This is another in
the budget RCA series issued by BMG
France. It is a two disc set issued
in a cardboard gatefold sleeve, with
the usual garish sleeve design. As usual
the notes are impossible to read (in
French only) more because of the font
and size rather than the language. Unlike
some of the other issues in this series
where the transfers have been none too
effective, this issue seems not to be
too bad.
This is a collection
of what would now be considered mainstream
contemporary works for small orchestra.
The performances have previously been
issued on separate discs by BMG. Comparing
the current double with the earlier
discs there is very little in the sonics
to complain about. The performances
too have an authority about them. All
in all, this compilation is very competitive
in the current marketplace.
Spivakov and his band
have toured Europe extensively and are
well known to aficionados of this kind
of repertoire. There are competitive
versions of most of these works around,
but none in vastly superior form. Some
of the transcriptions are by Spivakov
himself (Schnittke). The arrangement
of the Shostakovich String Quartet No.3,
Op 73 is by Vladimir Milman, who has
taken Barshai’s arrangement for wind
and strings, and reduced it for strings
only; so we have here something a little
out of the ordinary.
The Shchedrin work
was written for the tricentenary of
the birth of J. S. Bach, and is an effective
piece, just under twenty minutes duration
in three movements.
The main attraction
for most people will be the pair of
Shostakovich symphonies and the Arvo
Pärt pieces. Suffice to say these
are done expertly, without being in
the absolute highest category. However
given the low price of this set, it
can be purchased safely, secure in the
knowledge that much enjoyment may be
had from its contents. Spivakov himself
is the very competent soloist in the
Hartmann Concerto funèbre.
John Phillips