Customer Reviews

Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade / Tchaikovsky: Marche Slave ~ Stokowski

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

 

 

I grew up listening to this recording on its original Phase 4 LP. Over the years I've owned or listened to other recordings of Scheherazade while waiting for this one to be released on CD. I missed its Decca CD release and am now thankful that Cala has reissued it. It is the best recording of Scheherazade out there. Stokowski was not rigid in his tempos for this recording and the music flows freely, hanging onto and savoring a phrase or note here, driving forward with intensity there. Stokowski really pulled the passion in the piece out of the London Symphony and they play exceptionally well and with fine solo playing throughout (I love the bassoon and oboe solos that come near the beginning of the second movement). Compared to this one, other recordings seem mechanical and passionless. The Marche Slav recording was done at a live concert and has some extremes in its tempi. In spite of this it is well played and has a thrilling ending. The bonus tracks of the rehearsal process are fascinating and brought back memories of my high school days in band and orchestra. You will not be disappointed by this recording.

Stokowski's Russian music is always very tricky for recommending to fellow listeners. His approach is not authentic, yet extremely convincing. He can turn those Russian fireworks into serious masterpieces. The most dangerous part is, one can hardly find other interpretations interesting after listened to his. This CD contains two classic examples. Stokowski's Scheherazade is lush, warm, and powerful. His tempo is a little bit too flexible, but you will agree with him in the end. Out of his five recordings of Scheherazade, I prefer this one for its emotional presentation. The 1974 RCA version is better controlled and lyrical, not to mention better sound. This 1960s Decca recording sometimes has overload, which is the major pitfall for this recording. This CALA reissue somewhat mitigate the issue, but it is still there (what a pity!).

So I went on for looking for some other recordings to find a perfect Scheherazade, and I failed miserably. I here state the conclusion first: The only two non-Stokowski Scheherazade I'll still pick up and spend time to listen to are BeechamRimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade etc. and Mackerras Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade/Capriccio Espagnol. However, both Stokowski's Scheherazades are still my first go-to recording after so many years.

Beecham: lush and beautifully played, also pretty emotional.
Mackerras: overall balanced, a good reference recording without being bored.
Kondrashin: also balanced and lyrical, but the sound is surpassed by Mackerras.
Reiner: The sound is amazing, Chicago plays with authority, but Reiner's stiff interpretation is not as good as the above mentioned recordings.
Karajan / Ormandy: lush and gorgeous sound but lack of passion.
Gergiev: very well recorded, but as for interpretation he falls to the bottom..

The story of Marche slave is similar. Stokowski really crank up the emotional part of this work and makes this work sounds like a masterpiece. He also cut the repeat in the finale which makes the climax more overwhelming. In other words, you must get someone else's Marche slave to understand why Tchaikovsky himself doesn't like this work. You may give Tchaikovsky extra credit by listening to Stokowski's rendition.

Despite his initial training as an organist and his love of Bach, Leopold Stokowski is most famous as a conductor of unbridled performances of masterpieces of the Romantic era. This performance of Scheherazade is one of his greatest recordings. Made in 1964 in London/Decca Phase 4 stereo, this outstanding CD has been remastered by Cala records -- in cooperation with the Leopold Stokowski Society -- and sounds as if it were recorded last year. This is Scheherazade for lovers of full blown Romanticism. If this is your type of music, you will love this CD. Highly recommended.

Disney never set Scheherazade to animation, but if they ever do, this splashy, at times volcanic reading is the one they should choose. Stokowski recorded the work four times that I know of. This, the last, originally came out in Decca's Phase 4 Stereo (they've recently reissued it in a box set of Stokowski's complete Decca recordings, the bulk of which were for Phase 4), an early venture in extreme multi-miking. Every solo instrument marches forward and plays as loud as the rest of the orchestra combined, no mean feat for a bassoon.

In a sour mood I cringe at the vulgarity of this performance compared to Reiner's classic reading with the Chicago on RCA, but most of the time I realize that Scheherazade isn't the B Minor Mass, so why not goose it up? Musically speaking, Stokowski has a wonderful sense of drama and his many tempo fluctuations, though operatic, are in the gorgeous, overstuffed spirit of the work.

Here's the "new" old "Scheherazade" from Stokowski that sent critics on both sides of the Atlantic a-twitter when it was re-released last year. Writers from Gramophone to American Record Guide went bonkers over this, exclaiming it the most exciting Stokowski "Scheherazade" ever recorded...even more exciting than his 1940 Philadelphia version that some writers love to no end Leopold Stokowski, Conductor.

The sound on this CD is outstanding, just about out of this world. It was originally one of London's famous Phase 4 recordings, sometimes made with as many as 20 microphones and mixed like a modern high energy ensemble dance tune with a half-dozen engineers having input as well as the conductor. Stokowski loved tinkering with sound and you hear it all throughout this CD. Even though this is a garish-sounding CD, I agree with everything everyone said about all the sterling first chair players and soloists in the middle 1960s London Symphony Orchestra. They all play real well and put in a big time performance for the old man.

However, I can't rate this version as highly as the RCA Victrola Royal Philharmonic Orchestra version where concertmaster Eric Gruenberg performed the violin solo better than in his London Symphony recording Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade; Russian Easter Overture.

Another thing that performance had going for it -- along with Gruenberg's exceptionally sweet playing -- is powerful timpani strokes in the opening "Sea and Sinbad's Ship" and during the closing pages of the performance, one of the most coloratura, kaleidoscopic wide screen symphonic canvasses ever composed.

I like the Cala re-release and no praise could be too high for the sound or the solo work. But, for reasons stated above, I like the RPO version better and am far more satisfied with it than with the overripe London account. The RCA CD is also manufactured sound -- meaning not natural -- but the spotlighted timpani and better bass response lend a Russian feeling to the music that is lacking in this version.

Much has been said about the two versions of Stokowski's conducting of Scheherazade. There is a spam of years between these two versions. Each has its own character and charm, and they are both - in my opinion - outstanding. The RCA is a manufactured sound, of course, but how many manufactured CDs we have today. The LSO version is a bit slower, but it is more passionate. After all, it is a matter of taste.

As for Marche Slave, Stokowski conducts amazingly. It is a poignant and clear reading, especially with the DECA 4-band recording. Are not these pieces colorful?

You can also hear - as some bargains - the voice of the great master that was Stokowski in rehearsal.

Five stars.

Every version of Scheherazade that I've ever heard is great in its own way, including the 1950's recording by Hans Ledermann with The Sonor Symphony Orchestra, which clocks in at only 33 minutes! This particular Stokowski release may be fine for people such as myself who collect different recordings of Scheherazade, but it is not recommended for first time purchasers or casual listeners. The spoken word tracks waste valuable space that could have been used for the usual couplings, i.e., Polovtsian Dances, Russian Easter Overture, etc., all of which Stokowski recorded and would have been appropriate here. After one listen to the spoken word version, you'll never want to hear them again and wished that you had bought something else.

Recommended are any versions of Scheherazade but this one. Especially great recordings and values, each with over 60 minutes of music, intelligent couplings and gorgeous violin solos are:

* Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra. The recording includes all 3 of Rimsky-Korsakov's most famous pieces. With the lowest retail price, over 75 minutes of music and good liner notes, this might be the best choice.

* Yuri Temurkinov conducting the NY Philharmonic. This is the longest version of Scheherazade that I know of. Very good liner notes and great album artwork.

* Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic. Good Tchaikovsky couplings and almost 80 minutes of music, but poor liner notes.

* Fritz Reiner with the Chicago SO. The classic version with a great Stravinsky coupling. Poor liner notes, because Scheherazade isn't discussed.

There are numerous other great recordings of Scheherazade, including Stokowski on RCA Red Seal, which couples Scheherazade with the Russian Easter Overture.

So unless you're into Stokowski-worship or are a collector, there are better choices than this Cala release.