Sergey Prokofiev Neeme Jaumlrvi Scottish National Orchestra - Prokofiev Symphony No 6 Waltz Suite (6 tracks) +Album Reviews

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Sean W. Oslin | Seattle, WA United States | 12/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The symphony is greatly overshadowed by the first and fifth. It shouldn't be. It's an outstanding work that showcases Prokofiev's brilliant bipolar composition style (lyrical and romantic to angular and grotesque)while really having something important to say. Jaarvi does a great job here. He gets the Russians."

Indulgent, Dark, and Satisfying

T. Knowlton | 12/21/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the first Prokofiev Symphony I ever fell in love with. My twin brother bought this recording when we were still in high school. It is a wonder of strong dark brassy chords, long indulgent melodic lines that seem to wrap around themselves and powerful atmospheric writing. The playing by the RSNO is absolutely beautiful. It is no wonder that this recording was a Gramophone award winner.

Symphony No. 6 is amongst Prokofiev's finest works and is vastly underrated. I recommend this recording without reservation."

Amazing Symphony, Great Performance

R. Williams | Los Angeles, CA United States | 05/26/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I prefer to see this piece in the following arc: 2,3,6. 1 is a fascinating experiment, and a great piece, 4 and 5 are from the Prokofiev's melancholic side, where the caustic, orgiastic interludes are absent. 6 is a kind of last glance into that abyss, this time sounding a bit more like a controlled explosion: the crescendo of the first movement is a final fix for those who rank Prokofiev with the greatest oracles of lyrical chaos.

The other thing that no one else mentions here are the waltzes. They are fantastic, amazing, and of all the suites in the Jarvi cycle, these three are the best. A great disc, but get the whole set (although the boxed cycle does not have the extras (waltzes and suites, and the fantastic collection of oddball pieces on the Dreams disc)."

Jarvi: The Passion of a Russian

Ryan Kernaghan | New South Wales, Australia | 01/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This chilling symphony deserves a firm, heartfelt performance. It must be unrelenting in energy, and use sensible modulations in tempo, particularly in the broad opening Allegro moderato. There should be a lighter, even ebullient argument mounted in the final vivace, but the last notes should bring home Prokofiev's inner meaning in this war tragedy- that the wounds of war, particularly the psychological, continued to be felt by postwar audiences.

Neeme Jarvi will not disappoint. His direction of the RSNO, a fine ensemble, will be hard to surpass in this rather underplayed work. The Ozawa version, from the 1991 to 1993 cycle with DG, has none of the passion and bite required. In that version, the tempo is too slow, creating an inappropriately urbane, restricted interpretation. Rather, this work should intimate wilderness and unbridled energy and Jarvi gives the work a full-blooded performance worthy of a Russian!

The vivid, spacious recording is typical of Chandos' high standards. The unremitting pursuit of the horror and tragedy of the work make this worthy of five stars. A certain highlight of the Prokofiev recorded repertoire."

Järvi and Prokofiev

B. R. Merrick | 07/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Prokofiev's orchestrations, like Beethoven's, are naturally heavy. As a composer known for his precocity, the weight of the orchestration is obviously meant as an in-your-face dare. It is therefore important to exploit this fact as much as possible.

Aided by wonderful technical recording aspects, Järvi's interpretation of Prokofiev's symphonies and other symphonic works is unmatched. These recordings with the Scottish National Orchestra contain great acoustic reverberation, ecstatic woodwinds, fiery strings, and blaring brass. If your a fan of French Horns especially, then you'll love these recordings.

Järvi never loses a sense of playfulness. The orchestra stays together quite nicely, and you may actually have to turn the volume down at times! There are certainly other terrific recordings of Prokofiev's orchestral works. I'm mainly thinking of an old recording of the Fifth I had with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra. But why bother? Your search stops here."

Search - Sergey Prokofiev, Neeme Järvi, Scottish National Orchestra :: Prokofiev: Symphony No. 6; Waltz Suite

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