Customer Reviews

Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet (Complete Suites from the Ballet)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I couldn't disagree more with another reviewer who must have had cotton-wool in his ears. The sound engineering of this exquisite performance is superb, but for one point. I was struck by the excellent clarity and superb balance between solo instruments and between the instrumental sections. The clarity of sound is up with the best Telarc has given. But there is one flaw. I don't know whether the balance engineer went to sleep for the first few tracks, but the entire string section is huddled over to the left. Things improve later, matching in well with the remainder of the orchestra which is (positionally) well balanced. Balance in the sense of relative volume of the instruments is good throughout. And as for the actual performance, I think it is one of the best I have heard, and I have decided to put up with the mis-placed strings in the early tracks and buy the release: you don't get such a combination of quality in both music and sound (with the one caveat) often enough.

This release is sonically wonderful. The instruments all sound clear and there is striking ambience. The performance is very sensitive and lively. The suites comprise about half the music of the ballet in terms of running time, but when repetitions during the ballet are considered, this disk contains most of the important music. I purchased the disk in part because Classics Today rated it 9 out of 10 for performance and 10 out of 10 for quality of sound. I have not been disappointed.

I am listening to this recording as I type this review. I had to adjust the volume down because I find the sound of the strings in fortissimo to be a bit shrill. The performance is fine, but the recording quality is a touch harsh to my ears. I am listening on good equipment: McIntosh C2200 tubed pre-amp, MC352 power amp, and a Marantz SA-11S1 Super Audio CD player, through Sonus Faber speakers and a Mac sub-woofer. I normally like Telarc recordings, and I like this one as well to a point, but I vastly prefer the sound on the Leinsdorf, Erich / Los Angeles Philharmonic Sheffield Lab recording of 1978. I think this Telarc disc could use a touch of "warming" to reduce some of the harshness in the upper strings. I see it is no longer in print, and no longer available new, so it had a very short shelf life.

I have a number of other versions of Romeo and Juliet and bought this one for the novelty of the DSD direct recording. I wish I hadn't. The problem isn't with the new format, but more fundamentally with the mix. The mid-range is muffled, when one can hear it at all. This lamentable defect is all the more striking by the clarity of the percussion and violins. Those wishing a good SACD/DVD audio recording are advised to pass; there are too many great straight CD recordings already available to waste your money on this.