Notes and Editorial Reviews
Wow! Move over Stokowski! Kees Bakels and his Malaysian players go nuts in the last two minutes of the Russian Easter Overture, cutting the tempo in half just before the big peroration, then taking off like a shot with thrilling percussion and excitingly amended timpani parts. It's a blast, and how nice to hear a modern conductor willing to make free with the literal text in this music and simply have some fun going for broke. The remaining items in this collection, if not quite so deliciously eccentric, benefit from excellent playing and from Bakels' willingness to maximize the color and excitement of music that consists of little else.
In the Capriccio espagnol, the
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first-desk players acquit themselves proudly in the Variations, while Bakels drives the music as hard as it will go in the concluding Fandango, closing with a tremendous rush of adrenalin. The Tsar Saltan Suite includes as its third part The Flight of the Bumblebee, where it makes an apt interlude between the standard three movements. Both this work and Sadko sound as lively and enchanting as they ever have. That leaves Noriko Ogawa's bright and perky take on the rarely heard Piano Concerto, a delightful piece that never gets played these days as it lasts a mere 14 minutes and doesn't fit into any sort of normal concert program.
Sonically these performances remain in a class of their own. The brilliance and realism are simply breathtaking, with a full dynamic range, ideal depth and breadth of soundstage, firm bass, open highs, and a panoramic splendor unrivaled on disc. I would dearly love to hear what these players could make of, say, Tchaikovsky's Manfred Symphony, but there's also plenty more Rimsky-Korsakov (but not the symphonies, please) in the form of the remaining opera suites and overtures. In the meantime I will enjoy this often, and believe me, you will too. [10/5/2004]
--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34 by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Conductor:
Kees Bakels
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1887; Russia
Length: 14 Minutes 58 Secs.
2.
Concerto for Piano in C sharp minor, Op. 30 by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Performer:
Noriko Ogawa (Piano)
Conductor:
Kees Bakels
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1882-1883; Russia
Length: 14 Minutes 06 Secs.
3.
Tale of Tsar Saltan: Suite, Op. 57 by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Conductor:
Kees Bakels
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1903; Russia
Length: 19 Minutes 46 Secs.
4.
Sadko, Op. 5 by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Conductor:
Kees Bakels
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1867/1892; Russia
Length: 12 Minutes 20 Secs.
5.
Russian Easter Festival Overture, Op. 36 by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Conductor:
Kees Bakels
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1888; Russia
Length: 14 Minutes 10 Secs.
Sound Samples
Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34: I. Alborada (Vivo e strepitoso)
Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34: II. Variazioni (Andante con moto)
Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34: III. Alborada (Vivo e strepitoso)
Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34: IV. Scena e canto gitano (Allegretto)
Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34: V. Fandango asturiano - Coda (Vivace assai - Presto)
Piano Concerto in C sharp minor, Op. 30
Tale of Tsar Saltan, Op. 57: I. The Tsar's Farewell and Departure (Allegro - Allegretto alla Marcia)
Tale of Tsar Saltan, Op. 57: II. The Tsarina in a Barrel at Sea (Allegro - Maestoso)
Tale of Tsar Saltan, Op. 57: III. The Flight of the Bumble-Bee (Vivace)
Tale of Tsar Saltan, Op. 57: IV. The Three Wonders (Allegro - Moderato)
Russian Easter Festival, Op. 36: Russian Easter Festival Overture, Op. 36
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