Kondrashin was easily my favorite Russian conductor. His Beethoven 4 was my first recording (Seraphim), and it's still one of my faves. And of course, his Kalinnikov 1st (Melodiya/Angel) easily outshined its replacement by Svetlanov. Yes, this Scheherazade is absolute stunning. Such a tragedy that he was struck down so young.
Dear Mr. Hurowitz, Your new reference recording series is truly exceptional. I purchased two copies of this CD while living in the USA, and I have two more copies back home in Belgrade, Serbia. All of your thematic series are fantastic. Thank you for your work and dedication to music.
Scheherazade is one of my absolute favorite pieces. Kondrashin's recording is wonderful, I agree and a great choice as a reference recording. My personal favorites are the Kempe recording and the RPO (so sumptuous) and the Silvestri and Bournemouth (so colorful) and Ansermet and Paris (so elegant). The Ozawa with Boston is quite beautiful too. I know many people love the Reiner but when I listen to that recording it seems stiff compared to the ones I mention.
I've made this comment before, but I'll add it every time Dave mentions this album. This is a terrific recording from first note to last. The performances are great and (although I don't know anything about the timpani) the recording really captures the hall.
I was introduced to Scheherazade in 1960s England. I absolutely loved the violin solo and the piece has remained one of my favourites to this day. Nobody ever mentioned to me the Beecham recording. It wasn't on my radar. I bought the Reiner recording and that remains my first love, for this piece anyway. It is really important that British music lovers are not tarred with the same brush as the snobbish critics. Reginald Bridgecottage is no friend of mine!
I bought this on LP when it first came out and now have it on CD. It has always been my go to reading. Great choice for Scheherazade reference recording. Fully agreed about the original album art. On LP, a real treasure to be enjoyed.
I don’t know if there is a reference recording for Capriccio Espagnole. I have versions conducted by Temirkanov, Ormandy, Dorati, and now Kondrashin. I love each and every one. But I got Kondrashin for the reference recording of Scheherazade on David’s recommendation. Boy am I glad. The Capriccio Espagnole (which my favorite by RK) is a rollercoaster. It’s powerful, passionate, fast and will blow your hair backward. (Well, not Dave. It will blow my totally gray hair backwards.) Dave - I can’t than you enough for this channel and your website. You’ve reignited my passion for the beauty of classical music and I’ve been listening for decades. Since I was a little kid listening to live from the Met by the Texaco Opera on Saturdays.
My favorite recorded Scheherazade 🥰. Glad you also think so highly of it. (I think Segerstam with the Sinfónica de Galicia here in TH-cam is incredible too, but, alas, it's not available on disc as far as I know)
If someone does not likes Scheherazade it is only because he or she haven't heard it, or died and was not told about it. Now, Kondrashin's with the Concertgebow has always been among my favorites, specially the second movement, actually I consider it the best second movement ever recorded of this piece. In the fourth I still love Stokowski's in the Phase 4 series with the LSO, with those tam tams added. And that CD is coupled with those excellent recordings with Markevitch.
To me happened something that is quite common I guess, wich is Ithe first recording I heard is the one I like the most. I`ve heard others (Reiner, Haitink, Karajan just to name a few) but I keep coming back to Maazel with the Berlin Philarmonic. Altough, while I`m writing this I` m listening to the 2nd movement of your reference recording and I am ejoying it a lot. Thanks
Never heard Kondrashin's recording -- will need to search it out. I saw him leading the LAPO in a wonderful concert concluding with a magnificent _Firebird_ . Less than two weeks later, I opened the newspaper and found his obituary.
I have a pretty up and down listening relationship with Karajan, but I've always felt his Scheherazade from the late 60s was about as perfect an expression of what he and the BPO were capable of at their best moments--up there with his Sibelius 4-7, which I think they did around the same time.
It wasn't only in Britain that the Beecham RPO disc was lauded. Hiigh Fidelity and R.D. Darrell, for one, also loved the Beecham recording. BUT stereo had just come in and the EMI (Angel here) was one of the first stereo versions EVAHH and that probably had something to do with it. (I haven't heard it again in a couple of decades but its on my bucket list to give it a spin.) The Kondrashin CD is a jewel which I bought prompted by a Dave video. There are a select few, very few, Scheherezades that make me forget its repetitiousness and just wallow in it and Kondrashin is near or at the top of the list. But so is Ormandy stereo with Brusilow's wonderful violin playing.
I expected some mention of the Phase 4 Stokowski, if only because I seem to recall every reviewer mentioning that version -- and the Reiner -- every time the topic of Scheherazade came up back in the '70s. But I suppose that rendition was too controversial when it first came out to be considered a reference recording. It's still my personal favorite, thought the Kondrashin is indeed superb.
Yes, we ALL love Scheherazade! I first heard it as a kid in a Utah Symphony concert. I don't know how I got away with it, but I brought a reel-to-reel tape recorder with a bunch of tapes and recorded the concert from my seat. The symphony program had an advertisement inside recommending we all go out and buy Seiji Ozawa's recording on LP with the Chicago Symphony. I listened to my pirated recording until I could get to a record store, where I couldn't begin to afford the Ozawa recording, but purchased a Vienna State Opera Orchestra recording instead, conducted by Mario Rossi for about two dollars. I remember loving it. Today, I have no idea what that recording sounded like but it probably prepared me to love every recording I've heard since.
FOLLOWUP: Hunted down and BOUGHT (FLAC, download) that old Mario Rossi/Vienna St. Opera recording -- guess what it cost me? $2. Not bad, really. He takes brisk tempi and maintains an exciting overall performance. My next recording, from a public library, was Stokowski's London Phase-4 Stereo. That was quite a contrast. Now, listening to Ozawa's Chicago Symphony recording. Definitely a larger orchestra than Rossi's. All in all, those billion recordings of Scheherazade are all pretty lucky -- if you play all the notes, you're going to get a pretty good recording. The music simply works!
@@kellyrichardson3665I just downloaded the Kondrashin in hi-res 96/24 quality, as well as standard flac quality. Dave was not exaggerating it's greatness.
Beecham was certainly the "go to" version back in the day, albeit that a respected publication drew attention to the "thin" string tone. I have a number of recordings, on LP and CD, the latest being from an Istanbul, Turkey ensemble - certainly worth checking out by anyone unfamiliar with its existence.
For Rimsky-Korsakov, I must say that I simply adore the 3 CDs by Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony Orchestra on Naxos. I also quite like the Suite recordings made my Neeme Järvi... 40 years ago now! Can't say I like his symphonies however. On a complete other note, I just discovered Bartok's Suite No. 1 on Tomas Dausgaard's recording on Onyx (1905 version). I expected a short work for orchestra, not 40 minutes of beautiful, energetic and sometimes humorous music! Why is this not played more often?
The Kondrashin and the Reiner are my two favorites. Reiner, I think, has the most intense storm. But I think I actually do like the Kondrashin more. It's been a while.
Am I the only one, who think we are in dire need of a Kondrashin box?! 🤔 PS. I just heard one of the Overflow-Sibelius-posts...and discovered to my great delight, no, I'm not the only one! Let's hope the message reaches the higher echelons of executive power in the record industry...or that "someone" might drop a word to the splendid people at Australian Eloquence! 🫠
(If you haven't already done one) how about a video topic of 10 or so best recordings on Philips. They were such a fine label, and now that would re reissued on Decca people would know what to keep an eye out for 😊
The Kondrashin is terrific, it's just too bad they couldn't couple with his RCA recording of Capriccio Espagnol. Now that was one exciting recording! So many good Scheherazades and my favorites are Monteux, Goosens, Mackerras, all coincidentally with the London Symphony Orchestra. But definitely NOT the LSO recordings from Svetlanov or Stokowski!
Heh was just listening to Bernstein/NYPO of this a little while ago, as I found out the senior level of the local youth orchestra is playing this on Sunday and I wanted a quick refresher.
The Bernstein recording was my first which my dad bought me when I was about 8 years old and my introduction to "Classical Music". Since that day and 60 years later this Bernstein recording has remained my "favorite recording".
Scheherazade, oh yes! Always a favorite with me. But my own "reference recording" for it is on ... Reference Recordings: Jose Serebrier conducting the London Philharmonic. Also comes with the Russian Easter Overture. For both, you really need a recording with a lot of oomph, and this one has oomph in spades.
I'm sure most of us predicted this one. It hits all the descriptors of the reference recording, which is, as you say, not necessarily better than the other great ones, and maybe not even any given individual's personal favorite, but it's played to perfection, smooth as hell, with the great Krebbers doing his thing.
I don't know about the cd release, but I'm just now listening to the original 1980 lp of Kondrashin on Philips and there is plenty bottom end! I wonder if they stripped out something in the transfer to cd. The tam tam crash is weak, yes, but still present.
Thank you for this video. It's very interesting, and I do agree that, while the older Reiner and Beecham productions have got more attention recently with the vinyl resurgence, this one is universally recognised as an example of a great Scheherazade, which cannot always be said for those two others. By the way, will you make a video on the new Vienna Octet box from Eloquence? I've heard that Eloquence will also be putting out a box of the collected recordings of the New Vienna Octet and the Vienna Wind Soloists, which should also be very interesting.
Thoughts on Glenn Gould's Goldberg Variations as a reference recording? It's probably the most well-known version of the work, which also catapulted it to fame, but given Glenn Gould's very particular style and sonics I'm not sure how reference-y it is
Hi Dave, great video! Awesome *** How do you feel about Leonard Bernstein version? Leonard Bernstein New York Philharmonic ML 5387 - Thank you in advance * Awesome work
The LSO/Previn remains a favorite for its drama and pacing, but primarily for the sweet solo violin sound of John Georgiadis. Is there a post-1980 recording that you believe might become a reference?
With whom, exactly, does it remain a favorite? ;) If there have been any since 1980 that might become a reference, no one is discussing them as such (although there have been some excellent versions).
The Previn LSO recording is quite good -- and a billion times better than his recording with Vienna which is one of the worst recordings of the piece. Haven't decided which is worst that one or the Boughton and English String Orchestra.
Thanks Dave (I must live in cave) I've long had the spectacular Reiner recording, but per your recommendation I'm now going to get the Kondrashin recording - that's one I've never even heard of before. How are you for the works of Ernst Krenek?
The Reiner will always by my reference for this work. I do enjoy other recordings of it as well.
This one is also magnificent.
Kondrashin was easily my favorite Russian conductor. His Beethoven 4 was my first recording (Seraphim), and it's still one of my faves. And of course, his Kalinnikov 1st (Melodiya/Angel) easily outshined its replacement by Svetlanov. Yes, this Scheherazade is absolute stunning. Such a tragedy that he was struck down so young.
Dear Mr. Hurowitz,
Your new reference recording series is truly exceptional. I purchased two copies of this CD while living in the USA, and I have two more copies back home in Belgrade, Serbia. All of your thematic series are fantastic. Thank you for your work and dedication to music.
Thanks for listening!
Ormandy on Columbia, for reference and favorite.
I've loved it since years ago, only much later got to know it was a reference recording. I'm glad to know it holds true even today!
Scheherazade is one of my absolute favorite pieces. Kondrashin's recording is wonderful, I agree and a great choice as a reference recording. My personal favorites are the Kempe recording and the RPO (so sumptuous) and the Silvestri and Bournemouth (so colorful) and Ansermet and Paris (so elegant). The Ozawa with Boston is quite beautiful too. I know many people love the Reiner but when I listen to that recording it seems stiff compared to the ones I mention.
I've made this comment before, but I'll add it every time Dave mentions this album. This is a terrific recording from first note to last. The performances are great and (although I don't know anything about the timpani) the recording really captures the hall.
Mackerras/LSO on Telarc is also excellent.
Why hasn't anybody done the complete orchestral works of Rimsky-Korsakov? This would be a great project for Chandos and Jarvi.
I was introduced to Scheherazade in 1960s England. I absolutely loved the violin solo and the piece has remained one of my favourites to this day. Nobody ever mentioned to me the Beecham recording. It wasn't on my radar. I bought the Reiner recording and that remains my first love, for this piece anyway. It is really important that British music lovers are not tarred with the same brush as the snobbish critics. Reginald Bridgecottage is no friend of mine!
I bought this on LP when it first came out and now have it on CD. It has always been my go to reading. Great choice for Scheherazade reference recording. Fully agreed about the original album art. On LP, a real treasure to be enjoyed.
This series of chats is just fascinating. Thank you!
If I ever become famous or a criminal, my alias will be Reginald Bridgecottage.
How about Cuthbert Girdlestone?
Or Adrian Wapkaplett?
How about Alergnon Quizzelbee!
Dave Hurwitz is at his best in this video! Really a great survey of Scheherazade recordings!
I don’t know if there is a reference recording for Capriccio Espagnole. I have versions conducted by Temirkanov, Ormandy, Dorati, and now Kondrashin. I love each and every one. But I got Kondrashin for the reference recording of Scheherazade on David’s recommendation. Boy am I glad. The Capriccio Espagnole (which my favorite by RK) is a rollercoaster. It’s powerful, passionate, fast and will blow your hair backward. (Well, not Dave. It will blow my totally gray hair backwards.)
Dave - I can’t than you enough for this channel and your website. You’ve reignited my passion for the beauty of classical music and I’ve been listening for decades. Since I was a little kid listening to live from the Met by the Texaco Opera on Saturdays.
Wow I wouldve bet my head that it would be Reiner...i thought it was as "reference" as reference could get
My favorite recorded Scheherazade 🥰. Glad you also think so highly of it.
(I think Segerstam with the Sinfónica de Galicia here in TH-cam is incredible too, but, alas, it's not available on disc as far as I know)
Yeah, particularly the shouts in the finale
@@JamesCello Hahaha yes. If it had been described to me I would have thought "what a terrible idea!", but somehow it totally works :P
If someone does not likes Scheherazade it is only because he or she haven't heard it, or died and was not told about it. Now, Kondrashin's with the Concertgebow has always been among my favorites, specially the second movement, actually I consider it the best second movement ever recorded of this piece. In the fourth I still love Stokowski's in the Phase 4 series with the LSO, with those tam tams added. And that CD is coupled with those excellent recordings with Markevitch.
To me happened something that is quite common I guess, wich is Ithe first recording I heard is the one I like the most. I`ve heard others (Reiner, Haitink, Karajan just to name a few) but I keep coming back to Maazel with the Berlin Philarmonic. Altough, while I`m writing this I` m listening to the 2nd movement of your reference recording and I am ejoying it a lot. Thanks
I have the Maazel, I'll have to give it a closer listen.
One of your best reviews, Mr. H.! You had me in the floor by citing the august Brit soloists on the Beecham Scheherazade.
That Kondrashin recording with the Concertgebouw was one of the earliest classical recordings I ever purchased.
Never heard Kondrashin's recording -- will need to search it out. I saw him leading the LAPO in a wonderful concert concluding with a magnificent _Firebird_ . Less than two weeks later, I opened the newspaper and found his obituary.
I have a pretty up and down listening relationship with Karajan, but I've always felt his Scheherazade from the late 60s was about as perfect an expression of what he and the BPO were capable of at their best moments--up there with his Sibelius 4-7, which I think they did around the same time.
I have both Reiner and Kondrashin, I probably listen to Reiners the most but I adore the Concertgebouw so Kondrashin is fabulous also.
It wasn't only in Britain that the Beecham RPO disc was lauded. Hiigh Fidelity and R.D. Darrell, for one, also loved the Beecham recording. BUT stereo had just come in and the EMI (Angel here) was one of the first stereo versions EVAHH and that probably had something to do with it. (I haven't heard it again in a couple of decades but its on my bucket list to give it a spin.)
The Kondrashin CD is a jewel which I bought prompted by a Dave video. There are a select few, very few, Scheherezades that make me forget its repetitiousness and just wallow in it and Kondrashin is near or at the top of the list. But so is Ormandy stereo with Brusilow's wonderful violin playing.
Great choice from a sizeable field of contenders. Krebbers on violin is always a good thing.
I expected some mention of the Phase 4 Stokowski, if only because I seem to recall every reviewer mentioning that version -- and the Reiner -- every time the topic of Scheherazade came up back in the '70s. But I suppose that rendition was too controversial when it first came out to be considered a reference recording. It's still my personal favorite, thought the Kondrashin is indeed superb.
I have discussed it many times, most recently in the "bad remakes" video, but a "reference" it is not.
Thank you! You mentioned great ones, for sure. I reserve the right to let my 'reference preference' for Scheherazade be on float setting. 😃
Yes, we ALL love Scheherazade! I first heard it as a kid in a Utah Symphony concert. I don't know how I got away with it, but I brought a reel-to-reel tape recorder with a bunch of tapes and recorded the concert from my seat. The symphony program had an advertisement inside recommending we all go out and buy Seiji Ozawa's recording on LP with the Chicago Symphony. I listened to my pirated recording until I could get to a record store, where I couldn't begin to afford the Ozawa recording, but purchased a Vienna State Opera Orchestra recording instead, conducted by Mario Rossi for about two dollars. I remember loving it. Today, I have no idea what that recording sounded like but it probably prepared me to love every recording I've heard since.
FOLLOWUP: Hunted down and BOUGHT (FLAC, download) that old Mario Rossi/Vienna St. Opera recording -- guess what it cost me? $2. Not bad, really. He takes brisk tempi and maintains an exciting overall performance. My next recording, from a public library, was Stokowski's London Phase-4 Stereo. That was quite a contrast. Now, listening to Ozawa's Chicago Symphony recording. Definitely a larger orchestra than Rossi's. All in all, those billion recordings of Scheherazade are all pretty lucky -- if you play all the notes, you're going to get a pretty good recording. The music simply works!
@@kellyrichardson3665I just downloaded the Kondrashin in hi-res 96/24 quality, as well as standard flac quality. Dave was not exaggerating it's greatness.
Beecham was certainly the "go to" version back in the day, albeit that a respected publication
drew attention to the "thin" string tone. I have a number of recordings, on LP and CD, the latest
being from an Istanbul, Turkey ensemble - certainly worth checking out by anyone unfamiliar
with its existence.
For Rimsky-Korsakov, I must say that I simply adore the 3 CDs by Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony Orchestra on Naxos. I also quite like the Suite recordings made my Neeme Järvi... 40 years ago now! Can't say I like his symphonies however.
On a complete other note, I just discovered Bartok's Suite No. 1 on Tomas Dausgaard's recording on Onyx (1905 version). I expected a short work for orchestra, not 40 minutes of beautiful, energetic and sometimes humorous music! Why is this not played more often?
The Kondrashin and the Reiner are my two favorites. Reiner, I think, has the most intense storm. But I think I actually do like the Kondrashin more. It's been a while.
Am I the only one, who think we are in dire need of a Kondrashin box?! 🤔
PS. I just heard one of the Overflow-Sibelius-posts...and discovered to my great delight, no, I'm not the only one! Let's hope the message reaches the higher echelons of executive power in the record industry...or that "someone" might drop a word to the splendid people at Australian Eloquence! 🫠
(If you haven't already done one) how about a video topic of 10 or so best recordings on Philips.
They were such a fine label, and now that would re reissued on Decca people would know what to keep an eye out for 😊
Kondrashin for me, your and Paul Wakabayasi recommendations at Tower so long ago. Love Reiner, too.
Ah the memories!
The Kondrashin is terrific, it's just too bad they couldn't couple with his RCA recording of Capriccio Espagnol. Now that was one exciting recording! So many good Scheherazades and my favorites are Monteux, Goosens, Mackerras, all coincidentally with the London Symphony Orchestra. But definitely NOT the LSO recordings from Svetlanov or Stokowski!
Heh was just listening to Bernstein/NYPO of this a little while ago, as I found out the senior level of the local youth orchestra is playing this on Sunday and I wanted a quick refresher.
I only have that and 3 different Stokowski's because it is included on each box set from the labels he's recorded for.
The Bernstein recording was my first which my dad bought me when I was about 8 years old and my introduction to "Classical Music". Since that day and 60 years later this Bernstein recording has remained my "favorite recording".
Scheherazade, oh yes! Always a favorite with me. But my own "reference recording" for it is on ... Reference Recordings: Jose Serebrier conducting the London Philharmonic. Also comes with the Russian Easter Overture. For both, you really need a recording with a lot of oomph, and this one has oomph in spades.
By no means a "reference." www.classicstoday.com/review/review-3368/?search=1
I'm sure most of us predicted this one. It hits all the descriptors of the reference recording, which is, as you say, not necessarily better than the other great ones, and maybe not even any given individual's personal favorite, but it's played to perfection, smooth as hell, with the great Krebbers doing his thing.
I thought it was Fritz Reiner with Chicago symphony orchestra
But kondrashin is also great
I don't know about the cd release, but I'm just now listening to the original 1980 lp of Kondrashin on Philips and there is plenty bottom end! I wonder if they stripped out something in the transfer to cd. The tam tam crash is weak, yes, but still present.
No, the CD sounds fine.
Dave noted the Beecham recording as lacking bottom end, not the Kondrashin. 🙂
@@Godbluffer Ah, yes. Thanks.
Muti Philadelphia EMI is vg too
Thank you for this video. It's very interesting, and I do agree that, while the older Reiner and Beecham productions have got more attention recently with the vinyl resurgence, this one is universally recognised as an example of a great Scheherazade, which cannot always be said for those two others. By the way, will you make a video on the new Vienna Octet box from Eloquence? I've heard that Eloquence will also be putting out a box of the collected recordings of the New Vienna Octet and the Vienna Wind Soloists, which should also be very interesting.
Thoughts on Glenn Gould's Goldberg Variations as a reference recording? It's probably the most well-known version of the work, which also catapulted it to fame, but given Glenn Gould's very particular style and sonics I'm not sure how reference-y it is
The like the slower ‘81 recording best.
Great musician Trevor Frockfwhistle he was, bassonist doubling the clarinet 😂
Oh, wow. This is indeed my favorite, but I truly expected Reiner to be the reference. How about Daphnis?
Hi David
What do you think of Chailly's interpretation? I have heard it for the first time and it is somewhat strange to my ears. Best regards.
Hi Dave, great video! Awesome *** How do you feel about Leonard Bernstein version? Leonard Bernstein New York Philharmonic ML 5387 - Thank you in advance * Awesome work
I like it!
Thank you for your opinion and time. Have a wonderful day
@@DavesClassicalGuide
The LSO/Previn remains a favorite for its drama and pacing, but primarily for the sweet solo violin sound of John Georgiadis. Is there a post-1980 recording that you believe might become a reference?
With whom, exactly, does it remain a favorite? ;) If there have been any since 1980 that might become a reference, no one is discussing them as such (although there have been some excellent versions).
The Previn LSO recording is quite good -- and a billion times better than his recording with Vienna which is one of the worst recordings of the piece. Haven't decided which is worst that one or the Boughton and English String Orchestra.
I guess the British were upset that the CS0 didn't have Reginald Bridgecottage or Trevor Thockthistle.
English speaker systems had no bass either, so it was a perfect match.
Thanks Dave (I must live in cave) I've long had the spectacular Reiner recording, but per your recommendation I'm now going to get the Kondrashin recording - that's one I've never even heard of before. How are you for the works of Ernst Krenek?
Hi David will try and buy this recording by the way have you thought about doing a series of own orchestra s live cds such as the LSO live ones ?
I review the discs individually.
Do you know Japanese Dave?
Hey, Tevor Thruckfwhistle is my hero!
I know. He was a marvel!
The crabby "G-d" Cancrizans probably doesn't like Scheherazade. 🤣