Search - Mily Balakirev, Vassily Sinaisky, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra :: Balakirev: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2; Piano Concerto, Op. 1; King Lear Overture; In Bohemia; Tamara

An Appealing Balakirev Package from Chandos

M. C. Passarella | Lawrenceville, GA | 12/13/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A deal, this is, as far as I'm concerned. It comes into direct competition with a similar, two-fer-one deal from Hyperion featuring Evgeny Sventlanov and the Philharmonia Orchestra. The pairing is a bit different, though both offer the two symphonies, of course, and Balakirev's orchestral masterpiece, "Tamara." While Svetlanov gives us two overtures on Russian themes, Vassily Sinaisky gives us "In Bohemia," scored similarly to "Tamara" but more lighthearted and focused more on melody than on color, plus the Piano Concerto No. 1, here sounding somewhat more convincing than on another Hyperion recording with Malcolm Binns. While there is probably not much to choose between Binns and Chandos's house pianist Howard Shelley, Sinaisky gives the orchestral accompaniment more character, and the recording on Chandos is better as well. A curiosity in the Sinaisky set is Balakirev's "Overture 'King Lear.'" It starts out with a regal fanfare recalling the "Procession of the Nobles" from Rimsky's Mlada but then follows the sad course of Lear's story. For a work entirely absent from concert halls, it's pretty effective, worth an occasional hearing.



That leaves the two most important works, the symphonies. Some reviewers have found Sinaisky's interpretations uninvolved and uninvolving. Perhaps this is true compared to recordings I've not heard, for which I apologize. However, next to the Svetlanov First, which I have heard, Sinaisky's holds its own handily, having maybe a bit more atavism and rugged grandeur about it. Chandos's recording, too, is slightly finer, with just that much more heft and maybe a tad better stereo placement. The Second Symphony isn't as commanding as the First--as important a work in the history of Russian music as, say, Borodin's well-loved Second. But Balakirev's Second has its points, too, and its gentler, more refined way is captured well by Sinaisky and his orchestra. Again, the sound is top of the line.



So perhaps you could come up with more hard-hitting performances by shopping around, but to find all this interesting music in one package, well performed and stunningly recorded, is a deal-maker for me."