BaL 11.04.15 - Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake

[Don Petter]

Quite a short BaL, which I felt should have had more on the wealth of recordings and less about the ballet itself.

I found this BaL quite uninvolving, though this might in part be due to the music itself.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Just pretend it's by Mussorgsky and scored for piano, Ferney. You might like it better.

I think I may have been responding to the chosen recording than the piece itself - I don't remember ever having such a negative response to the piece when I've heard it before. Strange, as I'm usually very enthusiastic to Svetlanov's Music-making (great, great Elgarian) - but I couldn't help wishing that the coach taking the percussionists to the recording venue had broken down.

[Barbirollians]

I see that Nigel Simeone raved about it in IRR too last year when it was reissued .

I have come late to Svetlanov but those Liadov and Russian Favourites discs on Melodiya and especially his Rachmaninov 1 the 1990s and 1966 versions have made me a convert .

[techniquest]

No, not for me this Svetlanov recording; I can't get past the overblown trumpets blasting over the whole orchestra. Instead another vote here for the LSO / Previn recording :)

[Beef Oven!]

but I couldn't help wishing that the coach taking the percussionists to the recording venue had broken down.

But what brass! I do love a bit of Russian brass.

[visualnickmos]

But what brass! I do love a bit of Russian brass.

Indeed - an excellent recording/rendition. Full-blown, full-on NOISE!!!!! Gets my vote......

[Beef Oven!]

Indeed - an excellent recording/rendition. Full-blown, full-on NOISE!!!!! Gets my vote......

I agree. We are a tad conservative, in here.

[MrGongGong]

But what brass! I do love a bit of Russian brass.

Stretched, of course :big grin:

or even like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvgzn5l6GhY&spfreload=10

[aeolium]

No, not for me this Svetlanov recording; I can't get past the overblown trumpets blasting over the whole orchestra. Instead another vote here for the LSO / Previn recording :)

Here too. It boasts terrific playing from the 1970s LSO on top form, with Ida Haendel as soloist, and wonderful sound. Yet apart from a brief impressive extract near the start of the BaL it hardly featured IIRC. The theme of the BaL seemed to be that the western performances were fatally given over to the sybaritic pleasures of the hedonist, while the true dark soul of the piece could only be revealed by authentic Russian strings and brass. I thought Svetlanov simply sounded overblown and unbalanced, in a work where that really isn't needed.

Still, I quite enjoyed the idiosyncratic style of the reviewer, and I was glad to hear praise for Richard Bonynge's recording, as I have long thought him an excellent conductor of music for the stage.

[Beef Oven!]

Stretched, of course :big grin:

or even like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvgz...Y&spfreload=10

You're distracting me, I'm trying to listen to Monty Adkins!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Full-blown, full-on NOISE!!!!!

I wish! Instead, it was just the same rhythms hammered out in a prissy 4/4, bar after bar after bar. Noise-y, but dull - not the real deal at all.

[BBMmk2]

Mark Ermler's recording can be found non Spotify!

[Rupert P Matley]

Mark Ermler's recording can be found non Spotify!

And as a CD from Amazon etc.

[BBMmk2]

Ah as I seem to remember it wasn't mentioned on this BaL?

[Beef Oven!]

Stretched, of course :big grin:

or even like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvgz...Y&spfreload=10

Enjoyed that very much. Great composition and marvellous playing.