Andreas Schmidt Sergey Prokofiev Seiji Ozawa - Prokofiev 7 Symphonies Lieutenant Kij (30 tracks) +Album Reviews

An Underrated Prokofiev Symphony Cycle

John Kwok | New York, NY USA | 12/26/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Much to my amazement, Seiji Ozawa's Prokofiev symphony cycle with the Berlin Philharmonic hasn't earned the critical praise it deserves. These are insightful, vibrant interpretations replete with the Berlin Philharmonic's charismatic warm and brilliant playing. I am very impressed with Ozawa's ability to lead the Berliners in a series of commanding performances of Prokofiev's scores. All of these are memorable, yet the strongest are undoubtedly the 1st, 5th and 7th symphonies. The tempi don't sound sluggish, but instead, tend to be slightly brisk. The warm, rich sound is aided by the fact that most of these recordings were made in the Jesus Christ Kirche studio used by Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic in many of their classic 1960's and 1970's Deutsche Grammophon recordings. Although this may not be the definitive set of Prokofiev's symphonies, it is nonetheless a collection of admirable performances and one worth acquiring at this price."

Best complete set, but this isn't your grandpa's "Lt. Kije"

Martin Selbrede | The Woodlands, Texas | 09/29/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I concur with the reviewers who saw exceptional merit in the (undeservedly) obscure symphonies (namely, those other than 1 & 5). Each sound-world has its own charms. One can hear antecedent rumblings of the 5th lurking in the 4th -- as if in nascent form, waiting to open the matrix of the womb. The melodic invention seems bottomless, and the penchant for boldly painted colors never flags. The low brass surprised me at many points -- it seems Ozawa (or his engineers) had coaxed something out of them that was hard to come by under Karajan's baton. While one can argue over Ozawa's take on individual symphonies (e.g., I'd take de Burgos over Ozawa on the 1st), a Complete Set has to be evaluated on its own terms. This one is a true five-star find.

The Lieutenant Kije suite will shock anyone expecting to hear excerpts from Woody Allen's "Love and Death." In two movements (the Romance and the popular Troika), a baritone vocalist covers the main themes (following the 1933 original version). When a previous reviewer lamented the coupling of the symphonies with yet another Lt. Kije, I found it to be a premature judgment. I've heard a half dozen other versions, but this is the first I've heard the original version with the baritone singing the Russian text. Frankly, I don't even think I like the original 1933 version -- but I certainly can't complain that this seventh Lt. Kije Suite was a redundant addition to my music library!

THREE YEARS LATER... I reviewed this in 2004, but this month (October 2007) a new set of Prokofiev symphonies won a 2007 Grammy award. I've since ordered that version (Gergiev with the London Symphony Orchestra) and will cross-compare the two box sets to decide whether I need to revise the star rating on this review or not. One professional critic asserted that Gergiev easily put Ozawa in second place. We shall see. Be alert to the new competition from Gergiev when selecting your box set!"

Missed opportunity

Michael E. Karman | Portland, OR USA | 05/21/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This set is spectacular. These may not be the perfect performances of these symphonies, but they're all close enough to be enjoyed over and over again. You may even find that these are the only performances you listen to. I was most impressed by the performance of symphony 7. I love this piece, but I don't think it's very good. Ozawa and the Berliners, however, play it as if it WERE a great piece. Wow! Only one regret, instead of giving us both versions of 4, they decided we only needed the overblown and clumsy revised version plus yet another Lt. Kije (yawn). At least Ozawa conducts every piece as if it were the best piece ever.In any event, the set's worth the money for 5 and 2 alone, so what am I complaining about?"

Magnificent

R. Hutchinson | a world ruled by fossil fuels and fossil minds | 10/09/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Prokofiev was not known mainly as a symphonist, but listening to the Berlin Philharmonic play the entire cycle convinces me that he has not been properly appreciated. The First is of course the most often played, and while a charming pastiche, was merely a youthful warm-up for the works that were to follow. I find the Second to be incredible, a modernist masterpiece. Prokofiev moved toward a more lyrical, romantic style as he matured, but the Second Symphony is one of the great achievements of his earlier period. The Third and Fourth both developed from operas, "The Fiery Angel" and "The Prodigal Son." They are the least successful as symphonies, it seems to me, but are still tremendously enjoyable, especially as played by the BPO. The Fifth and Sixth are generally seen to be Prokofiev's best symphonies, especially the Sixth. I can see why, though if I had to choose two, I would say the Second and Sixth. The Sixth got Prokofiev in trouble, denounced for "formalism," and the Seventh was part of his rehabilitation. It is a lovely piece, but lacking the depth and innovation of earlier works. This set is magnificent on every level, from performance, to Ozawa's conducting, to DG's beautiful package. The cover photo of steel girders captures the hackneyed notion of "the Soviet composer," and is really only appropriate for the steely constructivism of the Second Symphony, but excellent design nonetheless. There are no plastic jewelcases -- each disc comes in its own sleeve, like a vinyl LP, resting in a box along with the informative booklet. This is a package that this splendid music deserves."

Prokofiev - symphony cycle by Ozawa

Joseph | London United Kingdom | 04/08/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have no idea why Ozawa had been criticised as one of those "faceless conductors" with no real viewpoint of their own. Nothing could be further than the truth! His understanding of these symphonies is beyond reproach. The performances are breathtaking, especially 2,4,6 and 7. The only weak spot I can think of is that the first two movements of the classical symphony are taken a little too slowly for most people's tastes (although this doesn't bother me at all). In my opinion this takes away from the pastiche element of the work, rendering it just another piece of "old sounding" classical music. But overall this is an amazing set of CDs. The Lt. Kije merits no interest, as Abbado did the best version with the LSO (sans lyrics though). The bottom line: great sound, stunning performance from an ensemble that many claim to be the world's greatest orchestra (Berlin Philharmonic) and excellent digital sound that will blow you away, especially on symphony 2 (in my opinion Prokofiev's very best). Just wish the set also included the original version of number 4. However, the revised version is better anyway, so why am I complaining?
Buy this set and enjoy! Prokofiev truly is the master!!"

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