This box is an all around winner! Jurowski has recently made some fantastic recordings of the ballets with a Russian orchestra. Slatkin is wonderful, though. His St. Louis recordings are all highly treasured by me. That combination was pure magic! He has also made some beautiful and very idiomatic recordings on Naxos of French repertoire.
David, I absolutely love your enthusiasm and your channel. My good friend from Italy who’s a classical fanatic highly recommended your videos to learn more on classical. I will be getting new music because of you. Thank you so much for your amazing knowledge and passion.
I confess, I'd never given these a second look. But I downloaded them and they are indeed very good. Thanks for opening my eyes David. As far as modern sets go I think that Neeme Jarvi's is hard to beat (with the Bergen Phil). The interpretations are excellent and the recording is obviously superb. As a bonus James Ehnes plays the violin solos in Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty! As far as historical recordings go... Anatole Fistoulari and Antal Dorati stand out for me. Fistoulari's Sleeping Beauty is one of the best without a doubt.
Great recommendation. Thanks, David. I’ll give him a shot. I have Slatkin’s recordings of Bach Transcriptions, on Chandos, and I love those. I could do with having all three ballets in one box. My Tchaikovsky ballets are kinda all over the place: Suites: Rostropovich, BPO (DG Originals) Nutcracker: Previn (high-res download, 2011 remaster, and thank god. The CD, the one with the dancer on the front, was appallingly harsh.) Swan Lake/Sleeping Beauty: sampler disc of excerpts from BBC Music Magazine. Mark Ermler and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. That apotheosis is pretty bloody mental, too. As far as I remember, Ermler was Mravinsky’s student. You can tell with the take-no-prisoners brass. Awesome tam-tam, too.
Excellent review and advice David! I picked these up back when they were released as individual sets and paid close to top dollar for them. However I have been enjoying them close to 30 years now (I'm confident I got my money's worth)! Meticulously performed and recorded, they may be equaled someday but I doubt they will ever be surpassed. Buy with confidence and oh... the music is wonderfully charming and at times dramatic.
You're so right about these Slatkin RCA recordings. I've been listening to his William Schuman and Walter Piston discs - they're fantastic! How come works like Schuman's New England Triptych ( a real show stopper of a piece), and his extraordinary 10th Symphony, together with Piston's equally wonderful 6th Symphony and the 3 New England Sketches are so neglected? It's criminal!
100% agree! Those are both wonderful albums. And yes the Schuman 10th is an extraordinary piece but it will never be popular. We're lucky to have such a great performance on disc!
@@UlfilasNZYeah splendid recording quality too. I understand what you mean about the Schuman 10th - perhaps the idiom isn't readily accessible, but the New England Triptych is quite approachable. It also seems to me if a composer, say like Varese or Birtwistle, can get an occasional concert airing, why not Schuman or Piston (I've never seen them programmed)? In fact I mainly knew Piston through his orchestration treatise!
Well, you're sure right about the Slatkin Nutcracker. The Mouse King battle is absolutely hair-raising, and the transformation follow-up is magnificent. That surprised me because years ago I consigned my copy of the original release to the don't-listen-again department. I imprinted on the Tchaikovsky ballets via the box set of all three mono Minneapolis Doratis Mercury reissued in fake stereo in the early 60s. Later I got a real fondness for the Rodzinski which I still think is really exciting (except for the endlessly clanging clock) and then when Slatkin came out it struck me as kind of blah. After relistening now I can't imagine why. The only thing that disappointed me is that I prefer children's voices in the Waltz of the Snowflakes (like Dorati/Concertgebouw), but then Rodzinski also uses women. I like the Chinese Dance done snappier than he does, and the castanets in the Spanish Dance didn't come through very well, but that could be the state of my ears these days. Minor quibbles, though and the sound is gorgeous. So that made me pop for the bargain Sony set of all three. I'm really looking forward to the Swan Lake because your description of the apotheosis is giving me goosebumps. It's my favorite moment in the thing. One Amazon reviewer said Slatkin omits the second of the two versions of the "Dracula" prelude, which if true is too bad, but no deal breaker. Can't wait to hear it.
I agree - Slatkin is great in all three. But there is Swan Lake with G. Rozhdestvensky with USSR RTV Large SO recorded in 1969 and it is sensational (despite some issues with sound record). You need to hear it.
I bought the three sets years ago from the cut-out bin at Border's. I was unsure at the time if they were even intended for adults. Each ballet was packaged in a colorful cardboard longbox that suggested a children's storybook with music rather than a serious adult music purchase. The Amazon.com description for Swan Lake still reads, "Four die-cuts of your favorite characters in enchanting costumes. Two breathtaking fold-out stage scenes to combine with the characters for a beautiful visual panorama" . Plus the boxes were hell to fit on the shelf with my other CD sets. I wonder if the awkward, misleading packaging hindered sales.
nyet. those boxes are marvelous. oh, dear, how to fit it in...puhleeze. the cut outs and scenery are intended to introduce these ballets mainly to young people....to young to sit through 'the sleeping beauty.' slatkin has always been a teacher. you can see his 8 or 9 part discussion of various orchestral matters on youtube. so i think it was his idea to do these boxes. btw, p,i.t. enjoyed writing at least two of the 3. so he did not 'hate' everything he wrote. (okay the 1812 overture. lol) he was simply not often satisfied with his composing. a lot of that came from the difficulties he faced in his private life.
@@DavesClassicalGuide It's not the loudness per se, but it always distorts terribly. Must be overloading the mic/audio input of your computer. What comes through is not a loud or even soft bwaannnnnnggggg, but a bwaBZZTBZZTFRAZZZT.
I've enjoyed every ,minute of this set for several years. Easily displaced my older sets by Ansermet, Previn, and Lanchberry. Slatkin is a great, professional, and exciting conductor. Will our snobbishness against American conductors ever end?
Hey David, are you going to do a Nutcracker shootout before Christmas? I've been playing the Bonynge release for years, but it's time to add another to my collection, because I can't stand having space on my shelves.
I have the Slatkin Nutcracker, and I love it. But I'm sorry they didn't give him a boy choir for the snowflake scene. That said, fabulous performance and recording.
This box is an all around winner! Jurowski has recently made some fantastic recordings of the ballets with a Russian orchestra. Slatkin is wonderful, though. His St. Louis recordings are all highly treasured by me. That combination was pure magic! He has also made some beautiful and very idiomatic recordings on Naxos of French repertoire.
Very glad to know about your plans for a video about Tchaikovsky ballet boxes. Thought about it before, so it will be very welcome!
David, I absolutely love your enthusiasm and your channel. My good friend from Italy who’s a classical fanatic highly recommended your videos to learn more on classical. I will be getting new music because of you. Thank you so much for your amazing knowledge and passion.
Thank you kindly!
I confess, I'd never given these a second look. But I downloaded them and they are indeed very good. Thanks for opening my eyes David.
As far as modern sets go I think that Neeme Jarvi's is hard to beat (with the Bergen Phil). The interpretations are excellent and the recording is obviously superb. As a bonus James Ehnes plays the violin solos in Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty!
As far as historical recordings go... Anatole Fistoulari and Antal Dorati stand out for me. Fistoulari's Sleeping Beauty is one of the best without a doubt.
Great recommendation. Thanks, David. I’ll give him a shot. I have Slatkin’s recordings of Bach Transcriptions, on Chandos, and I love those.
I could do with having all three ballets in one box. My Tchaikovsky ballets are kinda all over the place:
Suites: Rostropovich, BPO (DG Originals)
Nutcracker: Previn (high-res download, 2011 remaster, and thank god. The CD, the one with the dancer on the front, was appallingly harsh.)
Swan Lake/Sleeping Beauty: sampler disc of excerpts from BBC Music Magazine. Mark Ermler and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. That apotheosis is pretty bloody mental, too. As far as I remember, Ermler was Mravinsky’s student. You can tell with the take-no-prisoners brass. Awesome tam-tam, too.
Excellent review and advice David! I picked these up back when they were released as individual sets and paid close to top dollar for them. However I have been enjoying them close to 30 years now (I'm confident I got my money's worth)! Meticulously performed and recorded, they may be equaled someday but I doubt they will ever be surpassed. Buy with confidence and oh... the music is wonderfully charming and at times dramatic.
Fully agree with this presentation! Whitout forgetting dorati and fistoulari..
You're so right about these Slatkin RCA recordings. I've been listening to his William Schuman and Walter Piston discs - they're fantastic! How come works like Schuman's New England Triptych ( a real show stopper of a piece), and his extraordinary 10th Symphony, together with Piston's equally wonderful 6th Symphony and the 3 New England Sketches are so neglected? It's criminal!
100% agree! Those are both wonderful albums. And yes the Schuman 10th is an extraordinary piece but it will never be popular. We're lucky to have such a great performance on disc!
@@UlfilasNZYeah splendid recording quality too.
I understand what you mean about the Schuman 10th - perhaps the idiom isn't readily accessible, but the New England Triptych is quite approachable. It also seems to me if a composer, say like Varese or Birtwistle, can get an occasional concert airing, why not Schuman or Piston (I've never seen them programmed)? In fact I mainly knew Piston through his orchestration treatise!
@@allthisuselessbeauty-kr7 Hear hear! Both seriously underestimated in my opinion.
Well, you're sure right about the Slatkin Nutcracker. The Mouse King battle is absolutely hair-raising, and the transformation follow-up is magnificent. That surprised me because years ago I consigned my copy of the original release to the don't-listen-again department. I imprinted on the Tchaikovsky ballets via the box set of all three mono Minneapolis Doratis Mercury reissued in fake stereo in the early 60s. Later I got a real fondness for the Rodzinski which I still think is really exciting (except for the endlessly clanging clock) and then when Slatkin came out it struck me as kind of blah. After relistening now I can't imagine why. The only thing that disappointed me is that I prefer children's voices in the Waltz of the Snowflakes (like Dorati/Concertgebouw), but then Rodzinski also uses women. I like the Chinese Dance done snappier than he does, and the castanets in the Spanish Dance didn't come through very well, but that could be the state of my ears these days. Minor quibbles, though and the sound is gorgeous.
So that made me pop for the bargain Sony set of all three. I'm really looking forward to the Swan Lake because your description of the apotheosis is giving me goosebumps. It's my favorite moment in the thing. One Amazon reviewer said Slatkin omits the second of the two versions of the "Dracula" prelude, which if true is too bad, but no deal breaker. Can't wait to hear it.
I agree - Slatkin is great in all three. But there is Swan Lake with G. Rozhdestvensky with USSR RTV Large SO recorded in 1969 and it is sensational (despite some issues with sound record). You need to hear it.
I have heard it. Sonics are an issue, not the performance.
Due to your reference, I'm now listening to Tchaikovsky's 5th under Slatkin (RCA), which in the recording I possess comes with Fatum and Voyevoda.
I bought the three sets years ago from the cut-out bin at Border's. I was unsure at the time if they were even intended for adults. Each ballet was packaged in a colorful cardboard longbox that suggested a children's storybook with music rather than a serious adult music purchase. The Amazon.com description for Swan Lake still reads, "Four die-cuts of your favorite characters in enchanting costumes. Two breathtaking fold-out stage scenes to combine with the characters for a beautiful visual panorama" . Plus the boxes were hell to fit on the shelf with my other CD sets. I wonder if the awkward, misleading packaging hindered sales.
Oh my God yes...those annoying packages!
nyet. those boxes are marvelous. oh, dear, how to fit it in...puhleeze. the cut outs and scenery are intended to introduce these ballets mainly to young people....to young to sit through 'the sleeping beauty.' slatkin has always been a teacher. you can see his 8 or 9 part discussion of various orchestral matters on youtube. so i think it was his idea to do these boxes. btw, p,i.t. enjoyed writing at least two of the 3. so he did not 'hate' everything he wrote. (okay the 1812 overture. lol) he was simply not often satisfied with his composing. a lot of that came from the difficulties he faced in his private life.
my loudspeakers always explode when you hit the tam tam, always too late to lower the volume :-)
That was a very soft tap...
@@DavesClassicalGuide think your mic is gonna explode when you hit it real hard, so you better watch out (and watch your head!)
@@DavesClassicalGuide It's not the loudness per se, but it always distorts terribly. Must be overloading the mic/audio input of your computer. What comes through is not a loud or even soft bwaannnnnnggggg, but a bwaBZZTBZZTFRAZZZT.
Gotta love the tam tam.
What do you think of Rostrokovich & Berliner Philharmoniker's collection?
Wonderful.
I've enjoyed every ,minute of this set for several years. Easily displaced my older sets by Ansermet, Previn, and Lanchberry. Slatkin is a great, professional, and exciting conductor. Will our snobbishness against American conductors ever end?
Hey David, are you going to do a Nutcracker shootout before Christmas? I've been playing the Bonynge release for years, but it's time to add another to my collection, because I can't stand having space on my shelves.
I suppose I should, but we'll see. One advantage to being Jewish is that I couldn't care less about Christmas.
@@DavesClassicalGuide And I'm not Catholic, and I look forward to your ideal Mozart Requiem recommendation as well.
@@EyeShotFirst I really don't like the Mozart Requiem, but I love the Nutcracker!
YES! That is the set I have :)
What do you think of the Ansermet recordings? I’m putting Slatkin on my want list.
I like them--he also was a terrific ballet conductor, but the orchestra was never great (and Slatkin's is).
I have the Slatkin Nutcracker, and I love it. But I'm sorry they didn't give him a boy choir for the snowflake scene. That said, fabulous performance and recording.