Gennady Rozhdestvensky 4/05/1931-16/06/2018

[visualnickmos]

Had a listen to the first movement of the RVW S1. Why on earth couldn't he import a British Choir(BBC SO Chorus for example) and British soloists? Couldn't stand their accents getting in the way!

I would guess that there was never any question of 'importing' a British choir and soloists in the first place; why would there be? An all-Russian performance is exactly what it says on the tin - and I'm all for that! Otherwise the logical extension of your question is "Why not import a British orchestra, - can't stand all that Russian style of playing…..!"

[Dave2002]

I remember this very well too - the acoustic of The Pavilion was almost anechoic - and the performances were as you have described. I have a tape of the live FM broadcast.

I wonder if that's the last recording of that performance, or would the BBC actually have kept a copy? I don't think I recorded it, and even if I did, I probably couldn't find the tape now.

[gurnemanz]

Many fond memories over the years. He also plays duets of 50 Russian Folksongs with his wife Viktoria Postnikova on the highly recommendable Erato complete Tchaikovsky solo piano set. I well remember her making a somewhat sensational Proms debut in the Tchaikovsky Concerto in 1967. Checked the archive - not with her future husband but with Barbirolli and the Hallé.

[Barbirollians]

Many fond memories over the years. He also plays duets of 50 Russian Folksongs with his wife Viktoria Postnikova on the highly recommendable Erato complete Tchaikovsky solo piano set. I well remember her making a somewhat sensational Proms debut in the Tchaikovsky Concerto in 1967. Checked the archive - not with her future husband but with Barbirolli and the Hallé.

Not a bad overture - the VW 8 - now there is a concert for a time machine.

[LMcD]

I would guess that there was never any question of 'importing' a British choir and soloists in the first place; why would there be? An all-Russian performance is exactly what it says on the tin - and I'm all for that! Otherwise the logical extension of your question is "Why not import a British orchestra, - can't stand all that Russian style of playing…..!"

Many years ago I attended an all-Russian performance of the German Requiem in Moscow. It sounded remarkably like the work of Johannes Brahms.

[visualnickmos]

Many years ago I attended an all-Russian performance of the German Requiem in Moscow. It sounded remarkably like the work of Johannes Brahms.

You must have gone on a 'good' day!

[cloughie]

Just had a glance at Amazon and prices of Rozhdestvensky’s Recordings seem to have gone through the roof!