Customer Reviews

Prokofiev: Cinderella

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At this time there is 1 previous review of the CD and 6 reviews of the DVD (also EmpireMusic). The review of the CD seems to be about the music and not the performance. For those who already know and love the music, I recommend you get this CD. The conductor identified on the DVD credits is Victor Fedotov conducting the Bolshoi Theatre SO in a live performance from 1985. This is probably correct. The ballet is cut to 34 scenes (from 50 in total). The cuts appear to be the Bolshoi's decision. I believe that the 'complete' Cinderella (which is unlikely to be performed anywhere, anytime) is too long and too repetitive and (sometimes) too dull. Unlike Romeo et Juliette, it is easy to find scenes to cut in Cinderella. My complaint is not the cuts here but that Empire could not manage 79 minutes on 1 CD. More importantly, the sound (PCM here, Dolby on DVD--apparently from the same tapes) has warp and woof problems (those raised in the digital era will not know what this means) and the level of the right channel is noticeably higher than the left (especially if listening on headphones). Now why do I take the time for these complaints? Because this is the best you can do for Cinderella at this time. For all of those who think Romeo is the great ballet and Cinderella is a weak sister, you need to hear these Russians play it. Take the 'midnight' scene where Previn's English horns seem totally virginal and then listen to Fedotov. OK, so Pletnev is Russian, right? He should know how it's done; and everyone says the sound (with DG's 12 or 13 microphones) is world-class. Pletnev does know how it should sound, and he certainly loves Cinderella. But that does not change the fact that (in the words of one reviewer) his Cinderella is 'charmless and cold'. That's what it is. So, until Naxos see fit to let Yablonski or Mogrelia record this....

At first this 2 disc Russian live production(should be complete on one disc.)seems like a bargain. The snag is in the sound with it's less than ideal dry acoustics. The big moments do not effectively impact the home listener, probably conveying a less exciting experience than what the audience got the day of the performance. Furthermore with the exception of a few numbers, most lacking the inventiveness of Prokofiev's masterpieces, makes this work bland. You and your collection will be better off with the composer's suite of highlights, or just spend more on one of the premium versions.

Hoping to be able to find some danceable music for my students, I found that Cinderella does not have easily transferable music. It works well for the original choreography but I did not find the music enjoyable or danceable.