Search - Modest Mussorgsky, Charles Mackerras, London Symphony Orchestra :: Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition; Prelude to Khovanshchina [Hybrid SACD]

Mackerras, New Phil, Mussorgsky: Sheer Magic: Fireworks

Dan Fee | Berkeley, CA USA | 07/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Let me be clear that I am reviewing the SACD/CD Hybrid version of this recording. USA SKU #:699675-15042. Long years have I cherished and cheered this performance of the Ravel orchestration of Mussorgky's Pictures at an Exhibition. (Khovanschina Prelude is filler.) I first obtained it in the ancient days of LP vinyl. Immediately I realized that this was one of the best played and recorded editions available. So I hung onto it, until my LP collection was destroyed in a shipping accident. Then, one day I found it on regular 16-bit CD, and scooped it up as quickly as possible; the coupling was a tremendous, top-notch performance of Stravinsky's Petrouchka with Mackerras leading the London Symphony.That regular CD still sits on the fav shelf; but the moment I encountered a SuperAudio version of the Petrouchka, I began to look for an SACD version of the Mussorgsky. My particular treasure hunt ended at a local Border's Store; but yours may take you along other paths. No matter, look for this wherever you can obtain it.The SACD provides a surround remix of the original 8-track master tapes, and the result is simply stunning as music, and as high resolution system display piece. Of course, Ravel's orchestration is oddly quirky in a French genius sort of way, along with being both extremely refined and brilliant. The New Philharmonia play it to the absolute tens, and thanks to the multi-track master, every harmonic nuance and virtuosic soloist is present and then some. In the surround SACD, the percussion have been allocated to the back channels, which isn't anything at all like a live auditorium performance would be. It took some getting used to, every time the snare drums or the other percussion kicked in. Even the odd triangle ting was suddenly shining from one of the back corners, where of course it was not originally in the previous stereo remixes.That said, if any music in the classical repertoire can take this sort of sonic treatment and still come out music, the Ravel-Mussorgsky piece is it. Since the SACD comes in a hybrid version with a regular CD layer, you get value either way, depending on what kind of player you have at the moment. Also it may serve consumers to recall that Silverline Classics is releasing the Vanguard/Artemis catalogue in DVD Audio 5.1 remixes, too. You may eventually get this outstanding performance in that high-resolution format.In any case, grab this one. It appears in the catalogue, but disappears rather more quickly than its excellence might suggest. Also, right up there, is a new release of the Mussorgky Pictures on Naxos SACD with Kuchar and the Ukraine Symphony. It's budget, but this is still mid-price, and I bet the Naxos will be available for a longer period of time. Truly five stars, and very highly recommended."