Review by beardawgs October 8, 2003 (1 of 9 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics: |
Ok, it sounds like a joke, but it isn’t: American president promoting world peace and understanding, and Russian president promoting care for the environment… What about Iraq and Chernobyl? And Sofia Loren in her poor English doesn’t really sound convincing. Shame for the really good RNO’s playing and Nagano’s conducting. The new piece (did anyone hear anything by that composer?) is washed out illustrative piece of music with no real inspiration or oomph. But then, why it was necessary to re-write Prokofiev?
All in all, if you like Peter and the wolf, go somewhere else, Sofia Loren’s narration is annoying. Again, the orchestral playing is superb, but there are too many other political ideas here, that the music is lost. If political correctness is what you’re looking for, you’re at the right place. Are the Russians ashamed of Prokofiev? Or just Russian politicians? Was it so easy to drag this great orchestra in playing such a poor piece of music by virtually unknown composer as a vehicle for political promotion? True, money goes to charities, but who created the need for charities? As charming as they are, Clinton and Gorbachev should stick to what they know best – wars and bombing other countries, and leave the music to musicians.
Some great solo playing here is unfortunately overshadowed by Loren’s bad English in Prokofiev. The other piece is not worth playing or mentioning, as it is written to a completely un-witty text in which the wolf (or woof) surrenders himself to protect his family… Listening to this SACD was a bizarre experience, and I’m not sure I would like to go through it again. The recording is good, but some analogue transfers from Pentatone sound much more convincing in surround. Unless you are friend with Clinton or Gorbachev and they give it to you as a present, don’t waste your money.
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