Wanted to share my renewed enthusiasm for Prokofiev's complete "Cinderella."
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| Posted on May 3, 2015 at 10:44:00 | ||
 All the reviews of the music seem to start the same: "not as inspired as the composer's Romeo and Juliet." I disagree. Prokofiev's "Cinderella" ballet is more astringent, but hardly less ingratiating and memorable than R&J if given a chance. (Much like trying to enjoy Rachmaninoff's 3rd Symphony in the same way one enjoys his 2nd.) My association with this music began in the 80's when I picked up the US Angel box set with Rozhdestvensky and the Moscow Radio Symphony. (I know: curiously not "large" this time.) I too was expecting R&J part II, and although bowled over right away by the lush Amoroso theme, I found my mind wandering throughout most of the rest because of the relative "lightness" and ostensible "light-heartedness" of the music. The great "Duet of the Prince and Cinderella" (the ballet's "Balcony Scene"), initially disappointed me as well (bizarre echos of Copland!) but now I find the grinding, angular climax(s) of the Cinderella love scene equally effective as orgasmic metaphor. Other gems include the hustling/bustling music of "Purveyors and the Sisters' new Clothes," the mischievous solo violin in the "Dance Lesson," the magical, delicate, balmy music of the "Summer Fairy," the remarkable, hallucinatory "Midnight" scene...I could go on and on. And I will: The "Amoroso" theme, reprised in the glorious finale, is the greatest moment of all. Those who only own the Orchestral Suites 1&2 are missing out; it's not included. On Lp box set I know Previn's, Ashkenazy's, (digital); and I should also mention Slatkin's 1 Lp synthesis, (also digital). None capture the liveliness, fun, fantasy, edginess and ardor that Rozhdestvensky captures, and his musicians are right there with him. Just marvel at the preciseness of ensemble in the "Purveyors of the Sisters' New Clothes" (Vivo!) -- they're right up there with the Cleveland. The other versions are too soft-edged (Slatkin), stiff-lipped (Ashkenazy), or sugary (Previn). I don't know of anyone who makes a better case for this music--all of it--than Rozhdestvensky. (If you can only handle the Suites, go with Ansermet.) The Melodiya recording can be had as an original, a UK HMV (which I now proudly own, pictured above), a spartan MHS gatefold, a Eurodisc or a US Angel. I'd recommend the HMV or Eurodisc. The greatest news of all is that the Melodiya engineers were on their toes that day: the Russian strings come closest yet to something that could be called silkiness. Climaxes are given an unusual amount of headroom, percussion has a nice bite, bells glimmer and there's a good sense of hall space. Only the slightest touches of harshness once and awhile. A set to be cherished. And not collectable. What more can one want?
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| Thanks, one of the few Strauss operas I don't know nt., posted on May 5, 2015 at 08:13:56 | |
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