Customer Reviews

Swan Lake

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

 

 

I have owned several CD recordings of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake and this most recent purchase is the best I have heard.

I have many recordings of Andre Previn, both as a pianist and a conductor. Andre Previn has never let me down. He has a natural feel for everything I have heard him perform.

Previn presents Swan Lake totally complete as Tchaikovsky originally composed it, including the two additional numbers in Act III which were added after the 1st performance. The tempos in each number are ideal and the ADD sound is excellent, considering the recording originates from 1976.

I would recommend this version highly over the horribly conducted Bonynge. Better is the Sawallisch but I found the 1994 recording too laid back.

Bottom Line: Get this recording for its completeness, conducting, and price!

For the person who is perhaps not erudite in classical music, this is a lovely recording with a surprisingly high "hummability" factor. I first watched Swan Lake when I was a child, in a prior century, performed by the American Ballet Theatre with Gelsey Kirkland in the lead role. Fell in love with the ballet and the music. Now listening to a ballet is a different experience than watching it, and two CD disks is a long recording, but I find this very rewarding. It's frustrating to listen to the local classical station and hear a tiny snippet from "Swan Lake," such as "The Dance of the Little Swans." I would much rather listen to at least a full 30 minutes and get a better sense of the musical themes and changes. So, recommended, for ballet lovers and others.

Glad I bought it. Sounds fantastic to me. The highs, the lows, all as should be played. Soothing velvety sound flows smooth and true as the composer intended, unrushed and refined. Excellent recording and value for the true Tchaikovsky connoisseur.

Good day friends !

from the composer of such master pieces as sleeping beauty and the nut cracker, comes a bitter sweet story of love, sacrafice, and the betrayal of an evil sorceror.
The music of swan lake has inspired me. I play it often while creating my own works of art. If you can spare the small expence, I advise you to pick up this item. You will thank yourself.