My teacher Sidney Harth was the concertmaster on the CSO Reiner recording. He was a brilliant violinist and a wonderful human being. What a delightful and historic recording. Thank you for making this very interesting video David!
My late brother served in the UK Army and he used to leave his record player and LPs at home where I first learnt to love classical music, with this work among the earliest, with Monteux, Ansermet and Beecham in mind. In subsequent years I acquired other versions as I moved to CDs, among them the mono Issy Dobrowen version which was completely unknown to me prior to its acquisition. The music retains is magic no matter what conductor or orchestra performs it - surely the trademark of a great composition.
Nice one, David. That Reiner/Chicago performance is an absolute stunner. It was one of the many Living Stereo SACDs I bought when they first came out and it sounds amazing too.
Thank you, David, for this great review! I have the Analogue Productions pressing of the Reiner RCA Living Stereo reissue and it's just mind blowing - highly recommended.
Back in the 1980s, a friend of mine who worked in Herb Breslin's office in New York told of Joan Sutherland once opining that people take everything too seriously, reportedly saying, "Look, we're entertainers."
Dave thank you so much for your wonderful description of Stokowski's Phase Four version with the London Symphony. I was laughing for about ten minutes when you described Stokowski fiddling with the controls and having to take your Lipitor and about six baths to recover. Perfect description by the way. Depite its flaws that performance has tremendous character and makes me feel Arabian. It some respects it's my favorite Scheherazade. Reiner's is really great and a tour de force of virtuosity. But the one that wins my heart is Ormandy's RCA Philadelpia version with Norman Carol solo violin. It has a dignity, breadth and majesty, like his 1960 Pathetique, that feels just right.
I shook hands with Stokowski after watching him rehearse. His Sheheraaade was magic, My parents Hi Fi was all tubes. an excellent system that took the piece as a sonic workout. That was back in 64,
Thank you for recommendations! Just listened Reiner , a straitforward issue with fine solos and Stokowski , mindblowing ! Haitink seems ordered and Kempe too...just would like to mention the concertmasters ought to be mentioned, Schwalbé did an excellent solo I remember...thank you!
I studied with Chicago Symphony members who played under Reiner. He was , in the words of one of them, a sadistic bastard. One player I knew well had a couple of heart attacks and a stroke in the 2 years he was there. But they made amazing recordings and played wonderfully. Arnold Jacobs , Tuba, was as fine as any player who ever lived, period. Herseth, !st Trumpet, played there over 50 years and set the world standard. I've always loved their Scheherezade recording and I'm glad it's not just me.
YES!! I agree with you. I heard it as a young boy and I'm still loving the recording. Brusilow's Violin brought Sheherazade's Soul to life! I got the Stokowski Knockout too, but Ormandy is closer to my heart. ;-)
I was fortunate enough to have heard Ormandy perform this at the Academy of Music in the early 1980’s-I can still remember waves of glorious sound washing over me, between the incredible orchestration and the Philadelphia’s beautiful playing. It was the most unforgettable orchestral experience of my life.
Ormandy's 1962 has always been my favorite performance of Sheherazade for its variation of tempo and dynamics. It was also the first performance I heard as a child.
Reiner, Kondrashin, Markovitch. All are fabulous. My personal preference is still Ansermet with Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. It is very personal, as it was my first Sheherazade recording. Since then, I have been in love with this piece.
Yuri Temirkanov with the NY Philharmonic (it’s paired with the Russian Easter Overture) is the one I chose to plunk down money for - thrilling, wonderfully recorded.
I just received the Markevitch on Eloquence based on your recommendation...more to come. I really respect Markevitch; his "Le Sacre" from 1959 is probably my reference recording (back and forth with that and Boulez from 1969); the Chailly is arriving tomorrow also based on your recommendation.
1:24 I can't remember which one it was, but I heard a conductor once say that Sheherazade was a piece that student conductors often had to conduct because of its need to control tempo, phrasing, loudness dynamics and so on, in almost every section of the orchestra. That makes sense. And as far as guessing what Mahler would think of another piece, well, he was an opera conductor so there's no reason to think he would automatically look down his nose at colorful romantic fantasy music. I love Rimsky and Mahler, so there!
I've just been listening to some old mono Dorati recordings of Rimsky-Korsakov on Mercury living presence and they still sound great! I listen with a mono cartridge and Dorati's Sheherazade with the Minneapolis bowled me over. So did the Le Coq D'Or with the London symphony.
I love so many of these recordings. A recent discovery was a Bernstein NYPhil I think in 1959 paired with Capriccio Espagnol are both are absolutely electrifying.
Kondrashin's version is stunningly good and Concertgebouw is at that time (70's-80's) on its peak, despite the wonderful sound of the Concertgebouw hall.
The Beecham, Reiner and the Stokowski / LSO are all just magic in their own way! I once had the Steinberg but it got lost in a move. I hav’nt heard it in years but remember being very fond of it. Cheers from Oz.
Herman Scherchen VSOO was my first love when it came to this timeless work, but there are so many other amazing contributors. One could build a cultural life around this piece
I was wondering if you'd bring up the Ansermet/Paris one. It's really great, I agree. I had that old London Stereo Treasury disc and loved it. True, the piece never grows old.
Silvestri for me. As you said, he turns The Bournemouth into something incredible. A performance which takes absolutely no prisoners in the last movement. Plenty of colour too. Thrilling!
Thank you, I was waiting for this one in fact. I agree with another commenter that suggests that you add performers' names of each version while discussing it in the video. It would make life easier for some and the visual memory could also help in recalling whatever we'd like to recall after watching it.
David - great seeing the Kondrashin, late Stokowski and of course the Silvestri recordings in the list. There is no better phrasing of the opening to the 2nd movement than Silvestri's... Those strings! Amazing! One to add perhaps... Svetlanov and the LSO on BBC Legends (from a Proms performance I think). Typical Svetlanov fiery but expansive (try the coda and the big timpani roll and your beloved Tam-Tam in the final movement), but also very lyrical especially in the third movement.
By the way: I wonder if Kondrashin ever made an uninvolved recording. Everything I listen to that he conducted always sounds like he reeeally believes it. :) And I've got to know Markevitch's work better, because these video reviews have made me think the same of his approach. What a privilege to have recordings by artists like these - and someone to point them out!
@@DavesClassicalGuide absolutely. Fortunately, beauty is always inexhaustible and so is human capacity for great artistry and empathy. As long as artists and audiences don't forget the last of these two attributes, I'd say.
I've just listened to Reiner's recording. A little drawback about its stereo image: first violins sounds on the very left side sometimes (and violin solo is sometimes shifts). But otherwise I agree with Mr. Hurwitz: this is fabulous. What brass and woodwinds did in the last movement with those short notes... That is beyond human capabilities.
Oh yes, Reiner is just awesome. Chicago brass sounds just awesome. My second best is Celibidache with Munich Orchestra. I know that Celibidache was very controversial but I just love his version. I never heard Scheherezade which is so sad, melancholy and deeply spiritual. I just love moments when everything seems to stops, when sounds almost dissapears in air. This is why Celibidache is outstanding. So for me the two of my favourite best Scheherezade is completly different but I love both of them (Reiner and Celibidache) from different reasons.
Thanks for these reviews, can’t wait to compare and contrast a few recordings. I actually think Rimsky-Korsakov’s symphonies are drastically underrated.
Many years ago, I read an interesting article in Stereo Review (back when it was a serious music review magazine) comparing the practice of lots of multi-miking vs. minimalist miking. After reading the article, and listening to recordings using both techniques, I came down firmly on the side of minimalist miking. It sounds much more transparent and natural, getting one closer to the illusion of listening to an actual orchestra in front of you. The multi-miker advocate in the article made it clear that he didn’t like the sound of orchestras “as they were”. He wanted to use the mixing board to “improve” the sound by giving it “more violins” (his words), etc. It’s for this reason that I know I’ll find the Reiner far superior to the Stowkowski sonically. The Reiner is a marvel of transparency. If I knew nothing about its vintage, it would be easy to convince me that it was made in the 80s. It’s that good. And yes, the performance is wonderful. I’ve also read that there is audible tape saturation on the Stowkowski. And I don’t want to hear Scheherazade by Nikolai Stowkowski. I want to hear the Rimsky Korsakov piece.
Minimalistic recordings are why I gravitate towards Mercury Living Presence recordings. Several of these are in high resolution (24/96 or 24/192) on Apple Music and they are astonishingly life like!
I love your discussions and comments. Yes, who cares if it has development etc., it is a masterpiece. I'm keen to hear Eugene Goossens interpretation, particularly as Goossens was in his early musical career, the assistent to Beecham.
What a great compendium! HOWEVER :) , my personal favourite is Leonard Bernstein with the NYPO, largely because of John Corigliano's sensual violin. Sometimes, I listen to Temirkanov's version just to listen to his irresistibly exaggerated percussion in the fourth movement...
@@DavesClassicalGuide Given your appreciation of Bernstein's work I was somewhat surprised not to find him here - but your other excellent choices surely make up for it!
Yes, I had the Reiner on reel-to-reel decades ago. One critic praised its "muscularity". Also so glad you mentioned Silvestri. I got the box a couple years ago and love it all. "Great conducting icons of the 20th Century, move over!" as one critic put it. Ist exposure, Mario Rossi on Vanguard Everyman. Wouldn't know how it stacks up against the others, but probably not high on the list.
Very interesting ! Please, don't forget Sergiu Celibidache with the SDR Symphony Orchestra (Stuttgart, Germany) in 1971. You can hear the conductor during the storm and it is worth listening to him.......for many reasons !
Great reviews, David- Sheherazade is one of my favorites! Please consider putting the album and artist names of your reviews in the video description. It does help people find the CDs you recommend. Keep up the good work!
My only recording was an LP of the San Francisco S O with Monteux. I thought it was marvelous, but it was the only one I had and that was a few years ago to be truthful. Of course how many others rate their first heard version to be the best of any piece?
My first version was by Hans Jurgen-Walther with the Hamburg Pro Musica (sic). Did nothing for me. Next was Eugene Goosens with the London Symphony. Imprinted on that one. The Monteux/SFO is famous.
Some great Orchestras and conductors noted here. Yes, the Stokowski is one of a kind. The first version I ever heard was one my parents had on the Westminster LP, with the Vienna state opera orchestra conducted by Argeo Quadri. Even though in mono, it had a lot of dynamics and the second mov't with some well placed pauses.
Yet another fun talk; and educational in many respects--not least in the sense that it taught me not to be so quick to slight Rimsky's Sheherazade. Educational, too, for introducing me to Zdenek Chalabala. Everyone knows Reiner and Monteux and Stokowski... But Chalabala? Well, now I know too! By the way... for those who may be searching for the Chalabala recording and haven't yet found it: As I write this, there's a super-cheap cd available at Amazon, on a label called "Classics for the Occasion." The album is titled--wait for it--"Fireplace Favorites"; the cover features a 1970s photo of a guy and gal in après-ski attire lazily lounging in front of a cozy fireplace and about to enjoy an unidentified libation that the gal is pouring out of a thermos bottle. I kid you not!
Chalabala was excellent in this repertoire... probably the last romantic Czech conductor... his Rusalka is a legend.... Surprised this rare disc has reached you...
I agree absolutely with you, Markevitch's version(omitted here!) could' be considered the best performance of this work, and another recording that must be mentioned would be Hermann Scherchen's recording with the Vienna Opera Orchestra, in Millennium(Universal!), marvellous sonido(¿?) for the epoque! Excuse my english please! Óscar Olavarría, from Chile
@@mancal5829 esa es una obra en que, como pasa con la Sinf Fantástica, no importa repetirse, yo debo tener 5 versiones: Ormandy, Ansermet, Zubin Mehta, Constantin Silvestri, y otras que no recuerdo! Saludos desde Chile
@@oscarignacioolavarriaaquev8363 Estoy muy de acuerdo; ahora mismo recuerdo tener esta obra con Markevitch, Ormandy (su versión monofónica), Mehta (mi primera), Ozawa y Ansermet. Un caluroso saludo desde Guatemala, Manuel.
@@mancal5829 si tiene la versión de Markevitch entonces no necesitas otra.....todas las demas llámense Beecham, Kondrashin, Ansermet, inclusive Ormandy, etc, quedan de lado, para mí esta es la versión definitiva de esta obra, y creo en las versiones definitivas o "unsurpassables" como se dice, esta es una de ellas!!!
A “sleeper” reccomendation from me: Fricsay. It's pretty much buried deep in the DG catalogue and it's mono, but this 1957 recording is one of my favourites. The solo violin tone is sumptuous and thick, and the orchestra finds the balance between precision and passion. Alas, not available individually but only as part of the DG MONO and the Fricsay Vol. 1 mega boxes.
I agree what a sleeper. Its in his "Life in Music" box set. This is a great Box superbly remastered and full of Gems. Not sure if its available still but one of the best versions of Scheherazade
Thanks to your passionate advocacy, I've been listening to Ormandy Philadelphia recordings. His Scheherezade is fantastic, and you didn't even mention it!
Dear Dave: Again, complete agreement! Already in my collection: Ansermet, in fact two versions with the OSCC, one recorded in 1948 and the other in 1954; Silvestri, Kempe, Maazel/Cleveland, Kondrashin, Termikanov/NYPO and Ozawa with the Vienna Philharmonic, plus, of course, Fritz Reiner. What do you think of Fricsay and Ormandy? Thanks!
I have listened to over 20 different versions and IMHO Krill Kondrashin with Concertgebouw on Philips 1979 is by far the best. Of course it is a matter of taste but I insist: Kondrashin and Concertgebouw has the best orchestral organization, best attention to detail, best see-thru, every instrument is very clearly hearable and very very disciplined. Recording quality is not the very best but it is good and very transparent. Mr. Hurwitz thank you again for your great reviews.
absolutely agre with you. i was in the idea of write that Kondrashin is the best, but i found your comment. it´s an extremely vivid, elegant, contrasting performance, excellent. i saw that the editor replies you, and, if one particular element makes the difference for him, is valid, but not enough for me. in that same way then Bernstein Mahler should be rated very low respect what is attending "details"
My vote, a sleeper: Ashkenazy conf. Philharmonic, Warren-Green, violin soloist. It has it all, spacing, freshness, spontaneity, delicacy. The first violin solo entrance is enchanting, emerging out of the wind chord. It sounds improvised, perfectly capturing the story telling. The whole perf. is a marvel. Thoughts?
Yes!! This is my second favorite after the Reiner. The oboe solo at the beginning of the second movement is brilliant and the concertmaster solos separate from the pack.
Interesting - I've always enjoyed the Fritz Reiner's record and Previn's 1981 with Vienna Philharmonic. On that, Rainer Küchl's violin is really good, but the winds are a bit iffy. Will have to check out the Kempe and Stokowski for fun.
Early excitement over stereo must have factored into the enthusiasm for Sheherazade Mr. H is discussing; it's such a stereo-friendly piece. But maybe its reputation suffered because its thematic depth and texture were mistaken for a lack of sensitivity or drive?
Hello David, Some of your recent video reviews - like this one about Sheherazade - have a lot of rumble in it, as a continuous background sound. Is it the traffic outside? Is it possible to avoid it?
I have no idea. I didn't notice it. Could possibly be A/C in the other room, but that would be unavoidable. I turn it off when I do a video in whatever room I happen to be in.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Hello David. Thank you very much for answering. I hear the same rumble e.g. in your review of the Dvorak Slavonic Dances. BUT .... at 8:34 it suddenly stops. Very good ! ;-)
Compared 3 of your top picks. Fully agree but found interesting differences between them. The Reiner is crisp, aggressive and very exciting. But it also sounds a bit mechanical, as if the orchestra are not fully involved and self-consciously playing the music at one step removed from it. By contrast, the Kondrashin is like Method Acting. The orchestra ARE the music, with the music seeming to play itself. It sounds sensuous, natural, expressive, but on the mellow side, perhaps even a little flabby. The BEST for me is Stokowski's spectacular recording AND orchestral playing. It's filled with moments of tension, sizzle and delight tumbling after each other all the way through. The instruments are all recorded very forwardly as you say but rather than sounding aggressive they sound resplendent.
I bought the CD you recommended of Fritz Reiner and the CSO, and I understand why you like it. There is an intensity of sound and playing. I did find the big climax of the return of the main theme in the finale a little messy, his percussion was a little out of sync. But I kind of forgave him for that. It's a performance of great character and intensity. The CSO sounded like a completely different animal to the later orchestra under Solti. But obviously they had a completely different personnel by then...I enjoyed it very much...
Reiner for me was just 'the' version - sumptuous sound and gorgeous playing (even on the bad RCA LP pressings they put out in the seventies). His Mussorgsky Pictures is fabulous too - listen to that Chicago brass! I don't know why people get sniiffy about Rimsky - he composed some great pieces, Stravinsky was his pupil and he wrote one of the seminal works on orchestration. Interesting you talked about Haitink's LPO recordings - I don't know his Scherazade but others were excellent - Stravinsky's Petrushka for instance - love that!
My LP of the Reiner sounds like garbage too, which is weird, since people pay outrageous prices for clean early pressings due to their reputation for sounding so fantastic.
Regarding Rimsky-Korsakov's symphonies, perhaps they're not his greatest works but they're still very good. His second symphony in particular, "Antar", is almost every bit as magical and well-orchestrated as Scheherazade.
I've always had a soft spot for the Kempe recording, originally issued by World Record Club. I'm sure this is the version included in the Testamant box but it's the Royal Phil and not the Berlin Phil.
@@DavesClassicalGuide No apology required. I share your enthusiasm for Kempe as a conductor and the RPO Scheherazade. It's a lovely performance. Havergal Brian? The LSSO Unicorn/CBS recordings and maybe the Gothic Symphony. A bit off the wall, I know! Thoughts?
I do like your enthusiasm for each of the recordings, the final choice was interesting as I have never listened to this recording or several of the others you have mentioned. Listening to Reiner recording was interesting that tempo Allegro non troppo was a bit too brisk for my liking but the recording is fabulous, nice and clear just not keen on some of his tempos markings.
Reiner did Richard Strauss very well - Zarathustra (twice), Heldenleben, among others. His Respighi Pines and Fountains are unsurpassed, as is his Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition. Reiner recorded some very good Beethoven (syms 3,5,6,7, & 9),Mahler (Sym 4, Das Lied von der Erde), and Debussy (La Mer, Iberia). Reiner's Alexander Nevsky (Prokofiev) is excellent, as is his pioneering recording of Hohvaness' Symphony "Mysterious Mountain".
Reiner has a lot of standouts in the first Living Stereo box, including a selection of Spanish pieces titled "Iberia." Mr. Hurwitz mentioned his Bartok Concerto for Orchestra while doing a Repertoire on that, which is very highly rated by many.
A couple of other great recordings by the Reiner/CSO are Rachmaninoff Isle of the Dead and Stravinsky Song of the Nightingale. Stravinsky himself said after hearing this performance said that Reiner's Chicago Symphony was the most precise and flexible orchestra in the world.
Do you know the recording with Mackerras and the London Symphony Orchestra? I heard pretty good things about this recording. And the sonics should also be great... (like almost always on telarc)
Jack Renner or any of the other usual Telarc engineers did not engineer this recording. Instead, it is a British team and the sound is very homogeneous with a ton of hall sound. So the detail and transparency are not there as one would expect from Telarc. The ASO/Spano is my go to Scherezade along with CSO/Reiner.
@David Hurwitz - I have to ask, Have you seen Leif Segerstam's version with Galicia (ruclips.net/video/zY4w4_W30aQ/видео.html) ? What do you think of those pirate yells? My opinion, I love Leif! :D how can you be so wrong and so right at the same time? That's Leif's thing... :D
@@andreashelling3076 On that disc the *couplings* are with Berlin, but Scheherazade is with the Royal PO as Dave notes in his written review www.classicstoday.com/review/review-8537/ - looking at Kempe discographies I'm not seeing a Berlin Scheherazade listed ...
My go to and in dire need of re-releasing is Kletzki with the Philharmonia, it is superb with an excellent ballance of lyricism and drama. I like Gergiev a lot but the sound is a bit boomy at times (if the recording quality of the Svetlanov was better I would place it in the front rank). Kondrashin is excellent too but the violin (HERMAN Krebbers no less) is a little too recessed (ie natural!) for me. For a digital option with really good sound I go for Muti.
Very much agree! I picked up the Kletzki for peanuts on cassette decades ago, and had always enjoyed it; of course the cassette expired, and now it's mostly only available on vinyl (or, rarely, on CD -- for exorbitant prices). Pretty sure it would stand up well to the competition.
@@cloudymccloud00 Yes I too had it on tape, then found a cd which made me wonder if it had been burned as it's so rare, but with patience you do see it come up every now and then second hand for not very much. Kletzki's is one that keeps you riveted from beginning to end
You mention a virtuoso orchestra and a virtuoso conductor, and especially the first desk players of the woodwinds, but you don't mention the Sheherazades themselves, i.e. the concert masters. My ideal is someone who embues the solos with a dreamlike fairytale quality. For me Staryk in Beecham's version has this quality.
That's only because I think most violinists do a decent enough job and so require little comment. Everyone will have a favorite, of course, but the proportion of good ones is much higher than with truly distinctive woodwind solos.
Amazed Ormandy didn’t make it onto this list. That recording’s wonderfully tasteful tempi, amazingly rich sonorities, and stunningly well-played solos by Brusilov et al. (as well as its coupling with a hot-blooded Russian Easter Holiday Celebratory Repetitive Longname Overture and a fantastically peppy Capriccio Espagnol) make it my however pick.
If I were buying it today, I'd get the Cala release, which includes production recordings of Stokowski working with the orchestra and engineers, offering marvelous insight into his process, as well as spectacularly remastered sound.
@@frederickdsmarshall Thanks for the recommendation, recently bought a copy........great sound. I would like to ask you a question, as a whole are Japanese cds superior in sound?
Rarely have enjoyed this piece. Based on your survey, I may try Ansermet/Paris or Markevitch/London as antidote to the excess of Stoki and others. Sheherazade is my least favorite sonic spectacular and of the recordings you have mentioned the only one I could listen to all the way through was Silvestri, who conducts as though it matters.
Thank you. Yes, it's true: for decades there was a sort of "german prejudice" about non-german composers in general...in particular here in italy many scholars or musicians of the so called "post war avant-garde" followed the ideas of Th. W. Adorno which I personally find awful and trivial. And they didn't care about the fact that many austro- german composers and conductors were fans of russian music, such as Kempe, Strauss or Karajan, only to quote a few...however, Scheherazade is a real masterpiece of color and substance and german composers like Brahms for example, which is hailed as one of the most significant symphonist of the 19th century, should have study with care this wonderful Rimsky's score to understand really what is the concept of "orchestral brilliance". Anyway, I would like to quote another two recordings of Sheherazade that really impressed me: one historical, with the underrated Artur Rodzinski & Cleveland Orchestra, and one more modern, stunningly performed and recorded, with Barry Wordsworth and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra...wonderful!
@@DavesClassicalGuide Ah ah ah! You have absolutely reason and I totally agree with you :D But fortunately our avant-garde had his open-minded composers...Berio was among them for example and surprisingly also Luigi Nono was among them (Nono was a fan of Shostakovich in a time that other avant-gardists despised the great russian-soviet composer...)
No Kondrashin? Svetlanov? Celibidache? Ever heard the great recording of Lovro von Matačić with the Philharmonia Orchestra??? And Karajan´s recording of Scheherazade is really a first liga recording. Much better than Ansermet and Monteux.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Ansermet did an earlier recording with the same PCO back in 1948 and released by DECCA/LONDON which is exquisite. Even better than the 1950s stereo recording. Much more involved. Hear the delightful 3rd movement to hear a real sensual experience. And incidentally the later 1950s stereo recording is not bad at all but the 1960 recording has a superior orchestra in L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (LONDON CS-6225) one of the best analog recordings this work ever had.\
@@DavesClassicalGuide No. Not overrated. It is lyrical, sweet, fairy tale like. One of the very best. More of an introverted sweet style totally becoming of the tale. There are more flamboyant ones to be sure but Beecham has magic.
. Stokowski? Seriously? His contempt for the great score is despicable. I've heard his recordings and they are all detestable, especially the Royal Phil version. I love the Reiner, but my go to Scheherazade is still Goosens with the London Symphony on Everest. Fabulous.
I imprinted on the Goosens and still return to it-- which doesn't make it the "best"; just a favorite. If Everest hadn't gone belly up the recording might be more highly regarded.
Beecham's recording with the Royal Philharmonic is a lyric delight, with flowing tempi and effortless transitions. The recorded sound is warm yet detailed , the orchestral balance convincingly natural, with superb wind playing and compelling violin narratives by Stephen Staryk (whose intonation is stunningly perfect throughout). It is one of EMI's finest Beecham efforts.
I fully agree with Mr. Deacon. Dave needs to get better audio equipment. Just try the early English stereo pressing in a superb analog LP pressing with the best audio equipment and you will hear a natural sounding recording as there ever was. Beecham is indescribable beautiful. I also admire the Reiner, Stokowski, Ansermet and Monteux performances. As well as Chalabala (I own 66 Scheherazades). But this Beecham is sui generis. Thumbs down to Dave.
@@silviofernandez585My late brother swore by the original Beecham LP recording as the benchmark for this work on disc, I atill recall his irritation when I bought a copy of the Monteux version when I couldn't get the Beecham LP from the local shop.
The original Stokowski London/Decca L.P. had a horrendous "flapping" sound-- like an enormous vulture taking off-- that marred the closing measures. It was mentioned in one of the early magazine reviews and it was prominent on the L.P I bought. It was not on the CD purchased decades later and I've always wondered if it was a Stokowski "improvement" that Decca later thought the better of.
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My teacher Sidney Harth was the concertmaster on the CSO Reiner recording. He was a brilliant violinist and a wonderful human being. What a delightful and historic recording. Thank you for making this very interesting video David!
My late brother served in the UK Army and he used to leave his record player and LPs at home where I first
learnt to love classical music, with this work among the earliest, with Monteux, Ansermet and Beecham
in mind. In subsequent years I acquired other versions as I moved to CDs, among them the mono Issy
Dobrowen version which was completely unknown to me prior to its acquisition. The music retains is magic
no matter what conductor or orchestra performs it - surely the trademark of a great composition.
Thank you for this! I adore this piece of music and am so happy for your guidance on great recordings - and also happy that you love it too!
Nice one, David. That Reiner/Chicago performance is an absolute stunner. It was one of the many Living Stereo SACDs I bought when they first came out and it sounds amazing too.
One of the most beautiful symphonic pieces ever composed. Grew up listening to it and it was just so beautiful. It captured my imagination as a kid.
To see a grown man stroking an Ansermet PCO Scheherazade CD with genuine affection is something I shall always treasure. You are just a gem.
Thank you, David, for this great review! I have the Analogue Productions pressing of the Reiner RCA Living Stereo reissue and it's just mind blowing - highly recommended.
Back in the 1980s, a friend of mine who worked in Herb Breslin's office in New York told of Joan Sutherland once opining that people take everything too seriously, reportedly saying, "Look, we're entertainers."
Great review as always--very entertaining and informative. My favorite was mentioned in passing...Svetlanov with the USSR State Symphony Orchestra.
Chalabala! I got this recording after reading your review on classicstoday. And i like it. Thx!
Great!
Dear David
recently I was able to add Rostropovich's version to my discotheque: a true delight; Excellent!!! it's already in my top five👌
Dave thank you so much for your wonderful description of Stokowski's Phase Four version with the London Symphony. I was laughing for about ten minutes when you described Stokowski fiddling with the controls and having to take your Lipitor and about six baths to recover. Perfect description by the way. Depite its flaws that performance has tremendous character and makes me feel Arabian. It some respects it's my favorite Scheherazade.
Reiner's is really great and a tour de force of virtuosity. But the one that wins my heart is Ormandy's RCA Philadelpia version with Norman Carol solo violin. It has a dignity, breadth and majesty, like his 1960 Pathetique, that feels just right.
I shook hands with Stokowski after watching him rehearse. His Sheheraaade was magic, My parents Hi Fi was all tubes. an excellent system that took the piece as a sonic workout. That was back in 64,
Thank you for recommendations! Just listened Reiner , a straitforward issue with fine solos and Stokowski , mindblowing ! Haitink seems ordered and Kempe too...just would like to mention the concertmasters ought to be mentioned, Schwalbé did an excellent solo I remember...thank you!
I studied with Chicago Symphony members who played under Reiner. He was , in the words of one of them, a sadistic bastard.
One player I knew well had a couple of heart attacks and a stroke in the 2 years he was there. But they made amazing recordings and played wonderfully. Arnold Jacobs , Tuba, was as fine as any player who ever lived, period. Herseth, !st Trumpet, played there over 50 years and set the world standard. I've always loved their Scheherezade recording and I'm glad it's not just me.
One of the pleasures of Ormandy’s 1962 recording is Anshel Brusilow’s violin solos - given a concerto balance is sound mix
YES!! I agree with you. I heard it as a young boy and I'm still loving the recording. Brusilow's Violin brought Sheherazade's Soul to life! I got the Stokowski Knockout too, but Ormandy is closer to my heart. ;-)
@@freddiepieter5820 I have that one too and completely agree - not the best pressing but a wonderful performance.
I was fortunate enough to have heard Ormandy perform this at the Academy of Music in the early 1980’s-I can still remember waves of glorious sound washing over me, between the incredible orchestration and the Philadelphia’s beautiful playing. It was the most unforgettable orchestral experience of my life.
Ormandy's 1962 has always been my favorite performance of Sheherazade for its variation of tempo and dynamics. It was also the first performance I heard as a child.
Reiner, Kondrashin, Markovitch. All are fabulous. My personal preference is still Ansermet with Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. It is very personal, as it was my first Sheherazade recording. Since then, I have been in love with this piece.
Philharmonia Orchestra with Lovro von Matacic on EMI is also a worthy contender.
Love the Levi. I was given a copy by my first private teacher, who played 2nd in Atlanta for many years.
Yuri Temirkanov with the NY Philharmonic (it’s paired with the Russian Easter Overture) is the one I chose to plunk down money for - thrilling, wonderfully recorded.
With booklet notes by me.
This is a GREAT version
I just received the Markevitch on Eloquence based on your recommendation...more to come. I really respect Markevitch; his "Le Sacre" from 1959 is probably my reference recording (back and forth with that and Boulez from 1969); the Chailly is arriving tomorrow also based on your recommendation.
1:24 I can't remember which one it was, but I heard a conductor once say that Sheherazade was a piece that student conductors often had to conduct because of its need to control tempo, phrasing, loudness dynamics and so on, in almost every section of the orchestra. That makes sense.
And as far as guessing what Mahler would think of another piece, well, he was an opera conductor so there's no reason to think he would automatically look down his nose at colorful romantic fantasy music.
I love Rimsky and Mahler, so there!
I've just been listening to some old mono Dorati recordings of Rimsky-Korsakov on Mercury living presence and they still sound great! I listen with a mono cartridge and Dorati's Sheherazade with the Minneapolis bowled me over. So did the Le Coq D'Or with the London symphony.
I love so many of these recordings. A recent discovery was a Bernstein NYPhil I think in 1959 paired with Capriccio Espagnol are both are absolutely electrifying.
I have the Reiner, plus I'm fond of the Kondrashin/Concertgebouw one (Philips) that comes with a really solid Borodin 2nd symphony.
Kondrashin's version is stunningly good and Concertgebouw is at that time (70's-80's) on its peak, despite the wonderful sound of the Concertgebouw hall.
The Beecham, Reiner and the Stokowski / LSO are all just magic in their own way! I once had the Steinberg but it got lost in a move. I hav’nt heard it in years but remember being very fond of it. Cheers from Oz.
Herman Scherchen VSOO was my first love when it came to this timeless work, but there are so many other amazing contributors. One could build a cultural life around this piece
I was wondering if you'd bring up the Ansermet/Paris one. It's really great, I agree. I had that old London Stereo Treasury disc and loved it. True, the piece never grows old.
Silvestri for me. As you said, he turns The Bournemouth into something incredible. A performance which takes absolutely no prisoners in the last movement. Plenty of colour too. Thrilling!
Thank you, I was waiting for this one in fact. I agree with another commenter that suggests that you add performers' names of each version while discussing it in the video. It would make life easier for some and the visual memory could also help in recalling whatever we'd like to recall after watching it.
David - great seeing the Kondrashin, late Stokowski and of course the Silvestri recordings in the list. There is no better phrasing of the opening to the 2nd movement than Silvestri's... Those strings! Amazing!
One to add perhaps... Svetlanov and the LSO on BBC Legends (from a Proms performance I think). Typical Svetlanov fiery but expansive (try the coda and the big timpani roll and your beloved Tam-Tam in the final movement), but also very lyrical especially in the third movement.
By the way: I wonder if Kondrashin ever made an uninvolved recording. Everything I listen to that he conducted always sounds like he reeeally believes it. :) And I've got to know Markevitch's work better, because these video reviews have made me think the same of his approach. What a privilege to have recordings by artists like these - and someone to point them out!
Thank you! It is remarkable how much great stuff there is out there; it makes things so difficult for newcomers!
@@DavesClassicalGuide absolutely. Fortunately, beauty is always inexhaustible and so is human capacity for great artistry and empathy. As long as artists and audiences don't forget the last of these two attributes, I'd say.
Ya did it to me again! Just Mahler 1st with Kubelik, I kept hoping Fritz Reiner and there it is! I'm going to go play it right now!
I've just listened to Reiner's recording. A little drawback about its stereo image: first violins sounds on the very left side sometimes (and violin solo is sometimes shifts). But otherwise I agree with Mr. Hurwitz: this is fabulous. What brass and woodwinds did in the last movement with those short notes... That is beyond human capabilities.
Both the stokowski and reiner editions are really superb and bear repeat listenings
Stoki's rca or phase4 recording?
Oh yes, Reiner is just awesome. Chicago brass sounds just awesome. My second best is Celibidache with Munich Orchestra. I know that Celibidache was very controversial but I just love his version. I never heard Scheherezade which is so sad, melancholy and deeply spiritual. I just love moments when everything seems to stops, when sounds almost dissapears in air. This is why Celibidache is outstanding. So for me the two of my favourite best Scheherezade is completly different but I love both of them (Reiner and Celibidache) from different reasons.
so fascinating to learn of Mahler's keen assessment of Chabrier's Espana !
Thanks for these reviews, can’t wait to compare and contrast a few recordings. I actually think Rimsky-Korsakov’s symphonies are drastically underrated.
Godammit I cheered when your 'big however' was revealed.
Stokowski's Decca Phase 4 recording: "It's a coronary arrest on a plate"... Thanks for the laughs, Dave.
Many years ago, I read an interesting article in Stereo Review (back when it was a serious music review magazine) comparing the practice of lots of multi-miking vs. minimalist miking. After reading the article, and listening to recordings using both techniques, I came down firmly on the side of minimalist miking. It sounds much more transparent and natural, getting one closer to the illusion of listening to an actual orchestra in front of you. The multi-miker advocate in the article made it clear that he didn’t like the sound of orchestras “as they were”. He wanted to use the mixing board to “improve” the sound by giving it “more violins” (his words), etc. It’s for this reason that I know I’ll find the Reiner far superior to the Stowkowski sonically. The Reiner is a marvel of transparency. If I knew nothing about its vintage, it would be easy to convince me that it was made in the 80s. It’s that good. And yes, the performance is wonderful. I’ve also read that there is audible tape saturation on the Stowkowski. And I don’t want to hear Scheherazade by Nikolai Stowkowski. I want to hear the Rimsky Korsakov piece.
Minimalistic recordings are why I gravitate towards Mercury Living Presence recordings. Several of these are in high resolution (24/96 or 24/192) on Apple Music and they are astonishingly life like!
I read that Columbia/Epic asked Szell to record Scheherazade but he flatly refused. I've always wondered why. He did record Capriccio Espagnol.
I love your discussions and comments. Yes, who cares if it has development etc., it is a masterpiece. I'm keen to hear Eugene Goossens interpretation, particularly as Goossens was in his early musical career, the assistent to Beecham.
My "imprint" recording on Everest. I've returned to it for five decades.
What a great compendium! HOWEVER :) , my personal favourite is Leonard Bernstein with the NYPO, largely because of John Corigliano's sensual violin. Sometimes, I listen to Temirkanov's version just to listen to his irresistibly exaggerated percussion in the fourth movement...
Damn! I had Bernstein in my hand (and on my player) and was THIS CLOSE to including it!
@@DavesClassicalGuide Given your appreciation of Bernstein's work I was somewhat surprised not to find him here - but your other excellent choices surely make up for it!
Yes, I had the Reiner on reel-to-reel decades ago. One critic praised its "muscularity". Also so glad you mentioned Silvestri. I got the box a couple years ago and love it all. "Great conducting icons of the 20th Century, move over!" as one critic put it. Ist exposure, Mario Rossi on Vanguard Everyman. Wouldn't know how it stacks up against the others, but probably not high on the list.
One other version worth mentioning is Enrique Batiz with the Philharmonia on Naxos, aided by superb sonics.
Schwarz/Seattle is my fave. Superb.
Very interesting ! Please, don't forget Sergiu Celibidache with the SDR Symphony Orchestra (Stuttgart, Germany) in 1971. You can hear the conductor during the storm and it is worth listening to him.......for many reasons !
I agree. That long crescendo in the first movement is positively Brucknerian, and it's something Celibidache is really good at.
Most performances I have heard have a 2-3 minute cut in III; Kempe/RPO is complete.
Great reviews, David- Sheherazade is one of my favorites! Please consider putting the album and artist names of your reviews in the video description. It does help people find the CDs you recommend. Keep up the good work!
That's what I thought when David mentioned the Czech Philharmonic version. :)
There goes my budget.
My only recording was an LP of the San Francisco S O with Monteux. I thought it was marvelous, but it was the only one I had and that was a few years ago to be truthful. Of course how many others rate their first heard version to be the best of any piece?
My first version was by Hans Jurgen-Walther with the Hamburg Pro Musica (sic). Did nothing for me. Next was Eugene Goosens with the London Symphony. Imprinted on that one. The Monteux/SFO is famous.
Some great Orchestras and conductors noted here. Yes, the Stokowski is one of a kind.
The first version I ever heard was one my parents had on the Westminster LP, with the Vienna state opera orchestra conducted by Argeo Quadri. Even though in mono, it had a lot of dynamics and the second mov't with some well placed pauses.
totally agree! the reiner is the best, it is in the complete chicago simphony recordings boxset.
ruclips.net/video/3UqxWHQA4U4/видео.html
Reiner's version is wonderful
Yet another fun talk; and educational in many respects--not least in the sense that it taught me not to be so quick to slight Rimsky's Sheherazade.
Educational, too, for introducing me to Zdenek Chalabala. Everyone knows Reiner and Monteux and Stokowski... But Chalabala? Well, now I know too!
By the way... for those who may be searching for the Chalabala recording and haven't yet found it: As I write this, there's a super-cheap cd available at Amazon, on a label called "Classics for the Occasion." The album is titled--wait for it--"Fireplace Favorites"; the cover features a 1970s photo of a guy and gal in après-ski attire lazily lounging in front of a cozy fireplace and about to enjoy an unidentified libation that the gal is pouring out of a thermos bottle. I kid you not!
That's how I got it on CD. Years ago I owned it in a Parliament fake stereo L.P., where the whole orchestra wandered back and forth between speakers.
Chalabala was excellent in this repertoire... probably the last romantic Czech conductor... his Rusalka is a legend.... Surprised this rare disc has reached you...
Glad he included Silvestri, my pick.
I just heard this piece with Markevitch and the LSO. I was completely blown away. What a beauty!
I agree absolutely with you, Markevitch's version(omitted here!) could' be considered the best performance of this work, and another recording that must be mentioned would be Hermann Scherchen's recording with the Vienna Opera Orchestra, in Millennium(Universal!), marvellous sonido(¿?) for the epoque! Excuse my english please! Óscar Olavarría, from Chile
@@oscarignacioolavarriaaquev8363 Gracias por la recomendación, don Óscar. Nunca la he oído con el maestro Scherchen en el podio, pero tomo nota.
@@mancal5829 esa es una obra en que, como pasa con la Sinf Fantástica, no importa repetirse, yo debo tener 5 versiones: Ormandy, Ansermet, Zubin Mehta, Constantin Silvestri, y otras que no recuerdo! Saludos desde Chile
@@oscarignacioolavarriaaquev8363 Estoy muy de acuerdo; ahora mismo recuerdo tener esta obra con Markevitch, Ormandy (su versión monofónica), Mehta (mi primera), Ozawa y Ansermet. Un caluroso saludo desde Guatemala, Manuel.
@@mancal5829 si tiene la versión de Markevitch entonces no necesitas otra.....todas las demas llámense Beecham, Kondrashin, Ansermet, inclusive Ormandy, etc, quedan de lado, para mí esta es la versión definitiva de esta obra, y creo en las versiones definitivas o "unsurpassables" como se dice, esta es una de ellas!!!
A “sleeper” reccomendation from me: Fricsay. It's pretty much buried deep in the DG catalogue and it's mono, but this 1957 recording is one of my favourites. The solo violin tone is sumptuous and thick, and the orchestra finds the balance between precision and passion. Alas, not available individually but only as part of the DG MONO and the Fricsay Vol. 1 mega boxes.
I agree what a sleeper. Its in his "Life in Music" box set. This is a great Box superbly remastered and full of Gems. Not sure if its available still but one of the best versions of Scheherazade
Thanks to your passionate advocacy, I've been listening to Ormandy Philadelphia recordings. His Scheherezade is fantastic, and you didn't even mention it!
Yeah those lush strings are so right for this work. I like the RCA version with Norman Carol solo violin.
Dear Dave: Again, complete agreement! Already in my collection: Ansermet, in fact two versions with the OSCC, one recorded in 1948 and the other in 1954; Silvestri, Kempe, Maazel/Cleveland, Kondrashin, Termikanov/NYPO and Ozawa with the Vienna Philharmonic, plus, of course, Fritz Reiner. What do you think of Fricsay and Ormandy? Thanks!
Ormandy made the unfortunate decision to make a cut - a small one - in the 3rd movement. A shame.
I have listened to over 20 different versions and IMHO Krill Kondrashin with Concertgebouw on Philips 1979 is by far the best. Of course it is a matter of taste but I insist: Kondrashin and Concertgebouw has the best orchestral organization, best attention to detail, best see-thru, every instrument is very clearly hearable and very very disciplined. Recording quality is not the very best but it is good and very transparent. Mr. Hurwitz thank you again for your great reviews.
Where is the loud tam-tam crash at the climax of the last movement? A great performance otherwise...
absolutely agre with you. i was in the idea of write that Kondrashin is the best, but i found your comment. it´s an extremely vivid, elegant, contrasting performance, excellent. i saw that the editor replies you, and, if one particular element makes the difference for him, is valid, but not enough for me. in that same way then Bernstein Mahler should be rated very low respect what is attending "details"
My vote, a sleeper: Ashkenazy conf. Philharmonic, Warren-Green, violin soloist. It has it all, spacing, freshness, spontaneity, delicacy. The first violin solo entrance is enchanting, emerging out of the wind chord. It sounds improvised, perfectly capturing the story telling. The whole perf. is a marvel. Thoughts?
I think you should like what you like. There are so many to choose frojm--it's a problem (of a good kind).
Hi Charles, I agree absolutely with you about the Ashkenazy/Philharmonia version, one of my favourite as well!
@@DavesClassicalGuide What valuable therapy to share and learn from yours and other's views. The mind is free from shelter in place!
Yes!! This is my second favorite after the Reiner. The oboe solo at the beginning of the second movement is brilliant and the concertmaster solos separate from the pack.
My favorites are Ansermet, Reiner, Karajan, and Ashkenazy.
I think Kletzki hits the perfect balance between fireworks and fragrant perfume in Scheherazade.
Interesting - I've always enjoyed the Fritz Reiner's record and Previn's 1981 with Vienna Philharmonic. On that, Rainer Küchl's violin is really good, but the winds are a bit iffy. Will have to check out the Kempe and Stokowski for fun.
The Stokowski is marvellous in sound and performance! Try Beecham if you get the chance too.
Any thoughts about the Svetlanov reading with the Orchestre Symphonique de L'urss?
Early excitement over stereo must have factored into the enthusiasm for Sheherazade Mr. H is discussing; it's such a stereo-friendly piece. But maybe its reputation suffered because its thematic depth and texture were mistaken for a lack of sensitivity or drive?
Kondrashin is my choice...even without that tam-tam. Sounds like I need the Kempe or Reiner too.
me too
Hello David, Some of your recent video reviews - like this one about Sheherazade - have a lot of rumble in it, as a continuous background sound.
Is it the traffic outside? Is it possible to avoid it?
I have no idea. I didn't notice it. Could possibly be A/C in the other room, but that would be unavoidable. I turn it off when I do a video in whatever room I happen to be in.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Hello David. Thank you very much for answering. I hear the same rumble e.g. in your review of the Dvorak Slavonic Dances. BUT .... at 8:34 it suddenly stops. Very good ! ;-)
@@DavesClassicalGuide it’s AC but the electric kind (alternating current). Can tell it’s in America because it’s between Bb and B (60Hz).
Compared 3 of your top picks. Fully agree but found interesting differences between them. The Reiner is crisp, aggressive and very exciting. But it also sounds a bit mechanical, as if the orchestra are not fully involved and self-consciously playing the music at one step removed from it. By contrast, the Kondrashin is like Method Acting. The orchestra ARE the music, with the music seeming to play itself. It sounds sensuous, natural, expressive, but on the mellow side, perhaps even a little flabby. The BEST for me is Stokowski's spectacular recording AND orchestral playing. It's filled with moments of tension, sizzle and delight tumbling after each other all the way through. The instruments are all recorded very forwardly as you say but rather than sounding aggressive they sound resplendent.
Thanks for making the comparisons and sharing your feelings about them.
For me no one captures the spirit of the work more convincingly than Gergiev/Mariinsky. That is red-blooded Russian passion at its greatest.
The Mariinsky recording in 2006 is still my favorite for now ...
The horns are barely audible in loud parts and the strings are very muddy . It doesn't help that Gergiev takes a rather slow tempo.
I bought the CD you recommended of Fritz Reiner and the CSO, and I understand why you like it. There is an intensity of sound and playing. I did find the big climax of the return of the main theme in the finale a little messy, his percussion was a little out of sync. But I kind of forgave him for that. It's a performance of great character and intensity. The CSO sounded like a completely different animal to the later orchestra under Solti. But obviously they had a completely different personnel by then...I enjoyed it very much...
Reiner for me was just 'the' version - sumptuous sound and gorgeous playing (even on the bad RCA LP pressings they put out in the seventies). His Mussorgsky Pictures is fabulous too - listen to that Chicago brass!
I don't know why people get sniiffy about Rimsky - he composed some great pieces, Stravinsky was his pupil and he wrote one of the seminal works on orchestration.
Interesting you talked about Haitink's LPO recordings - I don't know his Scherazade but others were excellent - Stravinsky's Petrushka for instance - love that!
My LP of the Reiner sounds like garbage too, which is weird, since people pay outrageous prices for clean early pressings due to their reputation for sounding so fantastic.
Regarding Rimsky-Korsakov's symphonies, perhaps they're not his greatest works but they're still very good. His second symphony in particular, "Antar", is almost every bit as magical and well-orchestrated as Scheherazade.
...depending on which of its three versions you pick.
To me it is his 4th symphony.
Dave how about Ozawa with the Boston symphony on dg
How about it?
I've always had a soft spot for the Kempe recording, originally issued by World Record Club. I'm sure this is the version included in the Testamant box but it's the Royal Phil and not the Berlin Phil.
Yes, I know. I mis-spoke! My apologies,
@@DavesClassicalGuide No apology required. I share your enthusiasm for Kempe as a conductor and the RPO Scheherazade. It's a lovely performance. Havergal Brian? The LSSO Unicorn/CBS recordings and maybe the Gothic Symphony. A bit off the wall, I know! Thoughts?
My favorite is easily Leif Segerstam's with the Sinfonica de Galicia. The vocals are wonderful 🤣
I do like your enthusiasm for each of the recordings, the final choice was interesting as I have never listened to this recording or several of the others you have mentioned. Listening to Reiner recording was interesting that tempo Allegro non troppo was a bit too brisk for my liking but the recording is fabulous, nice and clear just not keen on some of his tempos markings.
Can you recommend more amazing works amazingly conducted by Fritz Reiner? Thx!
Reiner did Richard Strauss very well - Zarathustra (twice), Heldenleben, among others. His Respighi Pines and Fountains are unsurpassed, as is his Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition. Reiner recorded some very good Beethoven (syms 3,5,6,7, & 9),Mahler (Sym 4, Das Lied von der Erde), and Debussy (La Mer, Iberia). Reiner's Alexander Nevsky (Prokofiev) is excellent, as is his pioneering recording of Hohvaness' Symphony "Mysterious Mountain".
@@barrygray8903 Thank you!
Reiner has a lot of standouts in the first Living Stereo box, including a selection of Spanish pieces titled "Iberia." Mr. Hurwitz mentioned his Bartok Concerto for Orchestra while doing a Repertoire on that, which is very highly rated by many.
A couple of other great recordings by the Reiner/CSO are Rachmaninoff Isle of the Dead and Stravinsky Song of the Nightingale.
Stravinsky himself said after hearing this performance said that Reiner's Chicago Symphony was the most precise and flexible orchestra in the world.
Do you know the recording with Mackerras and the London Symphony Orchestra? I heard pretty good things about this recording. And the sonics should also be great... (like almost always on telarc)
I have it, it's very good, but the sonics are not as fine as usual for Telarc.
Jack Renner or any of the other usual Telarc engineers did not engineer this recording. Instead, it is a British team and the sound is very homogeneous with a ton of hall sound. So the detail and transparency are not there as one would expect from Telarc. The ASO/Spano is my go to Scherezade along with CSO/Reiner.
@David Hurwitz - I have to ask, Have you seen Leif Segerstam's version with Galicia (ruclips.net/video/zY4w4_W30aQ/видео.html) ? What do you think of those pirate yells? My opinion, I love Leif! :D how can you be so wrong and so right at the same time? That's Leif's thing... :D
Glenn Gould; "I hum."
Leif Segerstam: "Hold my Glogg..."
Eccentric and lacking in finesse.
I thought the Kempe performance in the Icon box was with the Royal PO. Is there also a Berlin recording?
Yes, just bought it! High expentance for Haitink too which seems almost out of print
@@andreashelling3076 What label is the Berlin recording on?
Alex Brown Testament
@@andreashelling3076 On that disc the *couplings* are with Berlin, but Scheherazade is with the Royal PO as Dave notes in his written review www.classicstoday.com/review/review-8537/ - looking at Kempe discographies I'm not seeing a Berlin Scheherazade listed ...
Alex Brown Yeh,u are right its with the RPO, doesnt matter , ordered it already,)
What about Mackerras with los beautiful Sherheazade do you like that one?
Sure.
@@DavesClassicalGuide riner is great learning so much from your channel thanks so much,😁
My go to and in dire need of re-releasing is Kletzki with the Philharmonia, it is superb with an excellent ballance of lyricism and drama. I like Gergiev a lot but the sound is a bit boomy at times (if the recording quality of the Svetlanov was better I would place it in the front rank). Kondrashin is excellent too but the violin (HERMAN Krebbers no less) is a little too recessed (ie natural!) for me. For a digital option with really good sound I go for Muti.
Very much agree! I picked up the Kletzki for peanuts on cassette decades ago, and had always enjoyed it; of course the cassette expired, and now it's mostly only available on vinyl (or, rarely, on CD -- for exorbitant prices). Pretty sure it would stand up well to the competition.
@@cloudymccloud00 Yes I too had it on tape, then found a cd which made me wonder if it had been burned as it's so rare, but with patience you do see it come up every now and then second hand for not very much. Kletzki's is one that keeps you riveted from beginning to end
What were the BEST Decca Phase 4 recordings, apart from Sheherazade, David? I think the Ketelbey Eric Rogers may be the ONE!
Oh my--there were a bunch of them--lots of Stoki, also Munch, Stanley Black...
Doráti did a wonderful Boutique Fantasque with the Royal Philharmonic that doesn't even sound too gimmicky.
You mention a virtuoso orchestra and a virtuoso conductor, and especially the first desk players of the woodwinds, but you don't mention the Sheherazades themselves, i.e. the concert masters. My ideal is someone who embues the solos with a dreamlike fairytale quality. For me Staryk in Beecham's version has this quality.
That's only because I think most violinists do a decent enough job and so require little comment. Everyone will have a favorite, of course, but the proportion of good ones is much higher than with truly distinctive woodwind solos.
@@DavesClassicalGuide I tried to express what I think is "a decent enough job" to show that just a few concert masters succeed.
Amazed Ormandy didn’t make it onto this list. That recording’s wonderfully tasteful tempi, amazingly rich sonorities, and stunningly well-played solos by Brusilov et al. (as well as its coupling with a hot-blooded Russian Easter Holiday Celebratory Repetitive Longname Overture and a fantastically peppy Capriccio Espagnol) make it my however pick.
It has no tam-tam. Not that there's anything seriously wrong with that.
Which Stokowski, Cala, Decca Jubilee, or the one you recommended?
If I were buying it today, I'd get the Cala release, which includes production recordings of Stokowski working with the orchestra and engineers, offering marvelous insight into his process, as well as spectacularly remastered sound.
@@frederickdsmarshall Thanks for the recommendation, recently bought a copy........great sound. I would like to ask you a question, as a whole are Japanese cds superior in sound?
What are your thoughts on the Gergiev/Kirov recording from 2002?
Check out reviews at ClassicsToday.com.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Thank you!
Oops, auto correct there. Below should read Ashkenazy, PHILHARMONIA.
I wonder why Beecham/Royal PO doesn't get more mentioning these days.
Because it's really not great.
@@DavesClassicalGuide False. It is great. Seen from a different view.
Rarely have enjoyed this piece. Based on your survey, I may try Ansermet/Paris or Markevitch/London as antidote to the excess of Stoki and others. Sheherazade is my least favorite sonic spectacular and of the recordings you have mentioned the only one I could listen to all the way through was Silvestri, who conducts as though it matters.
Thank you. Yes, it's true: for decades there was a sort of "german prejudice" about non-german composers in general...in particular here in italy many scholars or musicians of the so called "post war avant-garde" followed the ideas of Th. W. Adorno which I personally find awful and trivial. And they didn't care about the fact that many austro- german composers and conductors were fans of russian music, such as Kempe, Strauss or Karajan, only to quote a few...however, Scheherazade is a real masterpiece of color and substance and german composers like Brahms for example, which is hailed as one of the most significant symphonist of the 19th century, should have study with care this wonderful Rimsky's score to understand really what is the concept of "orchestral brilliance". Anyway, I would like to quote another two recordings of Sheherazade that really impressed me: one historical, with the underrated Artur Rodzinski & Cleveland Orchestra, and one more modern, stunningly performed and recorded, with Barry Wordsworth and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra...wonderful!
They loved Adorno because he is often incomprehensible and makes them feel important when they claim to understand him.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Ah ah ah! You have absolutely reason and I totally agree with you :D But fortunately our avant-garde had his open-minded composers...Berio was among them for example and surprisingly also Luigi Nono was among them (Nono was a fan of Shostakovich in a time that other avant-gardists despised the great russian-soviet composer...)
No Kondrashin? Svetlanov? Celibidache? Ever heard the great recording of Lovro von Matačić with the Philharmonia Orchestra??? And Karajan´s recording of Scheherazade is really a first liga recording. Much better than Ansermet and Monteux.
No watching? No paying attention? Oy!
@@DavesClassicalGuide Ansermet did an earlier recording with the same PCO back in 1948 and released by DECCA/LONDON which is exquisite. Even better than the 1950s stereo recording. Much more involved. Hear the delightful 3rd movement to hear a real sensual experience. And incidentally the later 1950s stereo recording is not bad at all but the 1960 recording has a superior orchestra in L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (LONDON CS-6225) one of the best analog recordings this work ever had.\
Sorry, London CS-6212 - coupled with Borodin's Polovetsian Dances.
Why didn't you mention the classic Beecham version - it's a highly regarded performance, although not the greatest sound?
Because it's hugely overrated.
@@DavesClassicalGuide No. Not overrated. It is lyrical, sweet, fairy tale like. One of the very best. More of an introverted sweet style totally becoming of the tale. There are more flamboyant ones to be sure but Beecham has magic.
In your opinion.@@DavesClassicalGuide
. Stokowski? Seriously? His contempt for the great score is despicable. I've heard his recordings and they are all detestable, especially the Royal Phil version. I love the Reiner, but my go to Scheherazade is still Goosens with the London Symphony on Everest. Fabulous.
oh yes the Goosens with the LSO on Everest ! - I remember it well ! - 'tis the one I fell in love with as a precocious classical music loving kid
Stoky is detestable but Goosens is ok? His claim to fame for me is his
" improvements " to MESSIAH.
I imprinted on the Goosens and still return to it-- which doesn't make it the "best"; just a favorite. If Everest hadn't gone belly up the recording might be more highly regarded.
@@geraldmartin7703unnily enough the goosens is one of my least favourite recordings i’ve heard
I'll never get tired of the contempt with which you say "Bruckner". LOL
Beecham's recording with the Royal Philharmonic is a lyric delight, with flowing tempi and effortless transitions. The recorded sound is warm yet detailed , the orchestral balance convincingly natural, with superb wind playing and compelling violin narratives by Stephen Staryk (whose intonation is stunningly perfect throughout). It is one of EMI's finest Beecham efforts.
It's a snooze, and the engineering is lousy.
I fully agree with Mr. Deacon. Dave needs to get better audio equipment. Just try the early English stereo pressing in a superb analog LP pressing with the best audio equipment and you will hear a natural sounding recording as there ever was. Beecham is indescribable beautiful. I also admire the Reiner, Stokowski, Ansermet and Monteux performances. As well as Chalabala (I own 66 Scheherazades). But this Beecham is sui generis. Thumbs down to Dave.
@@silviofernandez585My late brother swore by the original Beecham LP recording as the
benchmark for this work on disc, I atill recall his irritation when I bought a copy of the Monteux
version when I couldn't get the Beecham LP from the local shop.
Great study in orchestration. Didn’t R-K write a book on the subject?
He did.
Stokowski Decca. Everyone else is second place. My favorite mono is VanBeinum.
The original Stokowski London/Decca L.P. had a horrendous "flapping" sound-- like an enormous vulture taking off-- that marred the closing measures. It was mentioned in one of the early magazine reviews and it was prominent on the L.P I bought. It was not on the CD purchased decades later and I've always wondered if it was a Stokowski "improvement" that Decca later thought the better of.
@@geraldmartin7703 I have the original open reel issue. No flapping sound. It was a flaw in the original LP.