Customer Reviews

Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a surprise! Who would have guessed that Scheherazade is actually a big-boned Russian farmer's daughter, and that the adventures she recounts would not be out of place in Les Noces or Le Sacre! But of course, Rimsky-Korsakov WAS a Russian; he even was Stravinsky's teacher. So this all-Russian performance of his most famous work may be rough hewn, loud, and unsubtle - it is also wildly exciting and tremendously effective. The intoxicating Oriental perfumes we have come to expect are vigorously dispelled, and gone too are the hazy, languid dreamscapes; in return we get untrammelled energy, passion and an unexpectedly apt earthiness. To say that this Scheherazade is akin to Le Sacre is more than a mere turn of phrase. The bassoon solo opening the second movement actually SOUNDS like the opening of the later work, and throughout there are moments where Gergiev brings out uncanny foreshadowings of Stravinsky's masterpiece.
No doubt this will not be to everybody's taste. Dynamics never descend below mezzo forte, and the upfront, reverberant, high-level recording is not helpful. Solo instruments are spot-lit the old-fashioned way, at times revealing some rough-edged playing, like that of the first cello. The solo violin however, is played with assured technical brilliance as well as great feeling by Sergei Levitin. The brass is uniformly aggressive: be careful when setting the initial volume, and brace yourself for a confrontation with a very grumpy, very loud sultan!
After listening to this, my favourite recording of the work by Mackerras and the LSO on Telarc sounded positively tame. However, their more relaxed pace is compensated by a far more subtle shading of the music, and my guess is that in the longer run I will be returning more often to that account than to Gergiev's high octane version. Maybe the newcomer focuses a bit too much on the dramatic aspect and the general effect, while this work also needs to be exploited as the showpiece of dazzling orchestration that it is. The manic excitement of the finale especially, which is performed at break-neck speed (with one orchestral section at times outrunning the other a bit, but Gergiev doesn't care about such finer points), is exhilarating, but also rather tiring, and due to the general loudness there is no sense of true climax when Sinbad's ship crashes into the rock with the bronze statue (inaudible tam-tam, by the way). It may all prove to be too much of a good thing on repeated hearing. Nevertheless this is a startlingly fresh look at a somewhat hackneyed work and for that reason alone a very welcome addition to the discography indeed!
The fill-ups are, I suppose, fitting in so far that they continue the theme of the Orient seen through Russian eyes (or rather, heard through Russian ears). However, musical substance is pretty thin in both. Borodin's 'Steppes of Central Asia` is saved by two beautiful melodies, but Balakirev's oriental fantasy Islamey can boast no such redeeming features. It is much ado about nothing, tiresome rather than merely tiring; though to be fair Lyapunov, the orchestrator, is the main culprit here. The less than expert handling of the orchestra (not, I admit, a very fair comparison next to Rimsky's genius) in combination with Gergiev's brutal approach and an equally rough recording yields pretty deafening results here, not fit for repeated listening as far as I'm concerned.

The arguments for & against Gergiev's interpretation are totally valid, and for those who like their Sheherazade in a more traditional vein are advised to avoid this recording like the plague. Normally, I would have counted myself among those traditionalists, but upon repeated listenings, I found myself liking enough about this recording to recommend it with reservations.

I can see why people would hate the closed-miked approach here. One has to be prepared to turn down the volume in a hurry at points, as the sound will absolutely blast you, not always with the best results. Some listeners may not enjoy listening to the keys clacking during various woodwind solos. This is very much dependent on personal preferences --- I cannot say that it bothered me much, but this is coming from someone who spent more than a few years playing in symphonies, so it is a sound to which I am accustomed.

The tempo overall is much more a bone of contention. Three movements played at an almost glacial pace are then followed by the a fourth tableau played at amazlingly break-neck speeds. I found the slow tempo to be disconcerting at first, but I rather like the fact that Gergiev & his soloists can explore the nuances of the music more fully than would normally be the case. At times, the music had almost a French quality to it, which I have never heard before with this piece, but strangely enough, it works. The ballet background of both conductor & orchestra may have much to do with the slower tempo.

The fourth tableau is nothing short of spectacular. One reviewer noted that the various orchestral sections seem to be outrunning the others, and at first glance, this would seem to be the case. However, when I sat and listened carefully, it sounds as though everybody really is playing together, just faster than hell. The brass section is absolutely spectacular in the finale, make no mistake about it.

The other two pieces are strictly filler and need little comment, other than to say that the Balakirev is just junk, ample evidence that the man was, on his best day, perhaps a third-tier composer, and probably not even that. Why such a ridiculous trifle as Islamey is even recorded these days is a true mystery to me.

Love it or hate it, this is definitely one of the more interesting Sheherazade interpretations to hit the market in recent years. It is strictly a matter of personal preference whether in fact you love it or hate it.

Conductor Gergiev gives a straight-ahead, vigorous and, in the finest moments, artful interpretation of the beloved Scheherazade. I'd like to stress something : It is NOT Gergiev's fault if the recording is somewhat "muffled" or doesn't boast the last word in clarity. The crucial crescendos and orchestral torrents are lacking bits and pieces in dynamic range ; still, the somewhat flawed recording doesn't mar the strength and beauty of the performance, for this is a superb Scheherazade (hence my rating is based on performance alone).

The Kirov members play their hearts out in a most exquisite rendering ; music seems to flow naturally from these Russian forces. They bring back Rimsky-Korsakov in his own territory. The solo violin doesn't sound too spectacular or obtrusive and is not quite up front, as is often the case, letting someone envision a "feminine touch" (it reveals delicate harmonies and it "sings" melodically without being exaggeratedly romantic). Gergiev implies momentum without boosting the music in a deliberate fashion as did Bernstein (NewYork) in an however powerful recording. I still prefer Gergiev's approach which seems to carry more attention to detail and, in the end, tends to sound in a more efficient way.

Other than the present Gergiev (or Bernstein), there's a lot going on with Scheherazade. My favorite records come from the exceptional Fritz Reiner (Chicago), Mario Rossi (Vienna) in an early stereo LP produced by Vanguard, Kiril Kondrashin (Amsterdam) and the honorable Ormandy from Philadelphia. Bernstein's affair is a crude, typically supercharged account. Rossi is an old Vanguard Stereolab from the primeval days of stereo and is almost impossible to find on CD : Too bad because Rossi brought a most beautiful, warm and colorful interpretation, along with the big and luxuriant violin tone of Myriam Solovief (soloist for that session). Kondrashin's a classic in the catalogue--and rightly so--for numerous reasons, it's still one of the finest Scheherazades on disc.

Among the latest recordings to watch, besides the Gergiev, the excellent Mackerras (LSO) and Spano (Atlanta), both on Telarc, are front-runners. Beecham (RPO)--reissued by EMI--will always remain one of those great accounts. I've been rather deceived by the recently reissued Ansermet on Dutton (harsh sound, and a rushed performance that leaves me unmoved) and assume his later Suisse Romande is to be preferred. I also like a recording i own by Anton Nanut (in Slovenia) : Good sound and a more than decent interpretation.

In conclusion, i recommend this CD quite a lot, in spite of a few minor caveats as regards sonics. The accompanying Borodin and Balakirev are very good fillers ('Steppes of Central Asia' is played splendidly), though the star is the ever fascinating and lovely Scheherazade.

*****

Simply stated, this performance has been undermined by a recording team who has failed in its task. The louder the music gets, the more congested and shallow the sound becomes. Just when you would love to revel in the sound this marvelous orchestra can produce, you are confronted with the paradox of a great resonant acoustic collapsing before your very ears.
This is deeply disappointing given the marvelous previous recordings of Scriabin, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky.
More satisfying recordings which capture marvelous performances and better sound would be Chicago/Reiner and Mehta/LAPO.

First, I have been listening to Phillips recording for close to 25 years......even before CDs came out.

This recording (in the SACD format) has to be the worst recording I have ever heard. I bought this SACD in high hopes after his stunning Shostakovich Sym. No. 7 with Rotterdam/Kirov. That recording was made in De Deolen in Rotterdam. This horrible Sheherazade was recorded in the cavernous Mariinsky Theater.

The performance is okay, though not as fine as the superb RCA Living Stereo SACD of Sheherazade or my old redbook CD with Dutoit/Montreal (Decca). Gergiev's tempos are rather fast and I have to give KUDOS to the principal trumpet for some superb triple tonguing in the last movement of Sheherazade.

Despite some fine playing by the brass in the Kirov, I have to give this SACD only two stars. The sonics are absolutely too closely miked (like many Deutsche Grammaphons), boomy, and way too echoy. The particular engineers for this Phillips recording needs to take some lessons from the engineers from Decca who record the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam...those Decca engineers know how to deal with lively halls.

In fact, this recording was so bad, I no longer plan on buying Gergiev's Shostakovich Sym. No. 4 with Kirov. I only hope his recordings with the Vienna Philharmonic are better!!!

Having been an admirer of Gergiev's fresh and exciting Tchaikovsky Nutcracker, I found myself rather shortcharged after hearing this studio version of Sheherazade. Despite the lavish praise that was heaped upon this version by the Penguin Guide, I found that it tended to suffer from Gergiev's mannered approach and lack of adreanaline and passion in the orchestral playing. Gergiev's performance also suffers from a cloudy and close-miked recording where one may not be able to hear the felicities and nuances of the orchestral playing because of the artificial reverb that counters the dryness of the acoustics. Nevertheless, Gergiev ably builds up climaxes slowly but steadily and keeps the architecture of Rimsky's sweltering music in shape.

Gergiev's performance begins with a lethargic rendition of the Sultan's theme, made to sound like a toothless tiger, and lacking in the menace and brutality it needs to convey its bloodthirsty nature. This is answered by Sergei Levithin's equally lethargic portrayal of Sheherazade, where her theme lacks the sinuous nature needed for her to be a seductive storyteller to the Sultan. The ensuing rendition of the first movement starts out slowly but steadily, but even so Gergiev swells the music and allows the performance to warm up when the full orchestra portrays the surging power of the sea. The Kalendar Prince movement fares slightly better, and I think that the orchestra plays more confidently here, especially in the march-like transformation of the sinister fanfare. The only demerit in this movement is that when the trombones first introduce this fanfare it sounds like a toothles tiger and is unable to alarm the listener. The slow third movement should at least - and more fortunately - be considered a high point of the performance. Despite a slow beginning, Gergiev allows his players to shine and allows this movement to sound radiant, making for a seductive clarinet portrayal of the Young Princess and a jaunty-sounding rendition of her central theme. Gergiev's rendition of this movement is also noteworthy for the detail in the orchestral playing and for its ecstatic-sounding coda. Then, in the lively Festival at Baghdad finale, Gergiev adopts the most breakneck speed I have ever heard for this part of the work, with the Kirov Orchestra playing it until it tingles with adreanaline. At times it sounds rushed and in need of a little precision and slickness, but its only problem is that the weightless Shipwreck section makes it somewhat anticlimactic after all the excitement during the Festival. Nevertheless, Gergiev ends the work serenely and peacefuly.

The two short fill-ups benefit more in this recording, because they are given less mannered perofrmances. Nevertheless, they provide interesting couplings to Sheherazade by allowing the listener to get a taste of the Russianised Orientalism that existed before Sheherazade was written.

Overall, I wouldn't say this is an outstanding recording of Sheherazade because of its checkered effect, but at least it can't be as abominable as it is perceived to be. True, it can't top the Mercury Living Presence version with Dorati and the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra or even other recordings by Chung and Reiner, but at least it has some worthy merits that allow it to stand on its own.

Shortly after I wrote this review I would like to mention that I've heard Gergiev conduct Sheherazade in live performances on the Internet. The BBC Proms featured Gergiev conducting the World Orchestra for Peace, and I've also had the chance to see Gergiev's Salzburg Festival performance with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra on YouTube. Gergiev just seems more in control of the music on these occasions, and he better shapes the music, moving it forward and building up tensions. So I would like to say that I think that Gergiev seemed to do better in his subsequent live performances of Sheherazade than on this disc.

Bought this cd last friday night at a local Circuit City, on the
strength of Gergiev and the Kirov's strengths-and it was worth
every penny. Purchased it to fill in a gap in my music collec-
tion, and when I went to pop it in the car player the next day-
my jaw dropped as soon as the opening bars rang out: it is ab-
solutely incredible, a real tour-de-force, it is a masterfully
powerful exposition of this classic relegated to hum-drum play-
ing all too often. Here it is no wimpy set of program pieces
designed to provide a comfortable afternoon snooze. No indeed,
for it is a forceful torrent of sound, carrying one along the
mind's eye with the clever,resourceful Scheherazade. When I
listen to it, I cannot help but team it up as a soundtrack to a
Ray Harryhausen classic cinema, it is that good.

For anyone who has not had the great good fortune to see and hear the Kirov Orchestra play in it's home setting, or on tour-
grab this disc, it will not disappoint you at all. Despite all
the economic and political turmoil enmeshing Russia, the Kirov
still has full command of it's faculties as one of the world's
great orchestras, a formidable ensemble of polished brass, sil-
ken strings, and great ensemble playing. I was lucky enough to
see them while in St. Petersburg, Russia on a student studytour
performing at the Kirov Theatre, in performances of Swan lake
and La Traviata, and both were bravura performances. In short,
they still got it, and they are incredibly great.

This is definitely going on my desert island collection list!
And I am buying copies for all my friends and family for the
holidays to boot.

If you want a comfortable Scherazade to fall asleep to-don't
buy this-it is a full tilt ride that successfully restores this
classic to it's rightfully majesty.

P.S. This will very definitely successfully test-drive your
audio cd/home theatre hookup-and your car stereo! Not
to mention give your speakers the ride of their lives!!!

I've purchased a number of Gergiev recordings, all of which are quite exciting. This is the first time I've been let down.

While the playing is great, there's something wrong here with the multichannel mix. I read a review that indicated that the engineers recording this session may have multimiked the hall too aggressively and then tried to make up for it by adding artificial reverb in the mix. I'm not an engineer, but there is a compressed and somewhat flat sound to the recording, even in SACD. I also have an XRCD version of Fritz Reiner's 40 plus year old recording of this piece, which sounds much more dynamic and new.

So while Gergiev is an awesome conductor, this may not be the best version of this particular work.

Rimsky-Korsakov's "Sheherazade" is well represented in the CD catalogue. There are excellent recordings from the likes of Ozawa and Mackerras among others, with an exceptionally dramatic version from Kondrashin leading the Concertgebouw Orchestra. Until I heard Gergiev's splendid interpretation, Kondrashin's was the definitive recording, filled with much drama and passion, and blessed with excellent violin solos from Herman Krebbers, the Concertgebouw Orchestra's concertmaster. Here Gergiev goes a bit further than Kondrashin did, rendering a passionately lyrical, dramatic performance which shows the Kirov Orchestra at the top of its form. He leads the Kirov Orchestra in a brisk interpretation, emphasizing the score's rich textures, gently molding phrases and motifs. The violin soloist - presumably the Kirov's concertmaster - performances are far more lyrical and nuanced than those I heard from Krebbers, still excellent after nearly a quarter of a century. Phillips has produced one of its best recordings of Gergiev and the Kirov at their home in Saint Petersburg's Mravinsky Theater. The shorter works by Borodin and Balakirev are splendid codas at the end of this marvellous CD.

Having grown up with Rimsky Korsakov's Sheherazade I was interested in this recording by the Kirov Orchestra and Valery Gergiev. Gergiev gives the music its full beauty and drama. He appears to lend his interpretation and setting of tempos as if conducting Sheherazade as a ballet. The music was danced to by the Ballet Russes (with some cuts insisted upon by Diaghilev, who had been one of Rimsky's more untalented pupils). Nijinsky and Vera Fokina made the ballet famous and the booklet contains some interesting notes and photographs related to the ballet. The expansive interpretation by Mr. Gergiev tends to give greater emphasis to some passages, apparent in the opening cords. The Kirov is beautifully responsive and the violin solos by Sergei Levitin are well played.

The couplings are appropriate: In the Steps of Central Asia by Borodin and Islamy by Balakirev in the orchestration by Lyapunov. The Borodin is played beautifully, bringing for the vast and monotonous desserts of the Central Asia with a touch of melancholy. The Balakirev sparkles and conveys the mystery and exotic charm of the orient.

The sound is good but, listening through headphones, the Mariinsky Theater sounded a little cavernous. It was not disturbing and I paid little attention after a while. There are many great recordings of Sheherazade but one may want to include this one just for Gergiev's dance-like interpretation.