Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The most comprehensive Khachaturian edition, 30 Jan 2008
This Double Decca is one of my most prized possessions, containing inspiring performances of some truly unique music. The particular highlight is the Second Symphony, conducted by the composer himself with the Wiener Philharmoniker. It is an amazing account, full of insight into the composer's artistic vision. A true find for Khachaturian lovers (only a small band of us out there it seems!).
The Masquerade Suite, performed by the LSO and conducted by Stanley Black, remains a staple of the Khachaturian repertory. Black's outstandingly rich interpretation captures the full breadth of emotions in this music, and is well supported by sumptuous recording quality.
The two concertos are equally enticing. Ruggiero Ricci is typically luminous, well accompanied by the LPO and Anatole Fistoulari. His account has not been surpassed in other interpretations that I have since purchased, such as the strong contender offered in the Martin-Kuchar partnership with the Ukraine NSO.
Finally, Alicia de Larrocha's account of the increasingly popular Piano Concerto with the LPO and Rafael Frubeck de Burgos remains a personal favourite, although Dame Moura Lympany's 1952 vintage recording is also spectacular. de Larrocha's touch is perhaps a shade too light in this work, yet I find the artists' choice of tempo preferable to the horrendous bash-and-dash of Kapell/Koussevitzky, with the Boston SO, on RCA (1945). I think the slow tempo is particularly important in the central section of the first movement, where some beautiful Armenian sounds, from the strings and the piano, are heard.
Overall, this Double Decca is a true gem and belongs in any devoted collection of Khachaturian AND Soviet music!
|
|
|
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Above-average performances, but..., 25 Dec 2004
...well, both concertos as as writen above - not the best, but above-average for sure. And with note, that Violin concerto is very good, while Piano concerto is performed worse. Masquerade suite with maestro Stanley Black is excellent. Everything OK up to now - but here it comes: the most important work of the two-cd set, Khachaturian's rarely recorded Symphony No.2 (only two other recordings exist - scandalous, because it is a masterpiece!), is superb, ultimate preformance - far far best from all available, but the recording quality of the symphony is TERRIBLE. I do not often complain for sound quality of recordings, but in this case, it is simply unacceptable. The sound frays out often in heights, and in way, which will cause you pain, if volume is up. Whole recording is way too sharp, that's the problem. And in rich orchestral parts, the sound is very noisy & unclear. Big dishonour for Decca, but sound problems are not rare with this label... Really annoying, beacause the syphony is perfromed so so perfectly.
|
|
|
|
~ Alexander Porfir'yevich Borodin
~ Aram Il'yich Khachaturian
~ Johann Sebastian Bach
~ Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra
~ Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra
