Search - Sergey Prokofiev, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Ernest Ansermet :: Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake; Prokofiev: Romeo & Juliet

Ansermet's Never Worth Just One-Star

Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 07/18/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While I don't own this particular disc, I have heard it and it is wonderful (I do own Ansermet's excerpts from Swan Lake on Penguin Classics, and this very same performance of the Romeo and Juliet Suite on a 2CD Decca Legends disc). A mathematician prior to his life as a conductor, Ansermet had his critics as he was virtually self-taught, though he did study music as a youth. But that mathematics background served him well in the studio as his early stereo recordings of everything from Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev to Falla and Haydn (see my reviews) are engineered to perfection, and often sound better than the recordings by so-called more famous conductors. But don't take my word for it, buy some for yourself and see. Ansermet is never worth a mere one-star rating."

Not complete

Voice Lover | Durham, NC | 11/18/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was looking for a complete recording of Swan Lake and bought this one, thinking since it was a 2 CD set and did not indicate that it was excerpts or suites, that it would be complete. It isn't complete however but rather is abridged which is clearly stated _within_ the program booklet. That being said, it is an excellent abridgement and serves well if you want more than just the suites. I am not enamoured of the Romeo recording and suggest that there are better recordings of those excerpts elsewhere."

A great testament to the overlooked Ansermet

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 02/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Once a front-line conductor for Decca, Ernest Ansermet is now overlooked, even though at his best he had no rivals in the French-Russian repertoire he specialized in. Only Markevitch and Monteux consitently performed at this high level. Ansermet's best work was probably in the Fifties, and this 1959 Swan Lake, in wonderful sound despite being on a budget line, is a fine example.



The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, based in Geneva, was Ansermet's private domain, and they follow his precise, detailed conducting superbly. Without mistaking them for the best musicians technically, one hears a Gallic tang and crispness that is very refreshing in music that easily turns sodden.



Given his reputation for precision, Ansermet delivers an affectionate, free-spirited performance, based on springy, alert dance rhythms. If you have been looking for a Swan Lake that sounds as if it comes from a great night at the balet instead of Carnegie Hall, I think this is a front-runner. Now Decca needs to re-issue Ansermet's Sleeping Beauty, which is even better (his Nutcracker, on a cheaper Decca budget line, sounds thin and humorless, however). This is a performance to live with for a lifetime."