Search - Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Maazel :: 1812 Overture

One of the best

kelsie | Plainview, Texas United States | 05/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The most famous recording of the 1812 Overture is the version done by Antal Dorati and the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. This is not it. HOWEVER, this recording is certainly among the handful of absolutely incredible readings of both the 1812 Overture and Beethoven's spectacle, "Wellington's Victory." Maazel, ever the fire-breather, breathlessly runs through "1812," until the final victory hymn, "God Save the Czar," where the tempo slows dramatically to allow time for the bells and choir to ring out. The cannon blasts are expertly timed and fit much better with the music than those of Ormandy's reading with the Philadelphia Symphony. The recording is muddled in places, and at the beginning of the 1812 and Wellington's tracks, one can easily hear the orchestra shifting and turning pages. It's a "warts-and-all" recording for sure. The reading of Wellington's Victory is stupendous, with the trumpets projecting LOUD and clear. The battle scene is captured in all its cacaphonous glory, with "cannon" and musket fire ringing out, overpowering the orchestra at times! As an added bonus, the disc includes Maazel's intense "Marche Slav." The final, euphoric burst of energy in this work overflows with enthusiasm. Taken together, the three tracks run for about 41 minutes. The works, however, are rendered with just the right amount of seriousness, fun, and, not the least, blazing tempo and dynamics. Not to be missed!"