Russian Orchestral Works - Rimsky-Korsakov: Le Coq d'or - Khachaturian: Sabre Dance - Mussorgsky: Hopak

A Diverse Compilation

     

I've always been a Philadelphia Orchestra/Eugene Ormandy fan. Their recordings were some of the earliest entries in my collection. One vinyl recording had many of these tracks, and after a great number of plays, they became rather "hissy". When I came across this CD, I had to have it. I am not disappointed in the least. In fact, I'm surprised by the clarity of the sound. For recordings that are more than 40 years old (and in one case, "Russian Sailor's Dance" made in 1957, the year after Gliere died), they are amazingly faithful. Ormandy, as he always did, lets the music speak for itself, never imposing whimsical tempo changes. The Philadelphians, as usual, perform impeccably. My favorite tracks are the Fair at Sorochinsk (Mussorgsky) and Procession of the Sardar (Ippolitov-Ivanov). I also have the latter by Zinman/Baltimore Symphony, which is equally excellent, but this is still special to me. I highly recommend this CD for a great compilation of short pieces; I have given it a "4" although I would have gladly given it a 4.75, if it were allowed.