In
anyone's book these are great Rimsky-Korsakov readings to which
Svetlanov, ever the incendiary, injects passion and brimstone.
The orchestra play as if possessed. If you doubt me the listen
to the cauldron of whipped sound at 11.03 in the overture. The
microphone placement seems closer than usual - especially noticeable
at 13.02 but it does absolutely no harm. It is as if the recording
team of Antony Howell and Mark Brown were determined to apply
Russian style recording practices as well. Listen to the rushing
violins at 13.40 in the orgiastic magnificence of the close of
the 1888 overture. As for the voluptuous Antar, no matter
how tortuous was its genesis and evolution, for it to succeed
it has to be done in the most sumptuous of apparel. Even the sable
moments need to glisten. That treatment is precisely what these
works get here. It is perhaps the most refined sounding Antar
Svetlanov set down. I still obstinately insist on the merits of
the Svetlanov/USSR version on a deleted BMG-Melodiya double (all
three symphonies plus Sheherazade) even though the sound is edgy
if undeniably vibrant. Hyperion however seem determined to hold
us in their gaze and grip us by the lapels.
Rimsky
tackled the Antar fairytale at the suggestion of Mussorgsky and
Balakirev. The latter conducted the premiere of the 1868 original
version. Osip Senkovsky's version of the mid-Eastern fairytale
has the disillusioned hero Antar roaming in despair in the desert
of Sham. He sees a gazelle and gives chase only to find a giant
bird also intent on the gazelle as prey. He beats off the bird
and falls asleep. He dreams of a palace where he is attended by
female slaves and realises that the gazelle was none other than
the peri Gul Nazar, Queen of Palmyra. In gratitude the Gul promises
him the three great joys of life and these are celebrated in the
last three movements of Antar - the Joy of Revenge, the Joy of
Power and the Joy of Love. The work has a wealth of smashing tunes
and gloriously apt orchestration.
All
of this is at bargain price and although the disc is short on
playing time there is no short-changing when it comes to interpretative
'clout' and zest. Svetlanov is in resounding and resplendent form
with the best Russian sounding orchestra outside Russia.
Rob
Barnett
Philharmonia/Yevgeny Svetlanov