BaL 21.04.12 - Prokofiev's Symphony no. 5

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30 Building a Library: Geoffrey Norris with a personal recommendation from recordings of Prokofiev's Symphony no. 5.

Available versions:

São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop
L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Ansermet
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Ashkenazy
Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Philharmonia Orchestra, Rudolf Barshai
New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein
Münchner Philharmoniker, Sergiu Celibidache
Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma della RAI, Sergiu Celibidache
State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the USSR, Mark Ermler
London Symphony Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, Stephen Gunzenhauser
Orchestre National de Paris, Jascha Horenstein
Paris Philharmonic Orchestra, Jascha Horenstein
Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Mariss Jansons
Cincinnati Symphony, Paavo Jarvi
Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi
Russian National Orchestra, Vladimir Jurowski
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
Ukraine National Symphony Orchestra, Theodore Kuchar
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Erich Leinsdorf
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Yoel Levi
Orchestre de Ia Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, Jean Martinon
National Orchestra of the ORTF, Jean Martinon
New York Philharmonic, Kurt Masur
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Dimitri Mitropoulos
Wiener Philharmoniker, Dimitri Mitropoulos
Berlin Philharmonic, Seiji Ozawa
London Symphony Orchestra, Andre Previn
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Simon Rattle
Orchestre National de France, Mstislav Rostropovich
Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Gennadi Rozhdestvensky
Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Novosibirsk Academic Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Sanderling
London Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Schippers
Vienna Symphony Orchestra, George Szell
St Petersburg Philharmonic, Yuri Temirkanov
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Klaus Tennstedt
National Youth Orchestra, Yan Pascal Tortelier
London Symphony Orchestra, Walter Weller

Nikita Mndoyants (piano)

[umslopogaas]

EA, these lists usually turn up something interesting and sent me to scan the shelves. I have several of those listed and in addition, on vinyl and presumably not currently available:

Philadelphia O., Ormandy (on mono in American Columbia and stereo on UK Philips)
Cleveland O., Maazel on Decca
Moscow Radio S. O., Rozhdestvensky (on Russian Melodiya, reissued in the UK by HMV in their Melodiya series)
LSO, Previn on HMV

Two questions.

1. My LP says Weller conducts the LSO, not the LPO. Are you sure it was the LPO? Or maybe he recorded it twice? My copy was issued in 1977.

2. Do you (or does anyone) know if there was a tie-up between American Columbia and UK Philips? It must be the same recording issued on two different labels, the sleeve notes are almost identical with just a few words changed, presumbably to reflect the division of our two nations by a common language.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Two questions.

1. My LP says Weller conducts the LSO, not the LPO. Are you sure it was the LPO? Or maybe he recorded it twice? My copy was issued in 1977.

You are quite right. I'll amend the list.

2. Do you (or does anyone) know if there was a tie-up between American Columbia and UK Philips? It must be the same recording issued on two different labels, the sleeve notes are almost identical with just a few words changed, presumbably to reflect the division of our two nations by a common language.

There was such a tie-up in the 1960s. Many CBS recordings were available on Philips at that time

[Pabmusic]

Also available from ArchivMusic are Boston SO/Koussevitsky, Cologne Gürzenich Orch/Kitayenko, Minneapolis SO/Dorati, Chicago SO/Levine, Phila delphia/Muti, RSO Rome/Rodzinski, and St Louis SO/Slatkin. Americans seem to like it.

[makropulos]

Also available from ArchivMusic are Boston SO/Koussevitsky, Cologne Gürzenich Orch/Kitayenko, Minneapolis SO/Dorati, Chicago SO/Levine, Phila delphia/Muti, RSO Rome/Rodzinski, and St Louis SO/Slatkin. Americans seem to like it.

As is the hitherto unmentioned Cleveland/Szell, one of my favourite versions.

[pastoralguy]

As is the hitherto unmentioned Cleveland/Szell, one of my favourite versions.

Me too!

Have you ever noticed the telephone going off in the scherzo?!

For me, this symphony has the greatest ending of any work I know. (Certainly the most exciting).

[Barbirollians]

Koussevitsky , Karajan and the live Rozhdestvensky are enough for me .

[jayne lee wilson]

Rattle is magnificent - get the original CD issue (great sound & artwork) if you can; then Szell and Ansermet. Karajan too, but it's not quite the go-to reference it once was - the sound is a little synthetic, not as fresh, acoustically, as those others.

[Bryn]

Rattle is magnificent - get the original CD issue (great sound & artwork) if you can; then Szell and Ansermet. Karajan too, but it's not quite the go-to reference it once was - the sound is a little synthetic, not as fresh, acoustically, as those others.

I'll take your word for it re. the Rattle. Just ordered a used 'good condition' copy of the 1993 issue from the amazon.co.uk marketplace. I note that the sole customer review for one of the reissue versions relegates the recording to the 1 star zone, "Those with hearing disability would accept this EMI recording".

[BBMmk2]

Dont be so condisending about people's disabilites Bryn!!!

Looks like this will be rather a good BaL.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I have Karajan/BPO and Mravinsky/LeningradPO (not currently available?): two contrasted views of the work that together give a magnificent overview of this great work. I shall enjoy listening to hear if there are any others that I might be tempted by. (Going by recent BaLs, probably the ones dismissed after a single extract!)

[soileduk]

I'll take your word for it re. the Rattle. Just ordered a used 'good condition' copy of the 1993 issue from the amazon.co.uk marketplace. I note that the sole customer review for one of the reissue versions relegates the recording to the 1 star zone, "Those with hearing disability would accept this EMI recording".

That re-issue is the same mastering as the original disc but in different packaging.

[Chris Newman]

There used to be a Horenstein Prokofiev 5 on the Vox label with the Concerts Colonne Orchestra. I always thought this was a pseudonymic orchestra but a quick check on Wiki says it still exists with Laurent Petitgirard as conductor. It was my introduction to this great symphony.

[Black Swan]

I'm looking forward to this one. I have Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic. To date it is all I've found I need. I am not so knowledgeable on Prokofiev symphonies. So am looking forward to the BAL next Saturday.

John

[Petrushka]

I think I am correct in saying that Geoffrey Norris did a BaL on Prokofiev 5 in something like 1979 when his chosen recommendation was LSO/Weller.

On my shelves I can see Weller, Karajan, Rattle and Ashkenazy in an under-rated version with the Concertgebouw which sounds superb.