'll soil yourself (in the best way possible).

[OzRadio]

What are the thoughts on his War and Peace opera? At four discs is it worth some listens?

[karlhenning]

I've got it both on DVD and the Gergiev/Mariinka recording on CD. I shan't pretend to know the piece very well as yet, though I plan to know it better.  Yes, IMO it is worth investigating.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

What are the thoughts on his War and Peace opera? At four discs is it worth some listens?

Like Karl, I also have the Gergiev set on CD. It's a huge delight. The work itself is something of a coming together of everything that makes Prokofiev great. And if you're familiar with Prokofiev's style you'll know what that means.

So...pretty much a can't-miss work in my view.

[jurajjak]

War and Peace grows tremendously with repeated listenings; it took me at least a couple of years to wrap my mind around it.

I am actually not a huge fan of Gergiev's live recording of the opera on Phillips; there's a good deal of stage noise, and Gergiev's more recent interpretations of the work (in 2003, for example) are much more assured. If he were to re-record it, I'm sure it would sound quite different today.

Unfortunately, there is no ideal recording of W&P; I usually listen to Hickox or Rostropovich, as they're both uncut (the Gergiev recording omits several choruses in the final scene). Hickox was recorded live but with good sound (from Chandos)--unfortunately, the voices in the chorus sound far too young (I believe it's with a youth orchestra). The Rostropovich (a studio recording) has an amazing chorus but, alas, Rostro's tempi are sluggish.   

The DVD is very worthwhile, but unfortunately it is severely cut, especially during the later battle scenes. Scene 11 and especially Scene 13 (the climax) are slashed to ribbons in this performance.

andrew