Search - Modest Mussorgsky, Yuri Temirkanov, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra :: Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition; Khovanschina Prelude; Songs and Dances of Death

Enticing

David Saemann | 06/04/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This reissue of Temirkanov's Royal Philharmonic Mussorgsky disc features a remastering of the original digital recording. The results are quite spectacular, offering the hope that BMG will reissue more of their digital catalog in 24 bit remasters. As for the performances, they are something of a mixed bag. The performance of Shostakovich's orchestrations from 1962 of the Songs and Dances of Death is superb. Sergei Leferkus is a brilliant soloist, and the accompaniment is beautifully etched. The booklet contains excellent translations of the songs, which make a compelling read in their own right. As for Pictures at an Exhibition, it is a very individual reading. Some of the pictures are taken quite slowly, although never as slowly as in Sergiu Celibadache's marmoreal account. The big moments near the end come off beautifully, though, and you may feel that the slower parts have been worth it in reaching this sort of culmination. My favorite Pictures is still Ernest Ansermet's, which received a rather desultory sounding CD reissue. The original LP was marvelous. Nevertheless, if you have a mainstream Pictures in your collection and are looking for something to challenge your preconceptions about the work, Temirkanov's performance would be a very good choice."

A sober, weighty "Pictures," very much in the Russian style

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 12/28/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The lead review is admirable, but what he detects as too-slow tempos in Temirkanov's Pictures at an Exhibition may reflect more a certain Russian approach to this work, which is less like Ravel and more like Boris Godunov. Weight and importance are added in liberal doses to most Russian recordings of Pictures, and the mood of each movement takes precedence over orchestral brilliance (which exists in plenty from virtuoso conductors like Karajan, Reiner, and Abbado). That said, I agree with the lead reviewer that this is an alternative to conventional readings, much in the vein of Celibidache on EMI. After decades of listening, I don't bother with Pictures unless something truly unique is offered. Temirkanov isn't quite that, good as he is. But if you want to hear high drama and marked contrasts, his is an excellent choice, along with Gergiev's. RCA's remastered sound is clear and vivid; the Royal Phil. shows real commitment and vitality.



Sergei Leiferkus's rendition of the four Songs and Dances of Death has been widely praised. It's artful but lacks the visceral impact of a Boris Christoff or Dmitri Hvorostovsky, whose added power makes this mournful music more grim and chilling. Temirkanov seems not too interested. The other filler, the famous Dawn Over the Moskva River, is nicely done, but so are dozens of others. In the end, either this Pictures is a grabber or it isn't. That's the decisive factor, not the fillers."