Customer Reviews

Prokofiev: Cinderella - Ballet (Cendrillon)/Symphony No. 1 in D "Classical"

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While the Ashkenazy/Cleveland recording on London is not necessarily better than this recording, the filler (Glazunov's The Seasons) is definitely more worthwhile than the Classical Symphony included here. As to "Cinderella" though, you can't really go wrong with either recording at any price. Just make sure to make either this or the Ashkenazy your first recording of the work; currently, other available complete recordings of the work are more expensive (and not really better) than either the Previn or the Ashkenazy sets.

In the Sixties when I first heard Stokowski's riveting suite from Prokofiev's Cinderella, I was eager to hear the whole ballet. The first complete version that emerged here was this one from Previn and the London Sym., who were then in their Seventies honeymoon phase.

But I was disappointed--there's too much careful conducting, not enough mystery and drama, and little magic. The LSO plays beautifully, and EMI's recording, if not exactly dynamic, is fine. Later I acquired the version from Ashkenazy on Decca, which is both more exciting and better recorded. Since then we've had a so-so reading from Pletnev on DG, but after forty years, I'm still waiting for the complete set that recaptures the whimsy and enchantment of Stokowski's excepts (you can still find them and hear for yourself.)

P.S. -- At the time of writing I had yet to discover the gripping Cinderella from Rozhdestvensky, which is available on several labels, as it common with Melodiya recordings. It has all the energy and dramatic impact that Previn lacks. The playing isn't elegant, but I think Prokofiev's score benefits from a few rough edges, in order to keep the sweet melodies form turning cloying.

If you are interested in a recording of Prokofiev's 'Cinderella,' seek the recording featuring Vladimir Ashkenazy conducting the Cleveland orchestra. In general it is better played, better interpreted, and better recorded. In addition, Glazunov's 'The Seasons' provides a more interesting filler than the common 'Classical Symphony' of Prokofiev.