There have been many recordings of the three great Tchaikovsky ballets by the same conductor, and Slatkin’s recordings typically get overlooked in any discussion of them. This is a pity, because his versions are uniformly superb, beautifully engineered, and wholly idiomatic. Is it because no one regards the Saint Louis Symphony as the major orchestra it is? Is it Slatkin himself, a splendid conductor who hasn’t ever gotten the respect he surely deserves based on the excellence of his discography? I don’t know and I don’t care. Now you can get all three ballets in this budget box, and even if you have other performances in your collection, you’d be foolish not to listen.
Each of theseRead more performances has outstanding features. The Nutcracker reveals Slatkin’s deft hand with Tchaikovsky’s most colorful score, and evokes a genuine fairytale atmosphere. The big transformation scene in act one really glitters, while the famous dances in act two have all the necessary energy and character. Sleeping Beauty, the greatest ballet of the three, if not necessarily the most popular, has plenty of the requisite drama and lyrical impetus plus that genuine, hard to define, balletic lilt, while Swan Lake simply has never been better done. Check out Slatkin’s handling of the finale, with its intelligent treatment of Tchaikovsky’s ridiculously overscored percussion parts (sound clip). Has the music ever sounded clearer and more honestly triumphant? I don’t think so. Get this.
Nutcracker, Op. 71by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Performer:
Barbara Liberman (Celesta)
Conductor:
Leonard Slatkin
Orchestra/Ensemble:
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra,
St. Louis Symphony Women's Chorus
Period: Romantic Written: 1891-1892; Russia Language: Russian
2.
Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Conductor:
Leonard Slatkin
Orchestra/Ensemble:
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
Period: Romantic Written: 1888-1889; Russia
3.
Swan Lake, Op. 20by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Performer:
John Sant'Ambrogio (Cello),
Frances Tietov (Harp),
Susan Slaughter (Cornet),
Jacques Israelievitch (Violin)
Conductor:
Leonard Slatkin
Orchestra/Ensemble:
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
Period: Romantic Written: 1875-1876; Russia
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review: ( 2 Customer Reviews )
A wonderfully slight disappointmentAugust 1, 2020By Alan L. (E Brunswick, NJ)See All My Reviews"The performances and sound are wonderful. The reason for only 4 stars is the fact that these are made to order CDRs. That is not a problem at all, but Arkivmusic should have made that clear in the listing. Fortunately there were no issues and the discs were faultless. Another annoying feature is the use of a 6cd jewel case instead of an easier to use cardboard box, which is how this issue was originally supplied. Just be more forthright with these issues."Report Abuse
SuperbJune 22, 2019By D. Johnson (Walnut Ridge, AR)See All My Reviews"You should get this collection of Tchaikovsky ballets. Well played and great fun to hear. Super price!"Report Abuse