Prokofiev's Paddy Wagon

[Mirror Image]

Lately, I've been addicted to Sinfonia Concertante for cello and orchestra. What an incredible work! I had never heard this work before until I bought the Wallfisch/Jarvi recording a week or so ago. Today I bought the Rostropovich performance of it (coupled with Myaskovsky's Cello Concerto), so I can't wait to hear this performance, which I read is great.

[not edward]

Lately, I've been addicted to Sinfonia Concertante for cello and orchestra. What an incredible work! I had never heard this work before until I bought the Wallfisch/Jarvi recording a week or so ago. Today I bought the Rostropovich performance of it (coupled with Myaskovsky's Cello Concerto), so I can't wait to hear this performance, which I read is great.

It's a very fine performance (as is the coupled Miaskovsky). Another very fine Symphony-Concerto from around the same era is Andre Navarra's with Ancerl and the Czech Philharmonic; better and more sympathetic orchestral playing (Ancerl was a superb Prokofievan) but the solo playing has to take second place to Rostropovich.

[Mirror Image]

It's a very fine performance (as is the coupled Miaskovsky). Another very fine Symphony-Concerto from around the same era is Andre Navarra's with Ancerl and the Czech Philharmonic; better and more sympathetic orchestral playing (Ancerl was a superb Prokofievan) but the solo playing has to take second place to Rostropovich.

Let's not forget how natural Jarvi was at Prokofiev as well. The Wallfisch/Jarvi recording is excellent.

[karlhenning]

Pretty much all of his ballets are excellent.
But to start with, I'd recommend these:

Mmm, I can approve both these recordings.

[Mirror Image]

Mmm, I can approve both these recordings.

I own all of Ozawa's Prokofiev recordings, which range from very good to great. I have not heard any Jurowski's recordings on CPO, but honestly I've never been too impressed with his conducting.

[Cato]

Wow!  What a coincidence! 

The CPO CD of Chout has been in my car's player for several days! 



This Recording is STILL not available on CD, but it was a barn-burner, especially with its incredibly atomic performance of Seven, They Are Seven!

[Mirror Image]

This Recording is STILL not available on CD, but it was a barn-burner, especially with its incredibly atomic performance of Seven, They Are Seven!

I've got a bunch of Rozhdestvensky's Prokofiev recordings on the way --- all ballet recordings and I've heard one of his recordings years ago and it was, as you say, a barnburner. Absolutely riveting performance.

[Mirror Image]

Wow!  What a coincidence! 

The CPO CD of Chout has been in my car's player for several days! 



This Recording is STILL not available on CD, but it was a barn-burner, especially with its incredibly atomic performance of Seven, They Are Seven!

By the way, Cato, these are the recordings I bought of Prokofiev/Rozhdestvensky:





Have you heard any of these recordings?

[snyprrr]

By the way, Cato, these are the recordings I bought of Prokofiev/Rozhdestvensky:





Have you heard any of these recordings?

How's the sound on those?


btw- thanks everyone for your recommends. I was afraid y'all were going to recommend EVERYTHING, haha!!

[Sergeant Rock]

Lately, I've been addicted to Sinfonia Concertante for cello and orchestra. What an incredible work! I had never heard this work before until I bought the Wallfisch/Jarvi recording a week or so ago. Today I bought the Rostropovich performance of it (coupled with Myaskovsky's Cello Concerto), so I can't wait to hear this performance, which I read is great.

You might consider buying this one too, MI (available for just a couple of bucks used):

[asin]B000083GK0[/asin]


When Rostropovich heard it, he said it was better than his!    It really is a stunning performance.


Sarge

[Mirror Image]

How's the sound on those?


btw- thanks everyone for your recommends. I was afraid y'all were going to recommend EVERYTHING, haha!!

I'm not sure, snyprrr, I haven't heard them, but I read that it was good.

[Mirror Image]

You might consider buying this one too, MI (available for just a couple of bucks used):

[asin]B000083GK0[/asin]


When Rostropovich heard it, he said it was better than his!    It really is a stunning performance.


Sarge

Thanks for the recommendation, Sarge. I've looked at this recording before, but I wasn't sure how the performance was. I heard she played the middle movement ridiculously fast, which I'm too sure about.

[Sergeant Rock]

Thanks for the recommendation, Sarge. I've looked at this recording before, but I wasn't sure how the performance was. I heard she played the middle movement ridiculously fast, which I'm too sure about.

Listening to it now. Yes, she sets a blistering pace at the beginning. faster than Rostropovich or Wallfisch. Whether you'd find it ridiculous, I don't know. It's different certainly--and that's what I look for first when buying additional performances: something different. She slows down dramatically a few minutes into the movement, though, and overall her timing isn't that far off the other two:

Chang             16:46
Wallfisch          17:13
Rostropovich    17:27

Sarge

[Mirror Image]

Listening to it now. Yes, she sets a blistering pace at the beginning. faster than Rostropovich or Wallfisch. Whether you'd find it ridiculous, I don't know. It's different certainly--and that's what I look for first when buying additional performances: something different. She slows down dramatically a few minutes into the movement, though, and overall her timing isn't that far off the other two:

Chang             16:46
Wallfisch          17:13
Rostropovich    17:27

Sarge

Yes, I look for something different too when buying other performances, but being a speed demon has never necessarily won me over. Anyway, I'll try and sample this recording and if I like it I'll buy it.

By the way, do you own the Wallfisch per chance? This was an extremely good performance and Jarvi's accompaniment was spot on.

[Sergeant Rock]

Yes, I look for something different too when buying other performances, but being a speed demon has never necessarily won me over. Anyway, I'll try and sample this recording and if I like it I'll buy it.

By the way, do you own the Wallfisch per chance? This was an extremely good performance and Jarvi's accompaniment was spot on.

Where Chang's version really scores over Rostropovich, quite decisively, is in the accompaniment.  Pappano and the LSO are unbelievable. Really, if you love this piece, you need to hear it even if you don't agree with every tempo. For two bucks and change, it's worth the gamble 

No, I don't own Wallfisch/Järvi. I found some clips, though, to compare their opening with Chang/Pappano and Rostropovich.

Sarge

[karlhenning]

Where Chang's version really scores over Rostropovich, quite decisively, is in the accompaniment.  Pappano and the LSO are unbelievable. Really, if you love this piece, you need to hear it even if you don't agree with every tempo. For two bucks and change, it's worth the gamble  ;)No, I don't own /Järvi. I found some clips, though, to compare their opening with /Pappano and Rostropovich.

And anyway, there's less than half a minute's difference between the Wallfisch and the Chang; not really an exaggerated difference in a 17-minute movement.

[Mirror Image]

And anyway, there's less than half a minute's difference between the Wallfisch and the Chang; not really an exaggerated difference in a 17-minute movement.

That's true, Karl.

By the way, I bought the Chang recording on EMI.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

By the way, Cato, these are the recordings I bought of Prokofiev/Rozhdestvensky:





Have you heard any of these recordings?

I'm not Cato but I have a couple of discs's worth of Rozhdestvensky performing Prokofiev ballets, although not necessarily coinciding with what you have here.

We cross paths somewhat in that I have a highlights disc of Rozhd's Cinderella but I think it's a different recording than yours. Mine is with a certain Great Radio Symphony Orchestra of the USSR from 1974. So who knows.

At any rate, the sound is good and the performance I find to be well up to scratch when pitted against Pletnev's gorgeously recorded Cinderella on DG. Interpretively Rozhd might be a bit more on the angular side but Pletnev certainly isn't afraid of the quixotic in the music while finding perhaps a bit more warmth. This could be due however to the richer sonics.

Le Pas d´Acier isn't part of your collection above but I do own Rozhd's recording of the work (with the USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra from 1984) and again find him well attuned to the unique characteristics of the music. It's a very fine performance and I rate it as the equal of Jurowski's on CPO which, again, is graced with better sound.

Not that the sonics for either Rozhdestvensky disc poses any problems whatsoever for me, I might add.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

You might consider buying this one too, MI (available for just a couple of bucks used):

[asin]B000083GK0[/asin]


When Rostropovich heard it, he said it was better than his!    It really is a stunning performance.


Sarge

Agreed, fine performance. Glad to see MI going for it.

[Mirror Image]

I'm not Cato but I have a couple of discs's worth of Rozhdestvensky performing Prokofiev ballets, although not necessarily coinciding with what you have here.

We cross paths somewhat in that I have a highlights disc of Rozhd's Cinderella but I think it's a different recording than yours. Mine is with a certain Great Radio Symphony Orchestra of the USSR from 1974. So who knows.

At any rate, the sound is good and the performance I find to be well up to scratch when pitted against Pletnev's gorgeously recorded Cinderella on DG. Interpretively Rozhd might be a bit more on the angular side but Pletnev certainly isn't afraid of the quixotic in the music while finding perhaps a bit more warmth. This could be due however to the richer sonics.

Le Pas d´Acier isn't part of your collection above but I do own Rozhd's recording of the work (with the USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra from 1984) and again find him well attuned to the unique characteristics of the music. It's a very fine performance and I rate it as the equal of Jurowski's on CPO which, again, is graced with better sound.

Not that the sonics for either Rozhdestvensky disc poses any problems whatsoever for me, I might add.

Thanks for your feedback, Divertimentian. I knew the dangers sonically buying the Rozhdestvensky recordings, but I just listened to a little bit of Chout and I have no beef with the audio at all. Is it ideal? No. Is it serviceable? Absolutely. I can tell the performance is first-rate.

The recording of Le Pas d´Acier is very expensive and out-of-print. Hopefully, I'll find it on the used market.