Search - Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra (some works with the State Symphony Orchestra of the USSR) :: Russian Archives: Mravinsky Edition

Fantastic collection

Joel Alan Fox | 04/13/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Most westerners don't know much about Mravinsky, which is a shame. He was one of the very best conductors of the 20th century. This whole set is fantastic. In particular, the recordings of the Tchaikovsky 5 and Shostakovich 5 will blow you away.

Here is a list of all the pieces played:



Disc 1

Tchaikovsky:

Serenade for Strings

Nutcracker Ballet Suite - selection

Francesca da Rimini



Disc 2

Tchaikovsky:

Symphony #5

Pas de deux, from Sleeping Beauty Ballet

Capriccio Italien



Disc 3

Glazunov: Symphony #4

Rimsky-Korsakov: Tale of the Invisible City of Kitezh

Glinka: Ruslan and Ludmilla Overture

Steinberg: Dance of the Buffons, Dance of Gillina



Disc 4

Salmanov: Symphony #2

Khatchaturian: Symphony #3

Liadov: Baba Yaga

Mussorgsky: Dawn on Moskwa River



Disc 5

Shostakovich: Symphony #5

Zhivotov: Heroic Poem



Disc 6

Bartok: Music for Strings Percussion & Celesta

Stravinsky: Apollon Musagete



Disc 7

Wagner: Sigfried's Funeral March from Gotterdammerung, Prelude & Liebestod from Tristan & Isolde

Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet Suite No. 2



Disc 8

Bruckner: Symphony #9



Disc 9

Beethoven:

Symphony #4

Symphony #2



Disc 10

Mozart: Overture to The Marriage of Figaro

Weber: Overture Freischutz

Bizet: Carmen excerpt, L'Arlesienne Suite #2

Debussy: Nocturnes: Nuages, Fetes. Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune

Scriabin: Le Poeme de l'extase





"

Obvious to obscure

Stephen A. Whealton | Port Saint Joe, FL USA | 01/12/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"10 CDs of Mravinsky, mostly with the Leningrad Philharmonic, is a joy.



Here and there, the sound is old. For many who are new to Russian orchestral sounds, the brass will feature a surprising vibrato.



But the conducting and playing are superb, and also in many cases, definitive.



Of the rarities here, Salmanov stood out. Khachaturian's Symphony 3 for trumpets and orchestra is awful music, but played with verve and conviction.



All in all, wonderful!"