BaL 21.12.19 - Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker

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  • Eine Alpensinfonie
    Host
    • Nov 2010
    • 20575

    BaL 21.12.19 - Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker

    9.30
    Building a Library: Edward Seckerson compares recordings of Tchaikovsky's ballet music, The Nutcracker - and picks a favourite.
    Tchaikovsky's ballet music, The Nutcracker, has become an annual Christmas crowd-pleaser around the World,. Particularly popular is the Suite that Tchaikovsky created from the second act of the ballet, which includes many of his most-loved tunes like the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Waltz of the Flowers. The ballet is based on a highly simplified version of ETA Hoffmann's story 'The Nutcracker and the Mouse King', adapted for the ballet stage by Alexandre Dumas.
    The ballet was originally premiered on 18th December 1892 at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, and it was choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. Despite its popularity today, Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker was received with mixed views at its premiere, not least because critics didn't believe the libretto to be faithful to the Hoffmann tale. Whilst the dancing was criticised, Tchaikovsky's score was praised for its richness and melodic ingenuity throughout.

    Available recordings:-

    Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Werner Andreas Albert *
    Orchestre de l'Opera National de Paris, Alain Altinoglu (DVD/Blu-ray)
    L'Orchestre da la Suisse Romande, Ernest Ansermet
    Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy *
    Orchestra and Chorus of the National Opera of Ukraine, Oleksiy Baklan (DVD/Blu-ray)
    Staatskapelle Berlin, Daniel Barenboim (DVD/Blu-ray)
    National Philharmonic Orchestra, Richard Bonynge
    Berliner Philharmoniker, Semyon Bychkov
    Orchestre Colonne & Béjart Ballet Lausanne, Edmon Colomer (DVD)
    Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper, Paul Connelly (DVD/Blu-ray)
    London Symphony Orchestra, Antal Dorati
    Minneapolis SO, Antál Dorati
    Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Antal Dorati
    Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel
    Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Charles Dutoit *
    Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Mark Ermler
    Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio, Vladimir Fedoseyev
    Dutch National Ballet & Holland Symfonia, Ermanno Florio (DVD/Blu-ray)
    Kirov Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
    Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
    Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev (SACD)
    Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev (DVD)
    Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Boris Gruzin (DVD/Blu-ray)
    Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi (SACD)
    State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia "Evgeny Svetlanov", Vladimir Jurowski (SACD)
    Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Koen Kessels (DVD/Blu-ray)
    Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, Dmitrij Kitajenko
    Bolshoi Ballet, Pavel Klinichev (DVD/Blu-ray)
    London Symphony Orchestra, Charles Mackerras
    Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, David Maninov
    Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa
    Russian National Orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev *
    London Symphony Orchestra, André Previn
    Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle
    Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir Simon Rattle (DVD/Blu-ray)
    Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Robert Reimer (DVD)
    Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Arthur Rodzinski
    Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky *
    Royal Opera House Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky (DVD)
    Royal Swedish Opera Orchestra, Renat Salavatov (DVD)
    Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin *
    Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
    Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Evgeni Svetlanov (DVD)
    Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre Moscow, Alexander Vedernikov (SACD)
    Dresden Staatskapelle, Hans Vonk *
    San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, Martin West (DVD/Blu-ray)
    Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Barry Wordsworth
    Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Barry Wordsworth (DVD/Blu-ray)

    * = download only
    Last edited by Eine Alpensinfonie; 10-05-20, 21:01.
  • ferneyhoughgeliebte
    Gone fishin'
    • Sep 2011
    • 30163

    #2
    Theusual many thanks, Alpie.

    'sfunny - I could of swored that this had been done fairly recently (I'd remembered a comment about some dodgy trumpet timing & intonation in the LSO/Previn set).

    One of Tchaikovsky's most delightful and inventive scores - a perennial treat at this time of year in the Previn recording.
    [FONT=Comic Sans MS][I][B]Numquam Satis![/B][/I][/FONT]

    Comment

    • pastoralguy
      Full Member
      • Nov 2010
      • 7816

      #3
      The innocent sounding 'Miniature Overture' is a real graveyard for the finest violin sections! Even Karajan's wonderful Berliners don't sound entirely comfortable playing it. If you go to the Ballet to see it you'll find the first violin section beavering away at it before it begins.

      My personal favourite is the single disc Gergiev version on Philips which is, imho, wonderful!

      Comment

      • Eine Alpensinfonie
        Host
        • Nov 2010
        • 20575

        #4
        Originally posted by ferneyhoughgeliebte View Post
        Theusual many thanks, Alpie.

        'sfunny - I could of swored that this had been done fairly recently (I'd remembered a comment about some dodgy trumpet timing & intonation in the...
        Swan Lake was featured a while back, and there was some reference to the Previn recording of that.

        There may be other versions. It wasn’t always easy to distinguish between complete recordings, highlights and the suite. For example - did HvK record the complete ballet?

        Comment

        • ferneyhoughgeliebte
          Gone fishin'
          • Sep 2011
          • 30163

          #5
          Originally posted by Eine Alpensinfonie View Post
          Swan Lake was featured a while back, and there was some reference to the Previn recording of that.
          Probably that - which is a bit of a relief, because when I played the Previn set last year, I got concerned that I hadn't heard any problems with the intonation/timing of the trumpets anywhere! (Not that "concerned": I decided that the reviewer must have been talking out of his brass!)

          did HvK record the complete ballet?
          No - the Suite 4 times, IIRC.
          [FONT=Comic Sans MS][I][B]Numquam Satis![/B][/I][/FONT]

          Comment

          • gurnemanz
            Full Member
            • Nov 2010
            • 7415

            #6
            Surprised that the John Lanchbery/Philharmonia Nutcracker is no longer available. It is the only recording of the complete music which I have, via the 6CD Tchaikovsky ballets on cfp (still around second hand, also Nutcracker individually.). I'll probably listen but don't envisage needing another version.

            Comment

            • Keraulophone
              Full Member
              • Nov 2010
              • 1972

              #7
              ES said he wouldn’t do a BaL where there were more than a handful of recordings to compare. In which case, the producer(s) would have to pre-select the handful for him in advance. The recommendation could be fake news.

              Comment

              • Darloboy
                Full Member
                • Jun 2019
                • 335

                #8
                Originally posted by ferneyhoughgeliebte View Post
                Theusual many thanks, Alpie.

                'sfunny - I could of swored that this had been done fairly recently (I'd remembered a comment about some dodgy trumpet timing & intonation in the LSO/Previn set).

                One of Tchaikovsky's most delightful and inventive scores - a perennial treat at this time of year in the Previn recording.
                Last done in 2007; Gergiev with the Kirov was 1st choice. Before that, Bonynge was 1st choice on Xmas Day 1999.

                Comment

                • Petrushka
                  Full Member
                  • Nov 2010
                  • 12332

                  #9
                  Originally posted by pastoralguy View Post

                  My personal favourite is the single disc Gergiev version on Philips which is, imho, wonderful!
                  I'd second this recommendation! Maybe a touch fast here and there, possibly in order to squeeze it on to one CD, but no harm done and it's way better than Gergiev's Mariinsky label remake.

                  I started out with Rozhdestvensky's 1960s version on LP but never got round to buying the CD so disappointed to see it's now download only. I've also got Jansons with the LPO (ok but nothing special) and BPO/Rattle (far better than I expected, very enjoyable).

                  I was present at Rozhdestvensky's 1981 Prom concert performance of Act 2 which is available on DVD (ICA Classics) and it is absolutely wonderful to see Rozh weave his magic spell with this gorgeous music. I had a magnificent view at that Prom. Strongly recommended to all Nutcracker enthusiasts.
                  "The sound is the handwriting of the conductor" - Bernard Haitink

                  Comment

                  • BBMmk2
                    Late Member
                    • Nov 2010
                    • 20908

                    #10
                    I have LSO/Previn. This is not mentioned above? Deleted? I have it as part of the three major baskets that Warner put together.
                    Don’t cry for me
                    I go where music was born

                    J S Bach 1685-1750

                    Comment

                    • ferneyhoughgeliebte
                      Gone fishin'
                      • Sep 2011
                      • 30163

                      #11
                      Originally posted by BBMmk2 View Post
                      I have LSO/Previn. This is not mentioned above? Deleted? I have it as part of the three major baskets that Warner put together.
                      33rd line down, between Pletnev and Rattle, Bbm.

                      (I'm sayin' nowt about "major baskets", by the way! )
                      [FONT=Comic Sans MS][I][B]Numquam Satis![/B][/I][/FONT]

                      Comment

                      • ferneyhoughgeliebte
                        Gone fishin'
                        • Sep 2011
                        • 30163

                        #12
                        Originally posted by Darloboy View Post
                        Last done in 2007; Gergiev with the Kirov was 1st choice. Before that, Bonynge was 1st choice on Xmas Day 1999.
                        Thanks, Darloboy - whatever I was thinking of, it was much more recent than 2007.
                        [FONT=Comic Sans MS][I][B]Numquam Satis![/B][/I][/FONT]

                        Comment

                        • Master Jacques
                          Full Member
                          • Feb 2012
                          • 1953

                          #13
                          Originally posted by Darloboy View Post
                          Last done in 2007; Gergiev with the Kirov was 1st choice. Before that, Bonynge was 1st choice on Xmas Day 1999.
                          Goodness me, I'm surprised anyone chose Gergiev's Kirov performance by choice. It holds the record for short stay in my personal collection, just as the performance holds the record for speed. As he careered breathlessly through the score, simply to fit it onto one disc, I wonder if Mr G. stopped for a moment to think about the humour, human warmth or nostalgia for childhood which make this score so great. No, of course he didn't. It's horrible!

                          Comment

                          • richardfinegold
                            Full Member
                            • Sep 2012
                            • 7747

                            #14
                            My first complete Nutcracker was Dorati and the Concertgebouw on Phillips, on 2 LPs in a box big enough to hold the complete Ring. The surfaces were dead quiet and the recording was superb with lots of instrumental detail. I played it constantly. A few years ago I discovered Dorati Mercury Recording when I bought one of the big Mercury reissue boxes. It is probably superior to the Phillips but not as vividly recorded.

                            Comment

                            • ferneyhoughgeliebte
                              Gone fishin'
                              • Sep 2011
                              • 30163

                              #15
                              Originally posted by Master Jacques View Post
                              Goodness me, I'm surprised anyone chose Gergiev's Kirov performance by choice. It holds the record for short stay in my personal collection, just as the performance holds the record for speed. As he careered breathlessly through the score, simply to fit it onto one disc, I wonder if Mr G. stopped for a moment to think about the humour, human warmth or nostalgia for childhood which make this score so great. No, of course he didn't. It's horrible!
                              This was my own reaction, too - and I'm usually in favour of performances that get a move on. Probably because I only listen to the work at around Christmastide, with an indulgent "sherry", I do want greater warmth and cheerfulness from it - which Previn provides in spades - which also creates a greater contrast with the battle scene than Gergiev achieves.
                              [FONT=Comic Sans MS][I][B]Numquam Satis![/B][/I][/FONT]

                              Comment

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