Customer Reviews

Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite; Borodin: Music from Prince Igor

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This is perhaps my favorite recording of my favorite piece. The Firebird Suite, as recorded by Telarc, performed By ASO/Shaw, Is the cleanest, richest version yet. If you are a newcomer to classical music, try this as your first... It is bound to entrance with it's swaying, lulling movements which are shredded to bits by fire and lightning explosions culminating in a spectacular finale which still makes my heart beat fast after so many years. A must for the collector as well. Telarc ddd recording so clear that you can tell what the patron listening in the 3rd row had for dinner. :-) This piece was a favorite of Ernie Kovacs and he featured it in one of his musical skits. This is a sure buy.

This my favorite of the 500 classical cds in my collection. The clarity of the recording and the excellent definition of the voices, choral and orchestral, presented by this Russian music make it the best representation of this music I have heard--I get it out when I want to shop for a new amp or speakers and take it with me. The salespeople I meet are suddenly impressed with the sound of "classical" music (this is romantic period stuff), and I get to select the correct component with the music I know best in my ears. The audio sensitivity and thunderous climaxes are excellent.

Everybody did their job right. The compositions are engaging and beautiful. The orchestra is masterfully conducted by Robert Shaw, with the details if instrumentation and vocalization presented with marvelous clarity and integration. The musicians of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra perform with diligent craft and articulation. And, finally, the recording engineers captured the sound with all its glory and detail; leaving to you the easy part: buy it and put it in your player.

This is a fabulous cd to enjoy and let your ears pick apart. Each instrument is voiced through precision, clarity and ingenuity. As a youngster in the classical world (22), I find this to be a compelling piece of work that transcends age. The continuous and explosive climaxes are both endearing and send lightening bolts through the listeners veins. I highly reccomend this to any true advocate of fine music.

In the late '70's when they were recording digitally but the CD had not yet been invented, they pressed these recordings on to vinyl. This particular one was THE demo disc at every audio booth at the CES the year it came out. At the time the bass drum in the recording was balanced to seem about 12 feet across. It was the test of all great sound systems.

This CD seems to have largely toned down that legendary bass drum -- though it still comes through as one of the few instruments that benefits from a sub-woofer.

The original Telarc digital recordings were made by Soundstream at a much higher bit-rate than the eventual CD standard of 41.4 KHz. As such I still feel that CD's, today, made from that original (groundbreaking) digital recording technology have a sweetness of tone and a juicier violin sound than the eventual Sony standard (used by ALL CD purveyors) finally produced. It was not until the invention of the Super Audio CD that that original "juice" was restored.

So this recording, while a fine performance, is really a historical document of the transition from analog to digital -- AND it was made with a digital mastering technique that, sadly, did not become the standard.

PS: curiously Soundstream (the recording company and technology) came into being because its founder, Dr. Thomas Stockham, was trying to restore the actual voice of Enrico Caruso from the cylinders of a century ago. That work was eventually released by RCA. But Soundstream's digital recording was a by-product of Dr. Stockham's experiments. Caruso, arguably was responsible for bringing sound recording into commercial legitimacy; the restoration of his voice by Stockham, it could be argued, brought digital recording to the masses.

Hearing this CD today it is almost hard to believe that is is one of Telarc's first digital releases. The sound quality is
stupendous as my title says. The orchestral playing is faithfully recreated with every nuance registering as if in a con- cert hall; all dynamic levels are beautifully and realistically captured from the softest pianissimo to the loudest fort-
issimo without noticeable tweaking of any sort. Be forewarned - the loud passages will raise the roof and incur feedback
from your neighbors (to put it mildly) so adjust the volume accordingly.

As for the performances, they are perfect in every way. Shaw is as masterful an orchestral conductor as he is a choral con-
ductor; the volume of his choral work often overshadows this. Stravinsky's Firebird Suite is done to a turn with all the
requisite level of expression, from the hushed, expectant opening to the sizzling, jubilant finale. Even with a catalog full of Firebirds, Shaw's account stands out for its enthusiasm and extroverted interpretation (and the recorded sound).

As an apropo coupling, Telarc includes Shaw's performance of Borodin's Polovtsian Dances from the opera Prince Igor. The
same extroverted involement and excellent orchestral playing is joined by the equally polished singing of the Atlanta
Symphony Chorus who clearly relish their participation in this work and sing thier hearts out. This is one of the few
recordings of the dances that include the choral part - another reason why this CD should be snapped up. After hearing the
chorus, you will not miss the full orchestral arrangement which is usually heard.

Again, the recorded sound leaves nothing to be desired and shows no sign of its late 70s's vintage. Add to that the superb
performances and you have a wiiner of a CD. Go ahead, blow the roof off and ask your neighbors to join you!

Now here's a CD of the highest order: well-mastered sound, not one, but two magnificent performances and interesting companion notes.

In "The Firebird", Stravinsky proves that in the hands of a master composer - even a reluctant one as Stravinsky was in accepting this commission (the composer procrastinated before finally getting down to business) - less (in terms of length) is indeed more. Utilizing three fairly short themes, Stravinsky conjures imagery that glistens, shimmers and burns like a bonfire. The orchestration is perfect and the exposition is tight as a drum, underscoring the composer's precise, almost engineering-like approach to composition. And watch out for the shocker nearly ten minutes into the piece - it will knock you off your chair. This is programmatic music nicely explained in the accompanying notes, but you don't have to know the story to thoroughly appreciate the music.

If you really want to get the adrenalin pumping, continue on to the Polovetsian Dances from "Prince Igor". Listeners of popular music know the initial theme as "Take My Hand, I'm a Stranger in Paradise" (as performed by numerous mainstream singers). The seminal version is sung lovingly by the chorus - and then the dances take off, going into overdrive as if both orchestra and chorus are being driven by a bullwhip. This is stirring music, boldly performed by great musicians.

Highly recommended.

I heard this recording in the late 70's on LP. A friend who played it for me was going on and on about how in the future LP's would no longer be used and that all music would be digital. I thought he was a nut, who knew! The Atlanta Symphony does the most masterful job of the Firebird. This particular disc has the best arrangement, timing and dynamic range of Borodin's music. Any fan of classical music will love this disc. Even if you are not a fan, this disc is a quality to make the novice a true believer.

Let's put it this way, I currently reside in a skilled nursing facility. My roommate likes country but enjoyed listening to this CD, which says a whole lot about the recording.

Simply stated, this is one of those recordings everyone should own. One of my favorites, especially in vinyl. This recording epitomizes what made Telarc great.

This is a benchmark disk - for two reasons: 1) the superb technical quality of the recording, and 2) the great rendition of the two pieces by Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony. The Firebird, esp. the finale, will move you to tears, even if you have always thought that classical music was too dry and too uninvolving. For audiophiles, this disk an excellent way to test equipment, but for the rest of us, it is just a sonic treat to savor like a fine wine.