Customer Reviews

Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66

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

 

 

That there is more than one worthwhile recording of any composer's work should be understood at the outset. This particular version of The Sleeping Beauty is said by some (one, at least, in this crowd) to be slow. Well, yes, it is slow. But of the four complete Sleeping Beauties out there (actually, I can only speak to three of them--the Bonynge I've not heard) this is the only one that presents a true, three-dimensional stage upon which one can imagine a dance taking place. Both the Dorati and the Gergiev are symphonic pieces--and both are quite good in their own way--but ballet is a unique art, where physical gesture and music are equally articulate. This dynamic requires a lot of space, an opening through which both languages proceed, converse, accomodate, and finally resolve into one. Since the physical presence of dance is nonexistent on aural recordings we generally ignore it altogether and there's an end to it. This recording will not allow you to do that. Strictly, as "music," it is inferior to the Dorati and the Gergiev--curiously, since Gergiev conducts for the Kirov the difference should not be as apparent here--but as music for the ballet it is, in this company, without parallel.

Yes, this recording is for the person familiar with the ballet and wants to be transported back to the stage. The tempo is just right for your imagination to allow the performers to dance in your head. Other faster recordings may be more accessible to people not as familiar with the ballet, such as Dorati. My reason to listen to ballets, operas, soundtracks etc. is to go back to the performance and feel the emotion which makes the music all the more enjoyable and significant. You can listen to this CD in it's entirety (that's right entirety) at naxos.com and make a completely informed decision....

I've been a Tchaikovsky afficionado for several years, and because his three ballets have remained my favorites among his works, I was determined to own the finest performances given of them. Regarding Sleeping Beauty, I had to sample a multitude of recordings before discovering the finest of them all-- the Naxos version conducted by Mogrelia. The reason should be clear to anyone who has experienced it: the strings are flush with vivacity and resonance; the overall tempo is nearly perfect; and the acoustical quality transports one to a choice seat in a symphonic hall. Final verdict: Buy it!

Sleeping Beauty is probably the best of Tchaikovsky's ballets. If you are looking for a good recording of it, this one is nice, but a little slow and muffled. Since it is slow, it might be easier to dance to. But, if you want a clear, dynamic recording, I suggest the one conducted by Antal Dorati and the RCA label.

Tchaikovsky was a great composer who wrote symphonies, concertos, and other works which are beloved by classical music lovers. But his greatest compositions almost certainly were his three ballets, and the most uniquely beautiful of Tchaikovsky's ballets is The Sleeping Beauty. In my opinion it is the most beautiful ballet -- and one of the most beautiful works in any genre -- ever written by any composer. My favorite (five star) performances of The Sleeping Beauty are those by Richard Bonynge and Andre Previn. But Andrew Mogrelia is a very fine ballet conductor and this complete 3-CD set is a wonderful bargain.

This a really great recording of Sleeping Beauty. Though the Czecho-Slovak State Philharmonic, now I believe to be the Slovak State Philharmonic, may not be one of the real top orchestras, but they're playing I believe is just as good here as the London Symphony Orchestra or the Kirov Orchestra, and they put a lot of life into the score and even play the score in a Russian manner. Many people have downgraded this recording for being too slow, but one of the main reasons I purchased this recording was because of Mogrelia's slow tempi. Mogrelia conducts this in the exact same way one would hear it played in a live performance of the ballet, and I believe that since it's a ballet, it should be played in a balletic manner, versus just playing it as a symphonic poem. Even though Mogrelia takes a slow tempi, the dances are still played with much elegance and do sound very exciting. For someone looking for a more symphonic reading, I'd recommend the recording conducted by Gergiev with the Kirov Orchestra, but Mogrelia's recording is definitely recommended to anyone who wants to hear this played as a ballet.

I like the fact this is one of the very small number of unabridged full-length recordings of this famous ballet played as Pyotr Tchaikovsky originally wrote the score.

The sound quality is quite good, though I wished that the tempo was just a tad faster in some parts (I've listened to the musical performances from live ballet performances and they often play at a slightly faster tempo in certain parts of the ballet). Mind you, the tempo of the orchestra during a live ballet performance can vary widely, if only because the orchestra conductor has to compensate for the limitations of the physical skills of the dancers.

But yet, I still enjoyed the performance, because like another reviewer said, you feel like watching the live performance of this ballet with this score.

Except for the famous waltz, Sleeping Beauty lacks the catchy tunes of Swan Lake and the Nutcracker, and its pace is stately rather than dramatic. Even so, the music rates as the most sophisticated that Tchaikovsky wrote for the dance. For many listeners the lengthy score loses interest before it's over (not true when you see the ballet on stage), and there have been few really outstanding recordings. One of the best, from Ernest Ansermet on Decca, has never been released on CD to my knowledge.

This bargain version from Andrew Mogrelia, conductor of the San Francisco Ballet, is refined and elegnat. It makes Previn seem anemic and Gergiev too rough-handed. The light, springy rhythms remind me of Dorati's approach on Philips. I agree with the reviewer below who says that you can see the stage in your mind's eye -- Mogrelia's tempos are eminently danceable. Naxos provides good engineering, althoug the woodwind solos are a bit far back. If only the orchestra were better, but they play stylishly and with conviciton. The somewhat scrapy execution that crops up here and there keeps this from being a five-star recording, so if that's not much of a concern, this set deserves the highest recommendation.

This CD contains a beautiful arrangement of music that was written for the ballet "Sleeping Beauty". I have used it in many of my dance classes and it has been a great help. The only problem I have found is that if one wishes to use some of the original choreography for class work, some of the compositions are much too fast. However, if this cd is for listening purposes or to use personal choreograpy for classwork, then I would highly recommend it.

I recently purchased this disc, and I must confess that I have not been moved by it, though it has grown on me. It is a real bargain for the price, though.