Russian Disc: Mravinsky Live: Haydn Symphonies

[JRsnfld]

>Any one familiar with this particular live performance of Haydn symphony no.
88 etc with the Lenningrad PO? How's the sound quality of the disc? What are
the gems in this series with resonably good sound? Thanks.<

The sound on the Haydn disc (with 88, 104, and a Strauss horn concerto) is
rather good. The performances are excellent. Mravinsky was a fine Haydn
conductor because his ear for dynamic shading (and the response of the
orchestra) is remarkable; in addition, he has an unerring sense for flowing
tempi and clarity. These characteristics make his Mozart equally excellent. The
Mozart 40 on Russian Disc has decent sound, maybe not quite as good as the
Haydn, but the performance is marred by a few rare moments of incohesion in the
orchestra. But I think this too is well worth hearing and keeping. The disc
with Mozart 33 has tubby sound that turns shrill and distorted in louder
passages. Perhaps the Mozart 33 on BBC (with Shostakovich 8) is a better bet.
Too bad, because this Mozart on Russian Disc is marvelous performance and its
coupled with the Sinfonia Concertante for winds and the horn concerto No. 3. I
don't know where else to find these with Mravinsky.

Of course the Russian Disc series has other types of repertoire--from Bach to
Bartok. Even some of the poorer sounding discs, like the Shostakovich 11, have
decent enough sound to warrant a purchase. The Beethoven 6/Debussy La Mer disc
is one of the highlights of the set, but I haven't compared this 6 to the
Erato. No need--both pieces get nearly perfect performances. Mravinsky conjures
up terrifying sounds in Debussy--much different than your usual impressionism,
and also much more vital. Same with the Bartok. Also consider the Brahms
Concerto No. 2 with Richter and the Prokofiev 5. In general, these are pieces
you can't find on other labels with Mravinsky, and so are well worth
purchasing. But often the BMG series or the older Olympia discs have somewhat
better sound.

--Jeff

[barry7665]

From the same series, I recommend the disk with
Shostakovich 5 and Salmanov 2. The Salmanov is a very nice
piece and the sound on this cd is very solid. Needless to
say, the Shostakovich performance is outstanding.
I've read some complaints about the sound in the
Shostakovich 8th on Russian Disc, but I don't really think
it's that awful and the performance is top notch.
There is a Brahms 4th (the one with the Lenningrad Phil,
not the other one with another Soviet orchestra) in this
series that is a phenominal performance, but unfortunately,
the sound is absolutely horrible. I'd love to find this
performance in decent sound, but doubt that I ever will.

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[barry7665]

I forgot to mention in my last post that there is a
Mravinsky Russian Disc of Wagner orchestral excerpts that I
like a lot, and the sound is solid.

[DavidTassilo]

Jeff,

What do you think of Mravinsky's recording of Stravinsky's Agon? How does it
compare to Stravinsky, Rosbaud, and David Atherton? (All of which I like.)

-david gable

[Chew Kia Khang]

Any one familiar with this particular live performance of Haydn symphony no.
88 etc with the Lenningrad PO? How's the sound quality of the disc? What are
the gems in this series with resonably good sound? Thanks.

Kia Khang

[JRsnfld]

>What do you think of Mravinsky's recording of Stravinsky's Agon? How does it
compare to Stravinsky, Rosbaud, and David Atherton? (All of which I like.)<

Well, I guess I'll have to hear the Atherton and the Stravinsky (I know, it's
terrible, but I've heard few of Stravinsky's recordings. I plan to make up for
that this year. I promise.).

As for the Rosbaud, it is of course a fabulous recording. Rosbaud's warmth for
and understanding of the music--well, *any* music--makes it sound as gentle and
flexible as possible. He has a great feel for the Baroque roots here--you can
imagine him coupling this with music for Platee on a concert. Each dance has a
special character, yet the work is decidedly an abstact pleasure, a contest of
composition, played with so much dedication that each color and line of
Stravinsky's carefully wrought and spare score shines. Who could possibly bear
comparison to this performance? Well, maybe Mravinsky.

First of all, I should warn you that on my Olympia disc the first bar or so of
the piece is missing. Some overzealous editing, I guess. No matter. Mravinsky's
strengths are many, and they are the same strengths in nearly every recording.
For starters, Mravinsky, who began his career in the opera/ballet theatre,
insists on a stronger rhythmic snap than Rosbaud. They're both rhythmically
vital, but Mravinsky, at the risk of a bit too much emphasis, goes for a
swinging dance beat at times. It's alot of fun, and he keeps your foot tapping
throughout. As usual, he is also mesmerizing with pulse in both the micro- and
macro-scale aspects of the work. A bit Karajanesque (a risky comparison, but I
think you get the idea), but with much more dramatic appeal than Karajan. As a
result, Mravinsky's Agon has less of the episodic feel of a dance contest than
the Rosbaud, but it is, pauses and all, one seamless arc of music.

This is an imposing achievment, aided and abetted by Mravinsky's careful
attention to blending orchestral colors and shading dynamics. He makes maximum
use of the special force and dark, troubling resonances of his orchestra and
their virtuosic use of articulation. As a result the music feels much less
abstract than in the Rosbaud recording, but I can't tell you what it is all
about. It just feels very powerful, very interesting.

--Jeff

[DavidTassilo]

Thanks, Jeff, for the excellent review.

-dg