Customer Reviews

Romeo & Juliet

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

 

 

Prokofiev's ballet `Romeo and Juliet' is one of my favorite pieces of muisc. I have many versions including excerpts done by Myung-Whun Chung, Michael Tilson Thomas, Kurt Masur, Sir Georg Solti, and the complete ballet with Lorin Maazel. My most recent purchase is this version featuring Andre Previn conducting London Symphony. It was recorded in 1973 and the sound quality is excellent though sometimes you can tell when the engineers fiddle with the balance if you listen critically. For example, in the final scene of Act 2 where Romeo kills Tybalt I notice some problems, but not too bad. The tempos are generally all a lot slower than the tempos on the several versions I have, but they work extremely well most of the time. I find Previn's deathly slow tempo in the interlude between Scenes 1 and 2 of Act 1 exasperating, but I find the slower tempos in the fighting music very effective. I would recommend it over Maazel's with Cleveland, but the best solution is to get them both, of course! 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.

I consider Romeo & Juliet Prokofiev's masterpiece. I own many excellent recordings of music from this ballet so I am very familiar with different performances from which to judge the finest. While this complete recording with Previn and the London Symphony is fine, it is surpassed by the Cleveland Orchestra on London/Decca with Maazel. Simply put, the Cleveland Orchestra is a far superior ensemble with outstanding musicians. I can hear mistakes in the London Symphony (especially the trumpets) whereas the Cleveland winds are awesome. The London/Decca recording has much better sound as well. So while both orchestras play the music with panache, one needs to look no further than to the Cleveland Orchestra recording of Romeo and Juliet which is in a class by itself by virtue of it's outstanding performance and sound.

Andre Previn made several ballet recordings for EMI in the '70"s. Most critics agree that this one is the best of those and has stood the test of time. Some may prefer the Maazel/Cleveland performance, with its fireworks and emphasis on brass. That recording surely holds a special place in my collection, but Previn reigns supreme in my book. The Russian flare with which Previn wields his baton is very pleasing, but he knows how to stir up excitment when needed. The horns, especially, make a tremendous impact. True, the sound is not as "in your face" as the Maazel/Cleveland recording is, but Previn makes up for it with character. The love music soars, with the LSO strings rising to the occasion; the street dances in Act 2 are given just the right touch of humor, creating a contrast to the fight music to come.

Where Maazel wins is in the dramatic music, with the interplay of the brass sending shivers up one's spine. But where Maazel loses ME is in his choice of speeds. Some feel Previn is too slow, but light speed would be considered slow compared to Maazel.

Ultimately, both of these recordings deserve a high place in any collection, but at times they sound so different that the artists seem to be performing different scores. So if spectacle and Technicolor sound is all that is needed, stay with Maazel. For balance, romance, and a complete sonic picture, stick with Previn.

I love when music tells a story; I sit back, close my eyes and can picture what is taking place. Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet is an incredible music story that ranges from passionate high notes of innocent Juliet to low, throbbing notes of a hate battle between warring families. At times there is a humorous twinge in the music, as if the strings are smiling and the brass are laughing; other times a sadness pervades the notes. The dynamics, phrasing, and altogether blend of instruments in this recording make it incredible to listen to. Every song has impecable detail that makes the song new and different every time. Andre Previn did a fantastic job conducting this one, making the music very fresh and original.
The insert inside this CD is also wonderful since it details the story that goes with the music. Reading what is taking place at each moment gave me a deep appreciateion for this wonderful music; the emotions really come through the playing.
Lastly, amazingly enough, Prokiev's Romeo and Juliet was inspiring enough to make me want to pull Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet off the shelf! Turly this is a 'soundtrack' to Shakespeare's work.
Incredible emotion, beautiful music, and a heart-rending story-- what more could you want?

This has in many ways become a classic, and it does indeed vie with Maazel's as possibly the best recording of the complete ballet around. The London Symphony Orchestra under André Previn plays with white-hot intensity throughout, giving a performance full of dynamism and drama. At times, however, overall structure and color are sacrificed, and the way the various themes and single musical episodes hang together are clearly not the top priority. Thus, there is no particular feeling of having reached any great emotional and dramatic culmination when we reach the final scenes - they become, to a certain extent, just another set of urgently dramatic, self-standing pieces. This is not to say that the performance isn't thrilling in its own right - it is, and is as such definitely recommendable, with some enthusiasm, even. But Maazel might be more successful overall. And no matter how you cut the pie, none of them are even remotely close to the poignancy, color and tension of Ancerl's selection of excerpts from the early 60s which should surely set the standard.

This Romeo & Juliet is my favorite, for reasons previously stated by Mr. Adcock. In my own words I'd say that the reading is organic, human, it expresses feelings and tells a story which keeps me interested throughout the score.

I am a little concerned about the sound quality. I get the impression that there is more in there, but it does not get through the speakers. But it might also have to do with my Hi-Fi equipment. I'd appreciate comments from other reviewers on this point.

I also have the Karel Ancerl/CPO Romeo & Juliet excerpts. It is superior in many respects, but also quite different, so I just keep that one as well.

Beste Andre Rieu,

Ik ben Amke Edomskis en speel nu 4 jaar viool. Ik heb meegedaan aan het Prinses Christina Concours. Nu was ik op zoek naar het stuk "Romeo and Julliet" voor viool en piano (bladmuziek). In de winkel is het niet verkrijgbaar. Misschien dat ik het via u kan krijgen, ik zou dat graag met een vriendin spelen, bij een uitvoering op school. (ik heb het u namelijk op tv zien spelen. Alvast bedankt!

De muzikale groeten

Amke Edomskis een groot bewonderaar (13 jaar)