Customer Reviews

Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet

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I am fortunate to have copies of both the Maazel and the Previn sets of this ballet and can recommend them without reservation. At the risk of over-generalizing, the Maazel is very crisp, rythmic, and incisive; and the Previn is more affectionate, sentimentalized and perhaps symphonic. I find the former reading would work better in a live ballet presentation (having seen it twice) and the latter might be more appropriate for the concert hall. The Cleveland Orchestra plays brilliantly. The famous balcony scene draws a fervent response from the strings, especially the cello and viola section. The Death of Tybalt will give your speakers quite a work-out. The finale, with a very firm tempo, is quite shattering in its intensity. The recorded sound is excellent, as is the documentation. This can be enthusiastically recommended alongside the Previn and in preference to the Russian alternatives, which are not as well played.

This classic account of Prokofiev's perennially engaging ballet is the best rendition currently available. Maazel may not be as renowned a Prokofievian as, say, Gergiev, Weller, Jarvi, Rozhdestvensky, Kuchar, or even Ozawa, but he delivers an exemplary performance here that has stood the test of time for more than three decades.

On matters of interpretation, Maazel strikes the perfect balance between metrical precision and romantic indulgence. Ashkenazy exemplifies the former sternly disciplined and metronomic approach, whilst Previn adopts a more unfussy and sentimental take. Maazel is perhaps somewhat less passionate than Previn, resulting in a reading that is less 'popular' and filmic. At the same time, he is more flexible and attuned to the crests and troughs of the score than Ashkenazy, so the music is suitably imbued with warmth and emotion, though never to an excessive degree. Previn's conducting sometimes seems unnecessarily maudlin, though there are some incredibly poignant moments. Ashkenazy, who keeps to the score and delivers a performance that can be thrilling in its rhythmic intensity, could nonetheless do with a bit more give and take, a bit more sensitivity to the pulsing heart of the score. Maazel gives the listener the best of both worlds: he allows Prokofiev's ineffably beautiful melodic lines to swell and soar, but he also preserves cohesion by maintaining a sort of symphonic momentum.

The Cleveland Orchestra performs magnificently under Maazel's baton. Renowned for their technical exactitude, they also make a case here for their ability to sing with eloquence and arduour. Their brass section, though marginally less emphatic than Previn's London Symphony band, is nonetheless a model of gusto and, importantly, lucidity. Similarly, Cleveland's string section is at once richly articulate and flawlessly transparent. Ashkenazy's Royal Philharmonic is a nonpareil in terms of exact execution, but Cleveland are the more intense ensemble. Happily, this recording gives us a delectable balance between emotional intensity and instrumental clarity.

Maazel views the ballet not as an episodic sequence of shouts and whispers but as a coherent and adhesive long-line of melody. This is the product of a mind dedicated not to fleeting moments of sonority and drama but to the complete architecture of the composition. This was, after all, the first ever recording of the entire ballet, and it differed from recordings of the suite in that Maazel believed in the power of the entirety of the piece, not just its constituent chapters and episodes. This is, to my mind at least, the most sensible and effective method- what Prokofiev probably intended.

To top things off, the clarity and impact of the recording belies its 70's vintage- the timpani rolls with thunderous authority, the strings are as lucent as crystal. The entire orchestra is made a deliciously tangible presence by the superbly remastered sound.

That's the end of my two cents. Of course, Previn and Ashkenazy are well worth investigating if you want to look into the interpretative possibilities presented by this ballet. However, if you want just one recording of this glorious work, Maazel is a firm first-choice, and Decca's two for one price-tag makes this a bargain. An unreserved recommendation if there ever was one.

A score this rich and bounteous can stand up to differing interpretations, and that is what you get from Lorin Maazel and Andre Previn. True fans of this ballet will have both recordings (and others besides), but for most listeners, this two-fer is a no-brainer top recommendation. Even if Maazel is not quite as tender as some interpreters in the love scenes, there is also a pungency in this interpretation that isn't matched by other conductors, along with cohesiveness and a real sense of drama. Plus, when it comes to orchestral splendor Maazel has the competition beat all hollow, with the great Cleveland Orchestra at his (and the music's) service. The icing on the cake is the terrific recording job.

Definitely one of the best full-length recordings of Prokofiev's beloved masterpiece around. Lorin Maazel and the Cleveland Orchestra ideally combine playing of raw intensity and soaring lyricism. Maazel's generally fast tempi, hard-driven rhythms and conducting full of punch give plenty of excitement in the dramatic pages of the score, while the poignant love-music has a sense of inevitability and lurking doom. The Decca recording, although dating from the pre-digital age (1973), is stunning and can compete with the very best modern discs by its dynamic range and the details in the sound picture. At this price this "Romeo and Juliet" is a bargain. Highly recommended.

It's hard for me to imagine how this version of the complete Romeo and Juliet could be bettered. The recording is far superior than the Cleveland Orchestra received during the Szell regime. Moreover, the orchestral playing is brilliantly characterized to make one realize all over again what a lovely score this is. There is the same level of virtuosity as under Szell but with more joy in the playing. At two-for-one price, this is an amazing bargain.

Thanks to the reviewers who chimed in previously I chose this version over several other available R&J CDs that were offered. I was not disappointed!

As a ballet dancer who has been in this production, I was looking for a crisp rendition with solid tempo, that was still able to touch the lyrical side as well without dragging. The Cleveland Orchestra does not fail to impress with gorgeous range and depth.

The moody dark scenes are palatable, while the early childlike Juliet part skips along in youthful exuberance. In Friar Lawrences chamber, reverance and seriousness emerge in contrast to the strong trumpeting ball scene.
A big thank you to the excellent reviews of this CD which enabled the perfect purchase.

Maazel succeeded to the leadership of the Cleveland Orch. after the death of George Szell in 1971. It wasn't a happy tenure, as several of his haven't been. Maazel is a murky character as a conductor, gifted with an incredible ear and great stick technique but a strange emotional sense. Quite often his performances badly misfire through superficiality, uninvolvement, and a tendency to phrase in a precise, pointed, bloodless way.

But none of these things pertain to this, one of his very best recordings over a long career. There's a lot of brazen, blatant music in Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, so Maazzel isn't called upon to change his spots. The score's ravishing melodies and tender love scenes flow bautifully, too. Decca's engineers have given him excellent sound, and the Clevelanders play with utmost commitment and skill.

I would still rate Gergiev's complete set higher, and half a dozen recordings of the suites from this ballet are better--including Abbado, Salonen, Mravinsky, and Chung--but the musicianship on display here is of a high order. This is definitely to be preferred over the lackluster Previn on EMI.

Great performance by the Cleveland Orchestra and Lorin Maazel. Maazel knowns the music very well and brings out all the emotion of this beautiful score. Without a doubt, the best recording of the complete ballet to date.

I would echo the comments of Ray & Vhie Barnes in that Maazel and Previn both present excellent versions of this ballet. The two versions are different enough so that it would not be a waste of money to purchase both. Maazel's is much more driven, bombastic you could say while Previn is more sympathetic though wild where necessary; he pays a lot more attention to the details in the score and the story. Maazel has better trumpets (most of the time) and Previn has better horns.

Better known for his "Peter and the Wolf" & "Classical Symphony", Prokofiev's glorious ballet score will delight listeners new to this music. Truly his masterpiece, Prokofiev constantly weaves beautiful melodies which at times are tender and sweet contrasted to moments of high energy and fierceness which perfectly depict the story of Romeo and Juliet. Many of the melodies will be familiar to listeners because of their use on TV ads. The Cleveland Orchestra under the baton of Lorin Maazel is outstanding in every way. A great performance and recording at a bargain price. This is one of those "desert island" discs that everyone should own.