Definitely one of the best full-length recordings of Prokofiev's beloved masterpiece around. Lorin Maazel and the Cleveland Orchestra provide playing of a raw intensity and soaring lyricism. Maazel's generally fast tempi, hard-driven rhythms and conducting full of punch give plenty of excitement in the dramatic pages of the score, while the poignant love-music has a sense of inevitability and lurking doom. The Decca recording, although dating from the pre-digital age (1973), is stunning and can compete with the very best modern discs by its dynamic range and the details in the sound picture. At this price this "Romeo and Juliet" is a bargain. Highly recommended.