Search - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Zubin Mehta, Richard Bonynge :: Tchaikovsky: Ballet Suites

TH E BEST OF BALLET HIGHTLIGHTS!

TCH Music Lover | Singapore | 07/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have listened to more than 13 CD highlights/extracts of these Tchaikovsky ballet works and come to the conclusion that this is one of, if not, the best. Most of the favourite pieces from the 3 ballets are included here. It is ideal for those who find listening to the complete works simply too tiring or want a good introduction to the beautiful world of ballet. It will fully satisfy both ballet music lovers as well as audiophiles alike. The recording and performances are first rate, world class!



Zubin Mehta/Israel Philharmonic's performances of the Swan Lake and Nutcracker are close to perfect IMHO. The melodic lines are so clear, the tempo so right, the playing so full of life and the musical notes are so clear, rich and full that one is simply carried away into the magical worlds as portrayed by the ballets. When I put this CD in my hi-fi system and turn up the volume, the whole orchestra appears to be in my room and I can almost see the ballet dancers on stage in front of my eyes! The one and only regret I have here is that these are only highlights and the conductor/performers have not recorded the entire, complete works in a box set. What a pity!



As for Richard Bonynge/National Philharmonic and the Sleeping Beauty, they are equally excellent and a good match together. The most unique and outstanding quality about their performances as compared to all the rest I have heard is the tempo and vitality. The tempo is so precise and the playing so energetic that you may be swept off your feet to dance along with the music, particularly the waltzes. I found myself transported to an imaginery grand hall of a king's palace, with a live orchestra on one side (Bonynge/NPO of course!) and beautiful couples waltzing away on the other. If my descriptions seem a bit too colourful and effusive, it is only because Tchaikovsky was such a great composer who wrote such great music to fire our imaginations and engage our emotions. One other thing, from an audiophile standpoint, I find Richard Bonynge CD recordings superbly transparent - you can almost 'see' everything, hear every performer,like you are standing in the midst of the orchestra. Fortunately, a box set of the complete works by him is available.



I consider the CD highlights of the same works by Andre Previn and the LSO (under EMI classics label) a very close match, second only to this. I wholeheartedly agree with all of D R Shryer's comments there.



So, either choice you make, I can assure you real joy and delight! In fact, I recommend you get both for comparison and to double the enjoyment.

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