Search - Sergey Prokofiev, Valery Gergiev, Olga Borodina :: Prokofiev: Scythian Suite; Alexander Nevsky

Sergey Prokofiev, Valery Gergiev, Olga Borodina
Prokofiev: Scythian Suite; Alexander Nevsky
Genre: Classical

Track Listings (11) - Disc #1
1. I. The Adoration Of Veles And Ala
2. II. The Enemy Of God And The Dance Of The Black Spirits
3. III. Night
4. IV. The Glorious Departure Of Lolly And Procession Of The Sun
5. I. Russia Under The Mongolian Yoke
6. II. Song Of Alexander Nevsky - Olga Borodina
7. III. The CrusadersOf Pskov
8. IV. Arise, Russian People
9. V. The Battle On The Ice
10. VI. The Field Of The Dead
11. VII. Alexander's Entry Into Pskov

CD Details

All Artists: Sergey Prokofiev, Valery Gergiev, Olga Borodina, Mariinsky (Kirov) Theater Orchestra
Title: Prokofiev: Scythian Suite; Alexander Nevsky
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Philips Import
Release Date: 2/27/2003
Album Type: Import
Genre: Classical
Styles: Opera & Classical Vocal, Historical Periods, Modern, 20th, & 21st Century, Symphonies
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 028947360025

Synopsis

Amazon.com

There are plenty of fine performances of Alexander Nevsky available on CD and a handful of the Scythian Suite as well, but this pairing is thrilling in the extreme with sonics which allow us to hear every bit of Prokofiev's fascinating, always original scoring. The early Suite, composed for a ballet which was never performed, at times sounds more like Stravinsky than Stravinsky, but has Prokofiev's unique flavor attached. The large percussion section thumps, grinds, and tinkles and the performance is as viscerally exciting as can be. Nevsky, composed for the Eisenstein film of the same name, remains a true masterpiece. The Kirov Orchestra and Chorus have this music in their blood, they play and sing beautifully, and overall they turn in a very moving performance. Olga Borodina's gorgeous mezzo-soprano is used alternately with fervor and sensitivity, and, while the competition is fierce, it must be said that she's the top contender in this music. This is a potent performance of this epic score, and Gergiev is to be commended for his obviously deep understanding. --Robert Levine

CD Reviews

Gergiev's Great Alexander Nevsky and Fine Scythian Suite

John Kwok | New York, NY USA | 06/24/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Gergiev and his Kirov Orchestra are undoubtedly among our finest contemporary interpreters of Prokofiev's music. Their latest recording is the finest Alexander Nevsky I have yet heard. The orchestra truly has Prokofiev's dark Russian score in its blood, providing a dynamic interpretation of this cantata. Soloist Olga Borodina is splendid, singing with much warmth and intensity. Gergiev is noted for his dramatic climaxes and there are plenty to be heard in this vibrant interpretation. The Scythian Suite may not be as swift or as dramatic as Abbado's critically acclaimed interpretation, but Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra have one which is just as successful. Theirs is a brooding, intense performance which harkens to Stravinsky's Sacre du Printemps. The sound quality is superb for both performances, especially the Alexander Nevsky, which was recorded live in Moscow. Fans of Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra will not be disappointed with this recording."

Best Nevsky ever recorded!

John Kwok | 05/27/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Quite an intense performance, scattering to the winds Shostakovich's criticism of the score as unemotional. Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra are some of the best Prokofiev interpreters out there. The Scythian Suite is also interesting, though not as gripping as Nevsky."

Gergiev is great in the Scythian Suite, but he bludgeons Nev

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 06/06/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Nevsky teeters uneasily on the boundary between classical respectability and Hollywood vulgarity. Shostakovich, for one, thought Prokofiev had gone too far in being loud, bombastic, and obvious. Frankly, I think that the performances which go all out for bombastic fun are the best. But Gergiev, as part of his long-term mission to make Prokofiev into a unassailably great composer, is serious to a fault, hammering home the significance of Nevsky with a bludgeon. Everything about the performance strains to the max: the solo tuba is bigger than all outdoors, the tenors in the chorus threaten to shred their vocal cords, the percussion try to bring down the walls of Jericho. It's spectacle, all right, but a headache is never far off.

The substantial filler, the Scythian Suite, receives exactly the opposite treatment. Gergiev treats it like great music, which by definition has color, nuance, variety, and emotional meaning. Often this score is played like a second-rate assault on the Rite of Spring's barbarism. Gergiev gives the music its own special character, and the results are beautiful, abetted by excellent sound and gorgeous playing form the Kirov Orch.

I will stick with my two favorite Nevskys from Temirkanov and Stokowski, but if I want to hear the Scythian Suite at its best, this is a CD I'll return to."