Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition, A Night on Bald Mountain, and Other Russian Showpieces [Hybrid SACD]

Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition, A Night on Bald Mountain, and Other Russian Showpieces [Hybrid SACD]

Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition, A Night on Bald Mountain, and Other Russian Showpieces [Hybrid SACD]
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CD Details

Conductor: Modest Mussorgsky
Edition: Music CD
Format: Hybrid SACD - DSD
CD Release Date: 2004-09-14
Music Label: RCA
Soundtracks:
  1. Promenade
  2. Gnomus
  3. Promenade
  4. Il Vecchio Castello
  5. Promenade
  6. Tuileries
  7. Bydlo
  8. Promenade
  9. Ballet Of The Chicks In Their Shells
  10. Samuel Goldenburg And Schmuyle
  11. The Marketplace At Limoges
  12. Catacombae, Sepulchrum Romanum
  13. Con Mortuis In Lingua Mortua
  14. The Hut On Fowl's Legs
  15. The Great Gate At Kiev
  16. Marche Miniature (From Suite No. 1 In D-Minor, Op. 43)
  17. A Night On Bald Mountain - Chicago Symphony Orchestra
  18. Prince Igor: Polovtsian March
  19. Marche Slave
  20. Colas Breugnon, Op. 24: Overture
  21. Russian And Ludmilla: Overture - Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Music reviews of Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition, A Night on Bald Mountain, and Other Russian Showpieces [Hybrid SACD]

Music Review: Russian orchestral show-stoppers
Rating: 5 Stars

What a golden era this record dates from and yet it wares its age well! Reiner's interpretations are quite inspirational and the Chicago Orchestra plays exceptionally well - as ever - for the maestro. What performances! The recorded sound is fantastic - especially the SACD layer. There really is little to fault here and this can be considered highly recommendable.

Performance: 5/5
There really is little to fault here. Every bar, every musical line and every piece on this record is full of a life and energy that is so fresh and warm. The orchestra plays very well and clearly enjoys this music. The playing is incisive and reasonably plush. They balance very nicely and articulate their parts with an easy precision that feels neither comatose nor insistent. Its just right. Listen to those brasses "Pictures'" Promenade or the Great Gate of Kiev - from this exceptional quality it is understandable why this orchestra's brass section has always been rated so highly. Listen to the difficult passages of the second movement, the ensemble is cohesive and precise but with a slight hint of difficulties and lapses in togetherness - nothing major but there are small hints. Generally, the playing is well together and the quibbles aren't worth deducting anything from the record's score. There is a stark and dark quality to Night on Bald Mountain which also brings playing of great intensity. The commitment in the playing of the various overtures and marches cannot be faulted either. Superb!

Sound: 5/5
Considering the age of this record the sound quality is phenomenal! The SACD layer has warm, full, balanced and natural sound. Even the strings of this orchestra - oft-berated for lacking in even tone and body - shine through pleasantly. It really is very lifelike. At times, particularly in the overtures, there emerges some rawness which betrays the age though none of this impacts upon the main event - Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. Considering the age of this record, there is no reason for deducting any marks at all. It is difficult not to be impressed by such sound.

Interpretation: 5/5
Reiner's view of Pictures is jovial and easy going though it has maximum fire and energy when necessary. Reiner clearly had a good sense of orchestral colour and these performances show this. He balances the orchestra superbly and extracts a bright and beautiful sound from his orchestra. He portrays the images well and, at times, the interpretation is quite evocative of the images' programmatic descriptions. His commitment is unquestionable. Some may take issue with a slightly swift reading of the Great Gate of Kiev but it fits so convincingly after the energetic and intensely exciting penultimate movement that it remains a pleasure all-round. Yes, the coda is indeed maestoso enough to please anyone, surely. The reading of Night on Bald Mountain is dark, exciting and, again, colourful culminating in a deeply felt perception of the closing moments. The other pieces are all commanded with élan and verve with nothing to fault here either.

These are fantastic performances in an all-round fantastic record which any collection should have room for. If you are looking for a revealing and felt performance of Mussorgsky's two popular works, you need look no further. Of course the competition is fierce but rivals won't better this by much. If you want alternatives, however, either of Karajan's recordings on DG are worth seeking out while DG have another gem in Sinopoli's account which, unfortunately, as of writing, is unavailable. This record, though, shouldn't disappoint!
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