Thread: Scheherazade

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Post by Ubertrout August 4, 2015 (11 of 23)
I don't think there's a modern recording on SACD that holds a candle to the Reiner in terms of performance.

Post by Disbeliever August 4, 2015 (12 of 23)
Ubertrout said:

I don't think there's a modern recording on SACD that holds a candle to the Reiner in terms of performance.

unfortunately not heard the Ansermet one but I expect it would be as good as the Reiner maybe even better so probably would the Beecham one ,if remastered as an SACD.

Post by armenian August 4, 2015 (13 of 23)
A little over 55 years ago, living overseas, I had a recording of Scheherazade on British HMV label, a mono LP, the performance by Stokowski, Philharmonia orchestra Manoog Parikian violin, it was and remained my all time favorite record. Years later when I first heard Reiner CSO performance, with my ears accustomed to Stokowski style, it sounded very formal and businesslike.

Stokowski, as usual, did mess around with the score, adding “improvements” as needed to make the performance his own, but in all fairness this work begs for a Stoki type performance, it may not meet the strict criteria for following the score as intended by the composer, but Stokowski managed to evoke that “fairy tale” feel which is after all the essence of this composition.

I do not expect to find a modern equivalet to that performance.

Vahe

Post by samayoeruorandajin August 4, 2015 (14 of 23)
Stokowski was fantastic in this and we need his mid-60s with the LSO released in SACD.

Post by Ubertrout August 4, 2015 (15 of 23)
Disbeliever said:

unfortunately not heard the Ansermet one but I expect it would be as good as the Reiner maybe even better so probably would the Beecham one ,if remastered as an SACD.

To be clear, I said modern. I like Ansermet and Stokowski a lot, but they wouldn't qualify.

Post by Overresearched August 4, 2015 (16 of 23)
I would check out the Sir Thomas Beecham version even though it isn't SACD (although I really want EMI to release it on SACD) or modern. Beecham first conducted it in 1915 with the Polovtsian Dances. It's my favorite classical recording besides Van Cliburn's Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto #1. In fact, I like Scheherazde better. So, roll over Beethoven and tell Tchaikovsky the news.

Sorry.

Anyway, I own both the Reiner/Chicago SACD and the Beecham/RPO versions of Scheherzade. Beecham's is warmer and more romantic. The Reiner is a sonic marvel. But, I pull out the regular old CD of Beecham's more often. So get the CD of Beecham and hope EMI releases it in SACD or Blu-Ray audio or some weird hi-res file version.

http://www.amazon.com/Rimsky-Korsakov-Scheherazade-Borodin-Polovtsian-Dances/dp/B000023Z0O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1438737390&sr=8-3&keywords=beecham+scheherazade

Post by james_joyce August 4, 2015 (17 of 23)
The only "modern" Scheherazade I find compares with Reiner and Beacham (my two favorites by far) is by Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony, and I bought that on vinyl.

Post by AmonRa August 4, 2015 (18 of 23)
Now that you mention Montreal and Dutoit, their Scheherazade on CD from mid-eighties is quite spectacular sonically and the interpretation is also fine. I like it sonically better than the new Chandos SACD version, alas, without MCH of course.

Post by Claude August 5, 2015 (19 of 23)
I haven't heard the Scheherazade, but the 1980's Decca Dutoit recordings from Montreal sound amazing indeed. His Ravel collection is still among my favourites.

Post by alexandru27 August 5, 2015 (20 of 23)
I have the SACD by Chandos, can't comment on the performance, but (at least on my system) SQ is somewhat murky. There's a fog all over the orchestra. Actually I'm not sure it's because of my system's limitations, as, for example Mahler/Zinmann set by RCA sounds very clear, with good definition and dynamics.
I've only listened to multichannel part.

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