Prokofiev's Paddy Wagon

[Karl Henning]

I am currently on a Prokofiev complete symphony kick - listening every day to a symphony or two.  I have the Jarvi complete set (pretty good in the bombast and recording quality compartments) and have heard the Rostropovich (a bit sleepy) and Ozawa (emphasizes the lyrical over the modernist Prokofiev) sets.  I'm curious what people think are the performances to get?  Is there a complete set that really is the best?

Well, IMO there is no set better than the Ozawa.

A good almost-set (with a perhaps surprisingly dynamite Second), together with a fabulous set of the piano concerti with Jn Browning, is Leinsdorf/BSO:

[asin]B004H6P2LA[/asin]

[TheGSMoeller]

Well, IMO there is no set better than the Ozawa.

A good almost-set (with a perhaps surprisingly dynamite Second), together with a fabulous set of the piano concerti with Jn Browning, is Leinsdorf/BSO:

[asin]B004H6P2LA[/asin]

+1 for the Ozawa and +1 for the Leinsdorf.
So, I guess that's a +2 all around. 

[Sergeant Rock]

How is the Weller/London Philharmonic set

I own Ozawa, Kitajenko, Rostropovich, Rozhdestvensky, Järvi, Weller, Kosler and Gergiev. Top three: Ozawa (for the lyrical emphasis which you've discovered), Rozhdestvensky (because he's Roz, man  ) and Kitajenko (for the superlative sonics among other things). Individual recordings: you should pick up Szell's Fifth and Tennstedt's Seventh.

Sarge

[relm1]

+1 for the Ozawa and +1 for the Leinsdorf.
So, I guess that's a +2 all around. 

Shoot, that Leinsdorf is the most expensive set at $37!  There is this comparative website for trombone players that plays through some famous Prokofiev No. 5 recordings side by side.  Interesting to see how the various conductors approach this:
http://www.tromboneexcerpts.org/Prokofiev5/Prokofiev5_Tenor1_1_1.html

I can hear that apparently, on movement 1, excerpt 3, Kurt Masur seems to have made an executive decision to have the bass trombonist play that B flat as a pedal tone an octave below written.  Quite an ominous effect and if you have such a world class trombone section, why not?

Edit: Ahh, I missed that the Leinsdorf includes so much else so is really a good value.

[North Star]

Shoot, that Leinsdorf is the most expensive set at $37!
Edit: Ahh, I missed that the Leinsdorf includes so much else so is really a good value.

And mp prices are much lower!

[TheGSMoeller]

I can hear that apparently, on movement 1, excerpt 3, Kurt Masur seems to have made an executive decision to have the bass trombonist play that B flat as a pedal tone an octave below written.  Quite an ominous effect and if you have such a world class trombone section, why not?

More than likely Donald Harwood on the bass trombone, he's quite the monster on many of the NYP recordings form the 70s-90s.

Individual recordings: you should pick up Szell's Fifth and Tennstedt's Seventh.

Sarge

A big YES on both of these, especially the Tennstedt 7th which is desert island material. If I may add a few more to the individual recordings list, some for the fiery 3rd...

[lescamil]

http://concerthuis.radio4.nl/concert/3894/De_Vrijdag_Van_Vredenburg_sopraan_Aga_Mikolaj_Groot_Omroepkoor_en_Radio_Filharmonisch_Orkest_o.l.v_James_Gaffigan

Here is a recent recording of Prokofiev's 3rd. It is my favorite symphony of the set, and I really enjoyed this recording.

[Karl Henning]

. . . Individual recordings: you should pick up Szell's Fifth [....]

Sarge, what is your doing and Monkey Greg's, I have fetched in that disc again, in spite of the symphony's sharing the disc with the Sz.116 which will live in infamy 

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Bringing this over from Herr Haydn's Haus:

But, if your local cl. FM stn is anything like our local cl. FM stn, they play the one version of the piece they've fixed on.  And they've found one which doesn't make the piece sound out of breath 

Possibly, but I do know they have a variety of performers in their queue.

Give it a try.  His Classical is energetic;  the energy is efficient, is all.

I'll be happy to try it. I'll check Youtube.

BTW, it's been awhile but have you had a chance to audition the Suggestion diabolique from our last Prokofiev discussion? I'd be curious about your impressions:

I just listened to that one on YouTube. Very nice indeed. Thanks for the mention, Karl.

But if you'll indulge me a bit of fun: to me Richter's version is a tough act to follow. The combination of clarity and pyrotechnics - especially at about the 1:45 mark - hint at what Prokofiev saw in this pianist:





http://www.youtube.com/v/rJfDl6h9ZgI

[Karl Henning]

Cross-post:

Duty of the Thread:

Сергей Сергеевич [ Sergei Sergeyevich (Prokofiev) ]
Симфония № 2 ре минор, соч. 40 [ Symphony № 2 in d minor, Opus 40 ]
Berliner Philharmoniker
Ozawa

[asin]B00004SA89[/asin]

I love this symphony passionately.  It starts out as 12 minutes of some of the most exhilirating orchestral writing you could wish to be thrilled by, and then a theme and variations which just melts me.

[Karl Henning]

BTW, it's been awhile but have you had a chance to audition the Suggestion diabolique from our last Prokofiev discussion? I'd be curious about your impressions:

Argh, hadn't meant to neglect your query!  And of course, time has passed . . . will refresh my hearing, and report.

[TheGSMoeller]

Cross-post:

I love this symphony passionately.  It starts out as 12 minutes of some of the most exhilirating orchestral writing you could wish to be thrilled by, and then a theme and variations which just melts me.

It's quite a piece. And I think Ozawa/Berlin nail it. Although, I need to listen to the 2nd from Leinsdorf, perhaps tonight, it's the one that gets me on the edge of my seat.

In other news... I checked out a disc yesterday from the library of Argerich and Pletnev performing the Cinderella Suite for two pianos, excited for a first listen this evening. Any thoughts/comments on this one?

[Karl Henning]

It's quite a piece. And I think Ozawa/Berlin nail it. Although, I need to listen to the 2nd from Leinsdorf, perhaps tonight, it's the one that gets me on the edge of my seat.

In other news... I checked out a disc yesterday from the library of Argerich and Pletnev performing the Cinderella Suite for two pianos, excited for a first listen this evening. Any thoughts/comments on this one?

The Leinsdorf Second is mighty good, too!

And that Argerich/Pletnev CD is enchanting!

[North Star]

In other news... I checked out a disc yesterday from the library of Argerich and Pletnev performing the Cinderella Suite for two pianos, excited for a first listen this evening. Any thoughts/comments on this one?

One of my favourite discs, I hope you enjoy it, Greg.

Symphony No. 2 is a great work indeed, and Ozawa & Berliners are more than satisfying.

[NJ Joe]

Symphony No. 2 is a great work indeed, and Ozawa & Berliners are more than satisfying.

I received this set in the mail a few days ago.  So far I've listened to 1, 6, and 2, and have enjoyed each performance, especially 2.  The interpretations are clear and articulate, and textures are transparent.  Ozawa allows the music to breathe, even in the urgency of the 1st movement of no. 2.  In short, I am loving this set.

I have done some comparative listening to the Gergiev set, which I've owned for a few years but have never been able to get my head around.  I'm trying to understand why this is so.  In comparison, Gergiev seems to be in too much of a hurry; to me, his urgency doesn't translate in a positive way.  Things just seem stressed out. Ozawa takes a slightly more relaxed view, and in doing so brings out a greater bloom in the music.  Ozawa also seems more consistent in tempo, less jumpy, with more sensible dynamic changes.

[Karl Henning]

Cross post

The Slava set has been what I've listened to in the car this past week or so.  Overall, very good, with a couple of grave-ish (IMO) caveats.  The sound is nice and rich, the band play very musically . . . and in particular, there are several low-string-choir passages which sound as good as any other performances I've heard – you can hear in the playing that they are cellists and bassists responding to a conductor who is a legendary cellist.

The Fifth, Sixth and Seventh are stand-outs (in the good way  ) in this set.  The Classical comes close to vexing me . . . where I find that Ozawa's taking the piece with deliberate (though energized) elegance is entirely successful and illuming, Slava seems to take that notion another notch or two . . . and seems to me almost to court lassitude.  All that said, I find it an enjoyable listen, for it remains an engagingly musical performance, even while I think the tempo/energy decisions at times questionable.

It will come as no surprise to many here that I am a great fan of the Second, and it is the first movement (Allegro ben articolato) wherewith Slava puzzles me most, we might say.  He makes that first movement a curiously lyrical affair, to a degree which almost seems to flout what the composer himself remarked about the piece ("iron and steel"). (Of course, you may guess that Slava handles the theme of the second movement's variations beautifully.)  So, I should call it an interpretation worth hearing, and beautifully rendered by the orchestra, though not an interpretation I could truly endorse.

Just started listening to the (Op.47) Fourth this morning (both versions of the Fourth are included in this set), and so far it is sounding nice.  More hereafter . . . .

[Karl Henning]

Picked this up on the recommendation of GMGers, and man is it a beauty:

[Ken B]

Picked this up on the recommendation of GMGers, and man is it a beauty:

All the essentials in one place. 

[TheGSMoeller]

Picked this up on the recommendation of GMGers, and man is it a beauty:

Poundz a few table tops! (did I do that wrong?)
Hands down my favorite 5th, this one has beauty, but not without displaying its razor sharp teeth  .  But the CSO brass is known to do that from time to time.

[Karl Henning]

Hands down my favorite 5th, this one has beauty, but not without displaying its razor sharp teeth  .

Look at the bones!