Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture, Scriabin: Poeme de l'extase [Original recording remastered]

Stokowski (Artist, Composer), Mussorgsky (Artist, Composer), Glinka (Artist, Composer), Royal Phil (Artist, Composer), Alexander Scriabin (Artist), Leopold Stokowski (Artist), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Composer: Stokowski, Mussorgsky, Glinka, Royal Phil
• Audio CD (August 14, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: BBC Legends
• ASIN: B00005LW1I
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #566,182 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Night On Bare Mountain

2. Kamarinskaya

3. Prld in E-flat, Op.34 No.14

4. Pastorale

5. Ov Solemnelle '1812', Op.49 - Band Of The Grenadier Guards

6. Le Poeme De L'extase, Op.54

7. Eight Russian Folk Songs, Op.58: III. Plaintive Song

8. Eight Russian Folk Songs, Op.58: IV. Humorous Song

9. Eight Russian Folk Songs, Op.58: VI. Cradle Song

10. Eight Russian Folk Songs, Op.58: VIII. Village Dance Song

11. Polovtsian Dance With Chor - John Alldis Chor/Welsh National Opr Chor

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What Stokowski tells of music., February 10, 2008

By 

Scriabinmahler (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture, Scriabin: Poeme de l'extase (Audio CD)

Like Bernstein, Celibidache or Svetlanov, Stokowski can be either a nightmare (Mahler 2nd RCA for example) or awe-inspiring experience (Mahler 2nd BBC Legend). These stereo live recordings, made in 1969 at Albert Hall shortly before the famous DECCA Phase 4 studio recording of the similar program, certainly belong to the latter. I bought this cd immediately after listening to the most impressive performance of Polovtsian Dance with Choir on BBC Radio 3, but it came with even more impressive recording of Poem of Ecstasy and 1812 Overture, plus absolutely magnificent performance of Stokowski's own arrangement of Night on bare mousntain and gorgeous string playing of Lyadov's Russian Falk Songs.

Both 1812 and Ecstacy are played as never been played before, with a sense of awe and undescribable beauty. Stokowski's own words express it better. "Music is dynamic - ever evolving - flowing like a river, never static. True music is inspired - it must be played and sung with inspiration. True music is alive...it has the heartbeat and surge of life..."

If you want to know true greatness of this conductor, this cd is most recommendable along side the mega-scale, earth-shattering performance of Resurrection Symphony, also on BBC Legend.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic flourish, May 19, 2006

By 

picture goer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture, Scriabin: Poeme de l'extase (Audio CD)

I enjoyed the live performances but what got me (and the audience) really going was the 1812 Overture. The Band of the Grenadier Guards got into the act too. What a glorious finish. I was swept away by the Orchestra and the Guards. Stoky`s often been accused of fiddling with the dynamics. i remember Toscanini doing Gershwin`s An American In Paris. He did a tremendous job of bringing it to life. Considering Toscanini didn`t do much modern music it was a fine effort. Stoky all the way or not at all. It`s a matter of personal preference. Forget the critics.