Prokofiev's Paddy Wagon

[Lisztianwagner]

One of mine too, as you know Ilaria!
Wonderful description.

Thank you Daniel; of course I know, how could I say that you're wrong anyway?

Yesterday John told me that I didn't talk about Prokofiev very much, haha Then, I caught the occasion to express my love for that music.

[eyeresist]

I've always found Prokofiev's works absolutely stunning since I heard Lieutenant Kijé's Troika in Woody Allen's Love and Death.
Prokofiev's music is incredibly passionate, expressive and thrilling, and moreover definitely involving; it shows a tonality taken to extremes and often sudden, powerful modulations which don't change the sound brilliance though, on the contrary creating gorgeous and overwhelming movements of beautiful tones.

I was copying some music for my father (that's a whole saga) and noticed for the first time that Prokofiev and Mahler have a similar trick they use in a similar way, of having lines doubled by trumpet or flute at the very top of their range, creating quite a nerve-wracking effect. No doubt Shosty approved.

[Lisztianwagner]

I was copying some music for my father (that's a whole saga) and noticed for the first time that Prokofiev and Mahler have a similar trick they use in a similar way, of having lines doubled by trumpet or flute at the very top of their range, creating quite a nerve-wracking effect. No doubt Shosty approved.

Really? How wonderful!

[not edward]

I think the Gergiev set is better than its reputation, but somewhat less than satisfactory. To give bookends for the cycle, 7th comes off unexpectedly well in my opinion, but the 1st is a flaccid disaster.

Some other Prokofiev symphony recordings that I think would repay attention and haven't seen in the last couple of dozen posts:
* Rozhdestvensky in general (I've not heard any of his 6ths or 7ths, more's the pity, but he's definitely my favourite in the 5th and the revised 4th).
* Concertgebouw/Kondrashin in the 3rd (incredibly incisive when needed, with the most apocalyptic view of the ending I've heard--it truly does sound like Sviatoslav Richter's "falling off the edge of the world"--but never underplaying the quieter, more lyrical passages that make up a surprisingly large amount of the work).
* Leningrad/Mravinsky live in the 6th (not a canonical view of the 6th, but a quite amazing performance nonetheless--my favourite recording of any Prokofiev symphony).
* BSO/Leinsdorf in the 6th (simply the most powerful and moving mainstream recording I know of the 6th; my favourite in this work after the Mravinsky).
* RSSO/Polyansky in the 2nd (I've had a fairly tepid reaction to much of Polyansky's Prokofiev, but I think this disc is an exception, and the teeming forest of ideas that is the second movement comes off particularly well here).

[eyeresist]

* Concertgebouw/Kondrashin in the 3rd

I wasn't aware of this one. A quick search reveals there are also recordings of 1 and 5, all out of print, of course.

[TheGSMoeller]

I think the Gergiev set is better than its reputation, but somewhat less than satisfactory. To give bookends for the cycle, 7th comes off unexpectedly well in my opinion, but the 1st is a flaccid disaster.

Good statement on the Gergiev set.
I will add that #3 is as intense as I've heard, up there with the Muti/Phil #3, absolutely fierce.
And both #4s are worth a listen.

[Karl Henning]

 Quote from: edward on February 16, 2012, 11:06:55 PM

* RSSO/Polyansky in the 2nd (I've had a fairly tepid reaction to much of Polyansky's Prokofiev, but I think this disc is an exception, and the teeming forest of ideas that is the second movement comes off particularly well here).

 
(* pounds the table *)

Sort of looks like this is to be (has been?) reissued by Naxos . . . .

[not edward]

By chance, I turned up a copy of the 1996 BBC Music Magazine cover disc featuring Mark Elder conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Prokofiev's October Cantata and Shostakovich's 2nd symphony. Though it's not in my mind the best performance I've heard of these two works, it's rare enough and interesting enough to merit sharing, so I've ripped it to flacs and uploaded it. The download can be found here:

https://rapidshare.com/files/1310364195/Shostakovich_2_-_Prokofiev_October_Cantata_-_Elder.zip

[eyeresist]

I'm listening to my freshly-arrived cycle conducted by Rostropovich (got it from Amazon UK for 10 pounds). Definitely better than the naysayers suggest. As I've said before, balancing all the elements present in Prok is tricky and perhaps no one conductor can do it all. Rostrop doesn't have the manic edge and sense of spontaneity that I like in Prok, but he has his own approach which involves presenting it as Serious music. He has obviously prepared his interpretations quite carefully, shapes the phrases deliberately but lovingly, and lays it all out with much grace. This doesn't work in the 1st mvt of the 2nd symphony - I'm afraid I got quite bored. In the misty coloration of the 2nd mvt, OTOH, he does very well (listening to it right now), and you certainly get a whiff of the Diaghilev ballet. I also thought his 6th was worthy, but I think I'll have to listen again more closely to see how he handles the structural sense.

Overall I'm happy with what I've heard so far, and would rank Rostropovich among the best interpreters I've heard in these works. At least he doesn't bring me out in hives like certain other conductors do!

(Although, to be honest, I'm not that happy with the sound of the orchestra for the 2nd symphony. Maybe it's the hall sonics, or the mics they used. Anyway, it aggravates my ears somehow. I will have to check the 6th symphony, which had the same engineers.)

The set comes with informative notes by David Nice (did you know both 1 and 7 contain Rimsky quotes?), with pictures including one of Sergei conducting in Moscow in 1939 - I believe this is the first pic I have ever seen of him in such a pose!

EDIT: Now listening to the 7th. This is the most convincing "slow" version of the first movement I've heard - the broad melodies and dark, slightly astringent orchestration sound so terribly Russian.

[madaboutmahler]

Awesome..............................................................           
http://www.youtube.com/v/Xy84N_U5jw0

My first encounter with this amazing work. Absolutely awesome. I really need to listen to this piece in full now...!

I have not been as excited with a new piece as I am now with this for a very long time!

I quote myself, from the listening thread.

This really must be some of the most awesome music I have ever heard! Out of the 30 times I must have listened to this excerpt today, I have been incredibly excited each time.
Will set some time aside tommorow so that I can listen to the Abbado recording I have. Then, I plan to buy the Yablonsky recording, as this excerpt from the performance sounds absolutely thrilling.

[TheGSMoeller]

I quote myself, from the listening thread.

This really must be some of the most awesome music I have ever heard! Out of the 30 times I must have listened to this excerpt today, I have been incredibly excited each time.
Will set some time aside tommorow so that I can listen to the Abbado recording I have. Then, I plan to buy the Yablonsky recording, as this excerpt from the performance sounds absolutely thrilling.

As awesome as The Battle on the Ice movement is, the following movement The Field of the Dead contains some of Prokofiev's most heartbreaking music.
Glad to see your excitement for such a great piece, Daniel.

[madaboutmahler]

As awesome as The Battle on the Ice movement is, the following movement The Field of the Dead contains some of Prokofiev's most heartbreaking music.
Glad to see your excitement for such a great piece, Daniel.

That certainly sounds very exciting... Although he wrote some of the most awesome music I have ever heard, I also think he has written some of the most heartbreakingly beautiful music I have ever heard too.

Perhaps I am going into a Prokofiev phase now... I have the Jarvi symphony set to relisten to, the Abbado Nevsky disc and also plan to buy some more Prokofiev (see 'considering' thread - advice would be welcomed!)

Really excited about this work! I've had a wonderful evening falling in love with this movement!

[Mirror Image]

I'm still surprised Daniel hasn't heard Alexander Nevsky before especially with as much as he likes Prokofiev's music.  Hmmm...

Anyway, Alexander Nevsky was one of the first Prokofiev works I heard and I believe the first one I heard was Abbado's on DG. This is still a good performance after all of these years I think, but I like Jarvi's much better. I own several others Temirkanov, Dutoit, and Masur.

Needless to say, Prokofiev is one of my favorites and I genuninely love his music more now than I did many years ago. The same applies to Shostakovich.

[madaboutmahler]

Listened to all the Alexander Nevsky cantata this evening and was amazed. What an awesome piece, absolutely brilliant. The performance from Abbado was excellent - I plan to get the Jarvi next, as I was warned against the Yablonsky which I was considering before... good choice?

[TheGSMoeller]

. [asin]B000H0MH36[/asin]

With talk of Alexander Nevsky I came to thinking about this...I encourage all to find a way to hear this transcription for choir of The Field of the Dead from Alexander Nevsky, performed by Accentus, it leaves me breathless, I bought just the MP3 of the song so not sure about the rest of the album, but this piece is a stunner.

[Mirror Image]

Listened to all the Alexander Nevsky cantata this evening and was amazed. What an awesome piece, absolutely brilliant. The performance from Abbado was excellent - I plan to get the Jarvi next, as I was warned against the Yablonsky which I was considering before... good choice?

The Jarvi is a great choice, but you didn't hear it from me!

[Karl Henning]

The Fiery Angel was actually one of the first CD purchases I made, long ago in darkest Buffalo.  It is a recording which I let go, though I am not now convinced that I ever sat down to it with proper attention.  I think it was apt to be the Järvi recording, FWIW.

I have now, at last, listened to the Gergiev/Mariinka recording, reissued in the Six Operas box (which I ordered a shade more than two years ago).  Dynamite piece . . . will spend more time with it.  (Eventually . . . .)

[Karl Henning]

How does everyone feel about the Ashkenazy set of the piano concerti?  As compared with others.

TIA.

[Mirror Image]

How does everyone feel about the Ashkenazy set of the piano concerti?  As compared with others.

TIA.

They're probably my least favorite, Karl. I'm also not fond of the audio quality either which is surprising since I've enjoyed so many of Decca's recordings. I think Ashkenazy is a very capable soloist, but I don't think his approach is quite right for the works. My favorite Prokofiev PC set comes from Vladimir Krainev with Dmitri Kitayenko conducting the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra on Teldec (also reissued on Warner's budget line Apex). I find these performances completely idiomatic and I think Krainev did an outstanding job of finding the right expression for each concerto.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

How does everyone feel about the Ashkenazy set of the piano concerti?  As compared with others.

TIA.

I haven't heard Ashkenazy's Prokofiev PCs but these are works that I've been extremely fond of over the years and I've been well served by other recordings, first and foremost Browning/Leinsdorf/Boston Symphony as far as sets.

Major kudos also to Paik/Wit and El Bacha/Ono.