Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake; Prokofiev: Romeo & Juliet

Sergey Prokofiev (Composer), Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (Composer), Ernest Ansermet (Conductor), L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
• Conductor: Ernest Ansermet
• Composer: Sergey Prokofiev, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky
• Audio CD (April 9, 1996)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B00000422S
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #400,813 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. The Swan Lake, ballet, Op. 20: Act 1. Introduction. Moderato assai. No. 1. Scène. Allegro giusto

2. The Swan Lake, ballet, Op. 20: Act 1. No. 2. Valse

3. The Swan Lake, ballet, Op. 20: Act 1. No. 4. Pas de trois

4. The Swan Lake, ballet, Op. 20: Act 1. No. 7. Sujet. No. 8. Canse des coupes. Tempo di polacca

5. The Swan Lake, ballet, Op. 20: Act 2. No. 10. Scène. Moderato

6. The Swan Lake, ballet, Op. 20: Act 2. No. 11. Scène. Allegro moderato. No. 12. Scène. Allegro

7. The Swan Lake, ballet, Op. 20: Act 2. Danses des cygnes. No. 13a. Tempo di valse

8. The Swan Lake, ballet, Op. 20: Act 2. Danses des cygnes. No. 13e. Andante non troppo

9. The Swan Lake, ballet, Op. 20: Act 2. Danses des cygnes. No. 13d. Allegro moderato

10. The Swan Lake, ballet, Op. 20: Act 2. Danses des cygnes. No. 13f. Tempo di valse

See all 17 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. The Swan Lake, ballet, Op. 20: Act 3. No. 23. Mazurka

2. The Swan Lake, ballet, Op. 20: Act 3. No. 20. Danse hongroise

3. Romeo and Juliet, Suite No. 1 for orchestra, Op. 64 bis: Montagues and Capulets

4. Romeo and Juliet, Suite No. 1 for orchestra, Op. 64 bis: Juliet as a young girl

5. Romeo and Juliet, Suite No. 1 for orchestra, Op. 64 bis: Madrigal

6. Romeo and Juliet, Suite No. 1 for orchestra, Op. 64 bis: Minuet

7. Romeo and Juliet, Suite No. 1 for orchestra, Op. 64 bis: Romeo and Juliet

8. Romeo and Juliet, Suite No. 1 for orchestra, Op. 64 bis: The death of Tybalt

9. Romeo and Juliet, Suite No. 1 for orchestra, Op. 64 bis: Masks

10. Romeo and Juliet, Suite No. 1 for orchestra, Op. 64 bis: Dance

See all 12 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

CD, featuring Sergey Prokofiev (Composer), Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (Composer), Ernest Ansermet (Conductor), L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (Orchestra).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ansermet's Never Worth Just One-Star, July 18, 2003

By 

Michael B. Richman (Portland, Maine USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake; Prokofiev: Romeo & Juliet (Audio CD)

While I don't own this particular disc, I have heard it and it is wonderful (I do own Ansermet's excerpts from Swan Lake on Penguin Classics, and this very same performance of the Romeo and Juliet Suite on a 2CD Decca Legends disc). A mathematician prior to his life as a conductor, Ansermet had his critics as he was virtually self-taught, though he did study music as a youth. But that mathematics background served him well in the studio as his early stereo recordings of everything from Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev to Falla and Haydn (see my reviews) are engineered to perfection, and often sound better than the recordings by so-called more famous conductors. But don't take my word for it, buy some for yourself and see. Ansermet is never worth a mere one-star rating.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great testament to the overlooked Ansermet, February 19, 2006

By 

Santa Fe Listener (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake; Prokofiev: Romeo & Juliet (Audio CD)

Once a front-line conductor for Decca, Ernest Ansermet is now overlooked, even though at his best he had no rivals in the French-Russian repertoire he specialized in. Only Markevitch and Monteux consitently performed at this high level. Ansermet's best work was probably in the Fifties, and this 1959 Swan Lake, in wonderful sound despite being on a budget line, is a fine example.

The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, based in Geneva, was Ansermet's private domain, and they follow his precise, detailed conducting superbly. Without mistaking them for the best musicians technically, one hears a Gallic tang and crispness that is very refreshing in music that easily turns sodden.

Given his reputation for precision, Ansermet delivers an affectionate, free-spirited performance, based on springy, alert dance rhythms. If you have been looking for a Swan Lake that sounds as if it comes from a great night at the balet instead of Carnegie Hall, I think this is a front-runner. Now Decca needs to re-issue Ansermet's Sleeping Beauty, which is even better (his Nutcracker, on a cheaper Decca budget line, sounds thin and humorless, however). This is a performance to live with for a lifetime.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not complete, November 18, 2007

By 

Voice Lover (Durham, NC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake; Prokofiev: Romeo & Juliet (Audio CD)

I was looking for a complete recording of Swan Lake and bought this one, thinking since it was a 2 CD set and did not indicate that it was excerpts or suites, that it would be complete. It isn't complete however but rather is abridged which is clearly stated _within_ the program booklet. That being said, it is an excellent abridgement and serves well if you want more than just the suites. I am not enamoured of the Romeo recording and suggest that there are better recordings of those excerpts elsewhere.