Customer Reviews

Khachaturian: Spartacus

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This will probably be the only complete version of Khachaturian's catchy ballet that we'll ever get. The only problem is that the orchestra doesn't bring out the full emotion that was brought into the score. Also, the conductor sometimes loses control over the symphonic players and the sound quality is nowhere near excellent. All in all, it's a so-so recording of the (only) complete Spartacus.

This is the only interpretation that exists of SPARTACUS in its entirety. In it, one will appreciate hearing such passages as the Pas de Deux Adagio between Spartacus and Phrygia (Act III) played in context. The execution is clean, but a bit too light and lacking in drama. Still, this is a nice set for fans of the music of Aram Khatchatourian. One hears leitmotif echoes of his 2nd Symphony in the Ballet's Introduction, and the composer's Armenian roots are certainly present in this piece as well. One historical note: Spartacus' wife's name was VARINA (or VARINIA in certain versions), not Phrygia.