Prokofiev symphonies

[Thomas Roth]

Karajan, yes. There is also a splendid fifth from Tilson Thomas with LSO on Sony.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

The only spoiler was the idiot who yelled 'bravo' at the top of his voice right on top of the final chord!

A bit like the sort of idiot who yells 'bravo' at the end of Shostakovich 5 - both thereby proving that they understood nothing of the previous 40-45 minutes.

[jayne lee wilson]

Yes, the Kitajenko with the Koln Gurzenich. is a stunner - probably the best recorded and played overall, not a weak link, very strong in 6 and 7. I tend not to get on with Gergiev anyway, so no comment...

Don't forget Ansermet's terrific Victoria Hall 5th, I prefer Rattle to Karajan here (fresher more immediate sound - stunning dynamics on the original CD - and a more spontaneous reading) Szell is marvellous too. I can't find the Martinon set just now (too many records...) but I recall it fondly and I'll play some if I dig it out... a nice Martinon Paris 7th on Testament too.

I'm not Neeme Jarvi's greatest fan but his 6th and 7th with the SNO are some of his best discs. Nice, take-no-prisoners early digital sound from Chandos too.

Never heard the Rozh. but the set on Amazon is a very recent Melodiya reissue (remaster perhaps?) and looks an exciting prospect...nice cover art too. Great fan of this conductor in almost anything - his Bruckner and Sibelius are terrific!

Of the Prokofiev recordings I have heard, I enjoy Kitajenko's rather more than Gergiev's on the whole; K's tempi are better judged.

Mravinsky's 6th is well worth acquiring, as is Rozhdestvensky's set.

[Bryn]

.
Never heard the Rozh. but the set on Amazon is a very recent Melodiya reissue (remaster perhaps?) and looks an exciting prospect...nice cover art too. Great fan of this conductor in almost anything - his Bruckner and Sibelius are terrific!

The Rozhestvensky survey used to be available as an EMI boxed set of LPs, replete with various fill-up items. The fairly recent Melodiya CD set offers very fine transfers. As performances they have the overall edge as far as I am concerned, but yes the Kitajenko set is very fine and does have the advantage of superior audio engineering.

[Petrushka]

Rozh[destvensky]... Great fan of this conductor in almost anything

Me too. I saw him many times while he was at the helm of the BBCSO and he is one of those conductors who can give a good performance of anything he touched. Didn't matter whether it was Prokofiev or Peter Maxwell Davies, Holst or Hugh Wood.

By the way, I see that ICA are shortly about to issue a 1980 BBCSO Holst Planets.

[Beef Oven]

You should enjoy No. 5, Alison. Last night's concert at the Festival Hall gave us a splendid performance of No.6, which I think is his best. The only spoiler was the idiot who
yelled 'bravo' at the top of his voice right on top of the final chord!

I also find the first three symphonies rather hard work, although they are fascinating. Perhaps I was put off listening to No. 3, because of its links with his opera The Flaming Angel. Way back in about 1958 the BBC broadcast it live, and I had the task of sitting all evening in a recording channel in Broadcasting House with two disc cutting machines putting it on to used 78 acetates. These were blanks which had already been used on one side, so you had to check every one to see if it was useable while at the same time recording in 4 minute chunks, and all for somebody's office use on a grotty player! It put me off Prokofiev's operas for quite a while!

What does fascinate is the transition in style as Prokofiev makes the transition from his wildly modernist early style to his later mode without losing his personality. This could be seen in last night's performance of his Symphonic Song, where you can hear him struggling towards a style to please Soviet opinion. I'll be there on the at the Seguin concert, and we also get the marvellous Second Violin Concerto with Janine Janson as soloist, I hope you enjoy it !
Bws.
Ferret

I hope you enjoy it too, but please don't call me Alison, there's no need for it.

[Alison]

I hope you enjoy it too, but please don't call me Alison, there's no need for it.

[DracoM]

Public Domain No More
The US Supreme Court has just upheld a law giving US copyright protection to millions of works by foreign artists that had been freely available.
This includes works by Prokofiev and Shostakovich.

Surely this has to affect orchestras and ensembles playing / recording in US?

[Ferretfancy]

I hope you enjoy it too, but please don't call me Alison, there's no need for it.

Beef Oven and Alison

A hundred lines : - I must not use my vari-focals when at my iMac!

Many apologies, but if Alison was Beef Oven, and Beef Oven was Alison, I'm sure you would both be very nice.

Bws.
Ferret

[cloughie]

The Rozhestvensky survey used to be available as an EMI boxed set of LPs, replete with various fill-up items. The fairly recent Melodiya CD set offers very fine transfers. As performances they have the overall edge as far as I am concerned, but yes the Kitajenko set is very fine and does have the advantage of superior audio engineering.

But no couplings and as is the way with Melodiya these days not anywhere near bargain price!

[EdgeleyRob]

I only have nos 1 & 5 (Karajan)Which complete set would boarders suggest I go for ?

[Parry1912]

Jarvi on Chandos.

[jayne lee wilson]

Having begun to play through the Kitajenko again after a few years I can only say I'm even more impressed! It has to be the top recommendation, both musically and technically - the sound is among the best orchestral engineering you'll ever hear, rich and full but with great clarity too. And you get both versions of No.4 side by side. One of the set's great merits is to place No.3 more clearly among the composer's finest achievements, irrespective of its operatic links. If you've had trouble with 3 before, this should sort you out...

Kitajenko allows the music to relax and breathe, exploring its colour and variety of mood, but knows how to increase drive, tension and drama when needed. It's the reference for complete cycles now.

As I said I haven't heard Rozhdestvensky but it would seem to be a great historical alternative.

I only have nos 1 & 5 (Karajan)Which complete set would boarders suggest I go for ?

[Mahlerei]

jayne

You've persuaded me; off to find the best price (it ain't cheap). I very much enjoyed Kitaienko's Manfred and will be interested to explore the rest of his ongoing Tchaikovsky cycle.

[EdgeleyRob]

Having begun to play through the Kitajenko again after a few years I can only say I'm even more impressed! It has to be the top recommendation, both musically and technically - the sound is among the best orchestral engineering you'll ever hear, rich and full but with great clarity too. And you get both versions of No.4 side by side. One of the set's great merits is to place No.3 more clearly among the composer's finest achievements, irrespective of its operatic links. If you've had trouble with 3 before, this should sort you out...

Kitajenko allows the music to relax and breathe, exploring its colour and variety of mood, but knows how to increase drive, tension and drama when needed. It's the reference for complete cycles now.

As I said I haven't heard Rozhdestvensky but it would seem to be a great historical alternative.

Jarvi on Chandos.

JLW and Parry 1912 many thanks.