Search - Mussorgsky, Glinka, Alexander Scriabin :: Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture, Scriabin: Poeme de l'extase

What Stokowski tells of music.

Scriabinmahler | UK | 02/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
Like Bernstein, Celibidache or Svetlanov, Stokowski can be either a nightmare (Mahler 2nd RCA for example) or awe-inspiring experience (Mahler 2nd BBC Legend). These stereo live recordings, made in 1969 at Albert Hall shortly before the famous DECCA Phase 4 studio recording of the similar program, certainly belong to the latter. I bought this cd immediately after listening to the most impressive performance of Polovtsian Dance with Choir on BBC Radio 3, but it came with even more impressive recording of Poem of Ecstasy and 1812 Overture, plus absolutely magnificent performance of Stokowski's own arrangement of Night on bare mousntain and gorgeous string playing of Lyadov's Russian Falk Songs.



Both 1812 and Ecstacy are played as never been played before, with a sense of awe and undescribable beauty. Stokowski's own words express it better. "Music is dynamic - ever evolving - flowing like a river, never static. True music is inspired - it must be played and sung with inspiration. True music is alive...it has the heartbeat and surge of life..."



If you want to know true greatness of this conductor, this cd is most recommendable along side the mega-scale, earth-shattering performance of Resurrection Symphony, also on BBC Legend."

Fantastic flourish

picture goer | 05/19/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I enjoyed the live performances but what got me (and the audience) really going was the 1812 Overture. The Band of the Grenadier Guards got into the act too. What a glorious finish. I was swept away by the Orchestra and the Guards. Stoky`s often been accused of fiddling with the dynamics. i remember Toscanini doing Gershwin`s An American In Paris. He did a tremendous job of bringing it to life. Considering Toscanini didn`t do much modern music it was a fine effort. Stoky all the way or not at all. It`s a matter of personal preference. Forget the critics."