Customer Reviews

Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Of all of the full-length ballets in the classical repertoire, I share George Balanchine's opinion that Sleeping Beauty is the finest and that a definitive staging will probably exist only in one's imagination.

I have collected ALL of the performances issued since the George Weldon mono recording from the mid-1950s, including the studio recording that followed this series of live BBC concerts (long out of print on Eurodisc). What makes this performance stand out is the sense of 'theater' that permeates every note. A conductor such as Gennadi Rozhdestvensky (who has led this work countless times) knows instinctively how each number need to be paced and set apart from each other. This is not just an academic exercise (or worse yet, a 'canned' performance done in the sterile environment of a studio away from the audience, dancers, and 'smell of greasepaint'); it is an approach that is essential to a buildup of dramatic tension which in turn makes each act seem like a logical sequence of pieces instead of a hodgepodge of tunes.

Forgive me if I sound like a zealot, but there is something conveyed in a live performance that makes it distinctive and unique. In the hands of a quality orchestra (and the BBC SO of 1979 was certainly one of the best at the time), there is a spontanaeous, fresh quality to the playing that makes up for the acceptable recording quality (excellent FM stereo quality if lacking in depth, and the occasional cough or audience rustle).

It is exactly this sense of anticipation, drama and direction that I found lacking in the DGG/Pletnev performance. There, the Russian National Orchestra may have the music in their blood, but Pletnev was not a ballet conductor at the time of the recording, nor was the orchestra one that had been together long enough to allow them to come together as a true ensemble, and there is no way to instill that sense without experiencing it firsthand. Owners of that performance (myself included) can rest content knowing that there is nothing missing in terms of technical or recording polish...but if they should want to know why Sleeping Beauty is considered the most special of 'ballet' music, they should investigate this performance.

The less than enthusiastic initial reviewer of this performance criticized the cuts in certain pieces (he wasn't too enamored of the performance as well). While I too prefer hearing all the music written by the composer, I did not find the cuts noticeable or detracting in terms of the music's overall flow.

I also don't know what recording he was listening to (it sure did not sound like it was the same as mine!), but what is most important to me is the sense of magic contained within the music, and ballet enthusiasts will miss out on something truly distinctive if they do not listen to this classic, peerless performance of ballet's truly finest full-length composition.

It's become a critical cliche to praise ballet recordings if they sound danceable, with springy rhythms and pacing that's not too fast. Rozhdestvensky turns the tables, however, by conducting Sleeping Beauty without regard for dancers -- he reveals the ambitious nature of the score once it is detached from the stage, freeing up his beat and allowing each number to billow into symphonic grandeur. The result is revelatory, especially when the music races with a headlong excitement no dancer could keep up with.

There are better played and recorded versions (e.g., Dorati with the Concertgebouw on Philips), but this one is the most emotionally stirring. The liner note says that Rozhdestvensky mounted the podium 45 min. late, due to a bass trombonist who got stuck in central London traffic. He looked furious, but you'd never know it from what emerged. It would be worth seeking out the commerical recording that was made at the same time (Oct. 1979) to hear better sound. The BBC 3 engineers did a good job, but the microphones are far away, so there's reduced impact and inner detail. On the other hand, the added vitality of a concert performance is worth a lot, too.

The ballet fills two CDs instead of the usual three. No numbers are missing; seamless cuts were made to eliminate repetiiton in some of the longer dances in Act III and to a lesser extent Act II. Overall, this is as close to an ideal Sleeping Beauty as I've ever heard, lacking only up-to-date sound.

This recording is of the live concert performance of this work which preceded a commercial studio recording made the following week. The commercial recording was very well received at the time but has long been unavailable. This live performance, from the Royal Festival Hall in London, was quite sensational and superbly played. The BBC's broadcast was also technically superb for its time with realistic dynamics and clear internal detail. The Penguin Guide to CD's 2003/3 Supplement has given it a rosette, placing it even above the overrated Pletnev.

This recording of "The Sleeping Beauty" was taken live at a BBC concert in 1979. It is well-engineered and very well-played. The details in the orchestration are clear and not obtrusive with the balance being just right. Since this was a live recording there is some audience noise (coughs, etc) in some inopportune moments (why do they alway cough when it gets quiet?). The conductor (I'n not even going to try to spell his name) brings forth fist-class playing from the orchestra and his tempos are not extreme. The only fault pf these disks is that cuts were made in the score (some are clunky sounding) and it loses a little something as a whole. But, if you are looking for a version of "The Sleeping Beauty" that is not the Kirov, Dorati, or Previn recordings, this is the one.

I share the sentiments of the previous reviewer - this is the recording to have! Rozhdestvensky has such a natural approach to this music and the BBC Symphony Orchestra plays amazingly. The sound, over all, is spectacular, especially the brass and percussion sections of the orchestra.

I cannot reccomend this recording highly enough. It's a MUST HAVE for your collection.

Absolutely the ultimate Sleeping Beauty, as played as concert music, not for dancing. If you just want to revel in the beauty of the score, order this!
5 stars

It surely is a thrilling idea to have Tchaikovsky's magnificent 2nd ballet "The Sleeping Beauty" performed full-length in concert. The score is one of the greatest pieces of music of the late 19th century and can easily stand on its own, without any dancers on a stage. Yet, this recording of a live concert at London's Royal Festival Hall in October 1979 by the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Gennadi Rozhdestvensky fails to convince.
Maestro Rozhdestvensky, former chief conductor of Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre and an expert on Tchaikovsky's ballet music if ever there was one, is nonetheless the first to blame for this. His no-nonsense conducting lacks charm and elegance, while the tension level drops all too frequently to sustain the attention. Moreover, instead of editing complete numbers Rozhdestvensky preferred to cut some bars here and there, which proves not only totally unnecessary but also a highly irritating practice.
The BBC Symphony Orchestra sounds only competent, with solos lacking individuality and not helped by the dull and dry recording, with unattractive brass and high violins.
A missed opportunity and in view of the available excellent recordings of "The Sleeping Beauty" a needless issue.

Like many of you, I read the various reveiws of this recording before purchase. It seemed to loved or hated with some quibbling over omitted sections.

This is a classic performance by a master ballet conductor. The orchestra is superb and the digital remastering brings everything to life.

Grab a whisky, dim the lights and turn up the volume.You won't be disappointed.

I heard some of this --not all. I found it too fast and rushed in several parts, which made it irritating. Also it was somewhat overblown, trying to make a dramatic effect---like the most magnificent music ever---befitting greatness and royalty. But it doesn't need to be exaggerated. It was all too much. It shouldn't be too slow of course, as if to accomodate a slow ballet dancer. But too fast loses the charm and full value of these wonderful melodies and instrumental harmonies. Too fast tempos are very distracting, at least for me. Not everyone agrees and it depends on how fast.