Search - Anatol Konstantinovich Lyadov, Boris Godunov orchestrated by Shostakovich (not Rimsky-Korsakov), Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky :: Tchaikovsky: Capriccio Italien

Great Performances Of Tchaikovsky By Gergiev and Kirov

John Kwok | New York, NY USA | 02/13/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These are magnificient, passionate performances of some of Tchaikovsky's most popular "minor" compositions, such as the Slavonic March and Capriccio Italien. Those composed by other Russian composers are fine too. Gergiev leads the Kirov Orchestra in some of the most dynamic performances I've heard of these works, especially the Capriccio Italien. If I'm not mistaken, this was their first recording for Philips. It's a great introduction to the splendid chemistry and great musicianship of Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra; the latter most certainly one of the great European orchestras."

Russian favorites

Alejandra Vernon | Long Beach, California | 10/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

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The fabulous combination of Valery Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra give us sumptuous, robust interpretations of these familiar pieces, that are the heart and soul of Russia in sound.

The first piece, from that most Russian of all composers, Modest Moussorgsky, is a scene from his magnificent opera "Boris Godounov", in which Boris is being crowned, with the guilt of knowing he has murdered the rightful heir to the throne, amid the cheers of the crowd, and the church bells ringing; this recorded version uses the arrangement by Dimitri Shostakovich, and includes the Chorus of the Kirov Opera.



"Slavonic March" was music made to inspire people to join the Slavic-Turkish war of 1876, and Tchaikovsky used as a basis for the melodies Serbian folk songs and the Russian anthem; it is followed by ballet music from one of Tchaikovsky's most beloved operas, "Eugene Oniegin". I especially like the wonderful waltz, and Gergiev's performance of it is glorious.

Anatol Lyadov's "The Enchanted Lake" is perhaps the least known piece on this CD; a dreamy, slow and delicate work that shimmers under Gergiev's baton, and it is an excerpt from an unfinished opera, which as the liner notes explain, was something Lyadov did often, leaving behind few finished compositions for posterity.



Once again using folk songs to inspire him, Tchaikovsky's "Capriccio Italien" is one of my favorite concert "war-horses" that no matter how many times heard, is always a thrill, almost in the same league as Rimsky-Korsakov's "Capriccio Espagnol", and you won't hear it more expressively played than this. Recorded at the Concertgebouw in Haarlem, The Netherlands, in 1993, the sound is quite good and total playing time is 54'05.

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