On Oct 2, 7:25 am, Bob Harper <bob.har...@comcast.net> wrote:

We've been over this topic before and each time I am surprised by
people's reaction to both Gergiev and to that Prokofiev recording in
particular.

In concert, Gergiev can produce thrilling results. Gergiev's not big
on refinement, but the Mariinsky orchestra plays with a distinctive
beauty for him and can, at its best, deliver voluptuousness, color
(within its own kind of restricted, but darkly seductive spectrum) and
very well judged balance to go with natural, lively phrasing. And
Gergiev delivers performances that are shaped distinctively and
clearly and don't lose momentum. I've heard them a handful of times
and each concert was memorably satisfying, one or two of them being
about as good as I'll ever hear.

Maybe tours bring out Gergiev's best, maybe he's inconsistent or
routine, or maybe he's weak with other orchestras (not my experience
with his broadcasts).

Also...that first R&J (of which I have only the excerpts disc, FWIW,
but that's at least half of the complete recording) has all the
qualities that make Gergiev great, even if it is hampered by muddy
acoutics. I don't care so much that other R&J recordings might be more
detailed, more flashy, or more danceable, or whatever. By dint of well
conceived musicality, Gergiev and his orchestra more than succeed with
the pathos of the music, and that's special enough.

--Jeff