Worth it just to hear the piece
03/03/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'll grant that this recording's sound quality leaves a bit to be desired, but, since this is the *only* audio recording I've seen of this piece, it's worth having.The orchestra represents the music well, and the conductor knows his bit, too.There is a digitally recorded video that was released on Elektra in the early 90s, but I fear it is likely not available anymore.IMHO, this is one of Prokofiev's best stage works, and it's nice to actually be able to listen to it, especially since it's played well. I can put up with a bit of hiss :)."
Excellent performance. One can make corrections to temper t
RENS | Dover, NH USA | 08/01/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you can afford the much higher priced edition of this ballet on Chandos with the BBC Orchestra, go for it. If not, do as I did: buy an inexpensive used copy of this earlier recording, fiddle with your playback system's controls, and enjoy a first-rate work by Prokofiev, a work unjustly neglected. I give this recording five stars for the sake of the music and in recognition of a fine performance. I'm not factoring in the sound; I just hope you can significantly reduce glare in the upper registers and boost the bass a bit. The stereo spread is fine."