Choose a Prokofiev Symphony Cyle

[Ken B]

Haiku is it to be?

A day to celebrate
Rebirth of music
You died, and no-one heard.

[North Star]

All seven are fun,
I'll take 'em & run.

[vandermolen]

I haven't heard Martinon's Vox recordings but I really enjoy his earlier 5 & 7 on Testament (w/ the Paris Conservatory Orchestra).




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Thanks, didn't know this existed.

Here is a v good review of one of the Martinon sets and available for $0.50!

http://www.amazon.com/Orchestral-Works-1-Sergey-Prokofiev/dp/B000001K1T

[Karl Henning]

Here is a v good review of one of the Martinon sets and available for $0.50!

http://www.amazon.com/Orchestral-Works-1-Sergey-Prokofiev/dp/B000001K1T

Chacun à son goût . . . I seem to recall a dissatisfaction with the sonic profile of these.  But — lemme check . . . .

[Ken B]

Chacun à son goût . . . I seem to recall a dissatisfaction with the sonic profile of these.  But — lemme check . . . .

When on VOX the Martinon had a rumble. Probably why an A lister ended up on Vox!  I liked 5 but the sound was poor.

[vandermolen]

When on VOX the Martinon had a rumble. Probably why an A lister ended up on Vox!  I liked 5 but the sound was poor.

But No 6 is in a class of its own - especially the ending. It is the most moving performance I know and the Amazon.com reviewer was quite upbeat about the sound.

[early grey]

Weller has had some good press in the UK following extracts played on a "Building a Library" programme on the BBC. You can hear his 1st Symphony from the complete set as well as Shostakovich's 9th here

http://www.cliveheathmusic.co.uk/vinyl.php

together with Karajan's 5th and several other orchestral works. 

[DavidW]

I've heard most but not all of the sets.  I think that they are all fine with their own strengths and weaknesses that compliment each other pretty well.  If I had to choose one... perhaps Ozawa.  But really does it matter?

[Daverz]

Listened to Kosler's 6 and 5.  The CzPO sounds gorgeous.  But I just don't seem to enjoy 5 much anymore; I was never a huge fan of it.

[Karl Henning]

But No 6 is in a class of its own - especially the ending. It is the most moving performance I know and the Amazon.com reviewer was quite upbeat about the sound.

Revisited this last night . . . I miss the clarity which I so enjoy in other recordings (Ozawa, Järvi, Slava . . . Slava is particularly good here, I have recently discovered).  Whenever the timpani are beaten in the last movement (and they are, often and enthusiastically, as is right) almost all other detail in the sound is overpowered.

[Karl Henning]

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]

Somehow I am engaged here . . . so I am re-visiting the sets of Järvi and, soon, Rozhdestvensky.

[Karl Henning]

I've lived a bit with the Rozhdestvensky set now.  And in the big-picture, some-you-win,-some-you-lose aspect of things, I am philosophically considering this money poorly spent     The recordings are all, erm, classic Melodiya provenance, so one "enjoys" both the grainy sonics, and the (e.g.) pert-near-insufferable tone of the Russian orchestral trumpets in the lower stretch of their range.  Some of the tempo variations are interesting to note, without my finding them compelling.

I've snaffled so many excellent bargains (and so often, thanks to GMG'ers), though, that even writing this box off does not vex me at all.

[snyprrr]

Don't snicker and haw-hee so
I like Stone Flower, with Varviso
Three oranges I have love for yet,
But prefer Romeo and Juliet.

[mc ukrneal]

It has only taken me 9+ months to finally dive in. I picked up the Ozawa cycle for under $10 and it arrived last night. Very excited to dive in. It was ultimately the price that did it for me - just too good a bargain and it fills one of the few holes left in my collection.
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[Karl Henning]

Good catch!

[mszczuj]

Voted for Rozhdestvensky, I can listen to his No. 2, the only thing I care. The only complete set I've heard is that of Ghergiev.

[mc ukrneal]

Alas and alack () I am back in the market for the Prokofiev symphonies. The Ozawa have 1-2 or two I liked, but they were frustrating for the most part. Tempos did not seem comfortable in some parts, unison was sorely lacking at times. Take the 5th (your honor), which I thought one of the more successful symphonies - the piano often simply comes in out of synch - a real shame because I rather liked the opening. I never thought it possible to make #1 a horror, but here I find it nearly unlistenable. Anyway, I am not trying to offend anyone, but this is not the version for me.

So here I am nearly at square one again. Perhaps someone could recommend a few single discs that you think are truly amazing. Alternatively, knowing I didn't like the Ozawa, is there one cycle that is somehow the opposite, and thus likely to be embraced by yours truly?

[Daverz]

Kirill Karabits has completed his cycle, including the original 4.  I'll have to revisit the rest of the cycle, but his 5 and 6 are among the best I've heard.

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(Please don't judge by the day-glo covers.  The production values are otherwise excellent.)

4 (revised) + 6: https://open.spotify.com/album/1Cm2p55jIRvfici61Omnmb
4 (original) + 5: https://open.spotify.com/album/01WqKTXGaX37wIHbxcUfGI
3 + 7: https://open.spotify.com/album/0qxZFKkqmG19FgErMqjlbV
1 + 2: https://open.spotify.com/album/10HnwPSjODLzJBKZJnXfRR

It's also on Tidal:

http://tidal.com/playlist/15049f2a-3f34-4a77-8453-b3356077e374

[Sergeant Rock]

I never thought it possible to make #1 a horror, but here I find it nearly unlistenable.

Ouch...and wow. Ozawa's Classical is my favorite by far. But then, given our history, it's no surprise we disagree, eh? 

So here I am nearly at square one again. Perhaps someone could recommend a few single discs that you think are truly amazing. Alternatively, knowing I didn't like the Ozawa, is there one cycle that is somehow the opposite, and thus likely to be embraced by yours truly?

The opposite of Ozawa is probably Järvi (Jens' favorite, I believe, and loved also by the Hurwitzer--he hates Ozawa).

Sarge