Title : Pytor Illych Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker - Complete Ballet
Author : Valery Gergiev
Release Date : 19981020
Binding : Audio CD
Regular Price : $16.98
Amazon.com Price : $13.49
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Editorial Reviews : Although Gergiev is highly experienced in the theater, and he is leading an opera-ballet orchestra, this is definitely a concert Nutcracker. Tempos are brisk, textures streamlined, and dancers might have a good deal of difficulty keeping up with the music. For us home listeners, though, this is a superb way to hear Tchaikovsky's complete score and to remind ourselves of how much good music isn't included in the familiar suite. Gergiev justifies his reputation as an interpreter and as an orchestra leader, getting amazingly precise playing from the ensemble. Best of all, Philips has somehow crammed more than 81 minutes of superb sound onto this disc, making it a remarkable bargain. Very highly recommended!
Buyer Reviews : Bravo! The Kirov Orchestra, with Gergiev, have again demonstrated that they are masters of ballet music (after all, it was they who gave The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and the 1895 version of Swan Lake their world premieres). Compared to other recordings of this ballet, such as Mark Ermler's (Royal Opera House Orchestra)or Richard Bonynge's(National Philharmonic Orchestra), the tempo of Gergiev's Nutcracker appears to be faster on first hearing; but it doesn't take long to get used to it. Once you get past that initial shock, this recording is very exciting to listen to. Gergiev conducts with the usual gusto. The Kirov Orchestra's sound is actually more refined here than in many of its other recordings. This may owe to the fact that the performance was recorded in another opera house [not the Mariinsky, which has seldom produced satifactory acoustics in the recordings (except Boris Godunov)], or that maybe the Kirov musicians have better instruments now, or that the Philips engineers finally improved their recording techniques. Though both Bonynge's and Ermler's performance had more danceable tempos, they lacked the expressive power that Gergiev was able to generate. In addition, this is a 1-CD recording of the entire ballet, which makes it an especially attractive one to get. But for whatever reason, get this recording without delay!
