Search - Rimsky-Korsakov, Sibelius, Liszt :: Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, etc. / Dorati

This Scheherazade is clearly destined for greatness

Yi-Peng | Singapore | 06/07/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This Mercury Living Presence recording of Scheherazade was made at the end of the 1950s, some time after Mercury re-recorded the Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture. With Antal Dorati leading the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in a thrilling account of the score, I am feeling compelled to say that this should stand as a Scheherazade that is surely destined for greatness. Dorati and his Minneapolis ensemble achieve a type of raw passion and energy that I find lacking in many other Scheherazades, especially in Gergiev's recent debacle. This version achieves it by rightfully treating Scheherazade as a rhapsodic symphony of soundscapes from the Arabian Nights, as it is meant to sound, rather than a ballet as in Gergiev's version. Here, in this Mercury recording, the music is meant to have a forward momentum of its own without being mannered. And, even if the characteristic Mercury recording may not sound as sumptuous as the Myung-whun Chung account, the sound is still lifelike, natural and clear.Dorati's treatment of the Sultan's theme may not be as imposing or grandiose as we are used to, but violinist Rafael Druian answers it with a sensitive and sinuous portrayal of the eponymous heroine herself. Then, when Dorati launches the first movement, it makes one feel swept along by a tide of the sea's moods, until you have never heard it played with such momentum and such a sweeping passion. The momentum is maintained during the Kalendar Prince movement, especially with the confidently-played wind solos (listen out for the blazing sound of the brass and the rounded tones of the oboe and clarinet here). Dorati's third movement may sound measured (and a slightly brisker speed would have been nice here to give it more lilt), but yet he still allows it to sound ravishing and delicate, complete with the little wind flourishes. Despite its slow speed, Dorati does something that I have rarely known a conductor to do. He brings out the smiling radiance and counterbalances it nicely with a romantic langour. But when he explodes the Finale upon the listener's ears, I feel compelled to release my enthusiasm for this part of the work. It sounds so energetic, so intense and so lively, with so much forward momentum, but yet it comes out as being crisp and clear, with strong contributions from the full-throated brass and precisely-articulated percussion. The brass and percussion contributions are enough to give Temirkanov's New York players a run for their money. The shipwreck section kicks up a real ruckus, and the tam-tam stroke is really overwhelming, until it dies away into the serene conclusion, when the quiet calm of Scheherazadeis reconciled with the Sultan.Although I have known this recording to sound wonderful on CD, I have a reservation about the couplings. It so happened that the CD producers illogically coupled Scheherazade to Dorati's other recordings of symphonic poems, consisting of Smetana's Moldau, Sibelius's Valse Triste and Liszt's Les Preludes. These three symphonic poems do not share the same mood as Scheherazade, and ultimately disrupt the listening experience. I honestly think that it would have made more sense if the CD producers would have coupled this to the Dorati/Mercury versions of the Cappricio Espagnol and the Russian Easter Festival Overture, for a more sensible listening experience.All-in-all, though, I feel compelled to say that if this Scheherazade was better-known, it would really have been destined for the true greatness I would have wished to see it deserve. It has already shamed all my other recordings of Scheherazade because of the raw intensity, the passion and the energetic power that typefies all of Dorati's wonderful Mercury Living Presence recordings of 19th-century Russian music. I daresay it has already toppled Maazel's Decca account with the Cleveland Orchestra, and Myung-whun Chung's DG version, without question. I also feel that it has clearly beaten Temirkanov and Gergiev hands down."

The Scheherazade is great; the other works are disappointing

Classic Music Lover | Maryland, USA | 11/09/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This recording was one of the early stereo versions of Scheherazade brought out by the record companies, and one of the best. In fact, only the EMI recording with Lovro von Matacic and the Philharmonia Orchestra measures up to the excitement and sheer ardor of this recording, leaving behind such other early stereo efforts as Beecham, Ormandy and Ansermet. I love the way conductor Dorati whips up the Minneapolis Symphony players to give us some really exciting, frenetic moments, especially in the Prince Kalandar and Festival at Baghdad movements. Concertmaster Rafael Druian is mighty fine in the violin solo work, too -- as is the super oboe player who does some really great work with the woodwind solos that are so important to this work -- who is s/he I wonder?



From there on in, unfortunately, the program deteriorates. For some reason, Dorati decides to take both the Les Preludes and the Valse Triste at a very deliberate pace, which practically ruins the flow of the music. Valse Triste is supposed to be sad, of course ... but it's also supposed to be a waltz. The Les Preludes needs some forward momentum to bring it to a satisfying conclusion -- otherwise Liszt's score begins to sound like empty rhetoric.



And with the final selection (Smetana's Moldau), Dorati seems to run out of steam completely. This has got to be the s-l-o-w-e-s-t performance of this score I have ever heard. It's just agonizing to listen to it in this way and at this tempo. It's quite curious, because the conductor waxed this work two other times during his career (on London/Decca and on Philips as part of complete Ma Vlast recordings), and both of those were conducted at the "conventional" tempo. Perhaps Dorati was just having an off-day when he recorded these three works. The London Symphony certainly sounds polished and professional, but laboring under these interpretations, it's just a lost cause.



But definitely get this for the Scheherazade -- it's worth the "price of admission" all on its own."

Old-fashioned brass, dead room

K. Bourassa | Columbus, OH | 05/07/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The interpretation here is great, Mr. Dorati is a fabulous conductor and the interpretations on all of the pieces are dynamite. The sound quality is good (its a mercury living presence release), though I must say it sounds like they recorded in a dead studio room. Also, the brass playing is very loud and blasting, without very good tone quality or any taste. If you are looking for an older recording or Scheherazade, I would look at the Reiner/Chicago Symphony recording. It is also very cheap!"