Search - Modest Mussorgsky, Theodore Kuchar, National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine :: Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition; Night on the Bare Mountain [Hybrid SACD]

Occasional superficiality; deep, spacious sound

Leslie Richford | Selsingen, Lower Saxony | 08/06/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Modest Mussorgsky (1839 - 1881) was, in his youth, something of a dandy, but after accepting a government post he began drinking, and his early death was the result of an alcohol-induced fit of epilepsy. When not suffering from the effects of dissipation, he had a reputation as an excellent pianist, but as a composer he was a self-taught amateur who "imbibed" the nationalistic influence of Balakirev and developed a highly personalised style. His chief completed works appear to have been the opera "Boris Godunov" and the piano solo version of "Pictures of an Exhibition", a tribute to the recently deceased painter Viktor Hartmann. At his untimely death he left two unfinished operas, "Sorochintsy Fair" and "Khovanshchina", a number of smaller piano works and several versions (both for piano and for orchestra) of the "Night on Bare Mountain". It was his associate Rimsky-Korsakov who prepared much of this material for publication, and this explains how there come to be two versions of "Night on Bare Mountain" on this recording: the well-known version is Rimsky's smoothed-out re-working, while the version here labelled "original" is, in fact, one of Mussorgsky's somewhat crude attempts to orchestrate the work he had originally conceived for piano solo. The "Pictures at an Exhibition" are well worth hearing in their original form for piano solo, but have become most popular in the orchestrated version by Maurice Ravel (there are other orchestrations, but none has ever gained the popularity of Ravel's congenial edition).



Comparing this new Naxos recording by the National Symphony Orchestra of the Ukraine with the earlier Naxos version from Slovakia, directed by Indian conductor Daniel Nazareth, it is highly obvious that there have been great technical advances over the last fifteen years or so. The new Ukrainian version is recorded with much more depth and clarity, and the brass is allowed more natural volume. The Ukrainian tempi seem to be a little faster than those of their Slovakian colleagues, which can, on occasion, lead to the impression of superficiality.



I listened to this CD (not the SACD version) on three different systems and was impressed, once again, with the fact that Naxos recordings appear to react very sensitively to the equipment used to play them. By far the best impression was given when sitting at the "sweet spot", the apex of an isoseles triangle formed by the two stereo loudspeakers and the listener. (I had my speakers placed approximately 275 centimetres apart.) Here there was a real depth and spaciousness to the recording that made listening a great pleasure. The percussion sounded incredibly real, the instruments were clearly positioned, and every detail could be heard even at low volume.



On a normal headphone system (using a special headphone amplifier and good-quality headphones), I felt that the advantages of depth and spaciousness that could be heard via loudspeakers had receded and that the merging sound tended to emphasize the element of superficiality mentioned above. But a combination of a good CD player, a headphone amp and an old but excellent electrostatic headphone system was able to restore the clarity and depth I had noted in front of speakers.



In conclusion, I would say that this is a fine recording which occasionally suffers from the Ukrainians' tendency to gloss over some of the magnificent depths of this music. Heard on a fine stereo loudspeaker system, it can still give much pleasure.

"

Fell in love all over again

Jdaniel1371 | Sacramento, CA United States | 06/20/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mussorgsky:
Pictures at an Exhibition, (orch. Ravel)
Night on Bald Mountain, original and Rimsky's
Golitsin's Exile from Khovanchina
Hopak from Sorochinsky FairWow. I didn't think I could get excited while listening to Pics at an Ex
ever again, but the National Symphony Orchestra of the Ukraine turns in a
vivid performance. From the deliciously unhomogenized oboe, to the earthy
but warm strings, to the overly-earnest percussion section...it was a
delight all the way through. (Don't tell anyone, but usually I move ahead
to the Hut and Gate.One of the many striking moments was how splashy Ravel's writing for bells,
gong and cymbals sounds in the last quiet run before the final statement of
the Great Gate theme; it was an unusually colorful, intense and exciting
build up. The heaving string
writing in Bydlo comes off particulary sad and burdensome, as the cart
lumbers along. Lighter moments for winds are vividly characterized.Had enough of Night on Bald Mountain? You get two versions here: Rimsky's
correction, and Mussy's original. I like both, though my favorite
alternative
being the one with chorus, as it sounds the most errie of all.
(Abbado/Sony,
I believe.) Kuchar and the Ukraine make them sound freshly-minted.If you think you had no romance left for this music, it got me goin' again.Once again the SACD recording, (I opted for the 2-channel layer),
intoxicates the ear in a way that PCM never did for me, though I never would
have known when PCM was all there was. "Relaxed" is the best way I could
decribe the
sound, for what it's worth.John Smyth
Sac, CA"