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Orchestral Pictures from Russia

Double CD, Classical

Evgeny Svetlanov (Conductor), USSR Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra) Format: Audio CD
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 12 ratings
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Audio CD, Double CD, Classical, January 1, 1998
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Musical Heritage 524876F, UPC 71779446728, made in USA, and a 12 page booklet with complete notes in English. Evgeny Svetlanov conducts the USSR Symphony Orchestra in these works: Dawn on the Moskva River (introduction to the opera Khovanshchina, orchestration by Dmitri Shostakovich), A Night on Bald Mountain (orchestration by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov), and Hopak (from act 3 of the opera Sorochintsky Fair, Orchestration by Anatoli Liadov), by Modest Mussorgsky; In the Steppes of Central Asia, and Polovtsian Dances with Chorus (from Act 2 of the Opera Prince Igor), by Alexander Borodin; Sadko, Op. 5, and Bright Holiday (Russian Easter Festival Overture, Op. 36), by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; Islamey (orchestration by Sergei Lyapunov), by Mily Balakirev; Dream on the Volga (overture to the opera), by Anton Arensky; Spring, Op. 34, and Romantic Intermezzo in D Major, Op. 69, by Alexander Glazunov; About Olden Times Op. 21b, From the Apocalypse Op. 66, Baba Yaga Op. 56, The Enchanted Lake Op. 62, Kikimora Op. 63, by Anatoli Liadov; Nymphs, by Vasili Kalinnikov. 1997 ADD mastering, recorded 1963 - 1990.

Product details

  • Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.55 x 4.97 x 0.54 inches; 2.72 ounces
  • Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Musical Heritage Society
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 14 minutes
  • Date First Available ‏ : ‎ July 6, 2007
  • Label ‏ : ‎ Musical Heritage Society
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000TA641U
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 12 ratings

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
12 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Andrew Pratt
5.0 out of 5 stars This Melodiya series is fantastic!
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2015
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This is a beautifully atmospheric collection of Russian tableaux.
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TeeJay
3.0 out of 5 stars Authentic Russian Interpretations
Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2002
Don't be misled by the claim in another review that this conductor and orchestra are obscure. Svetlanov was a leading Russian conductor (he died recently), and the USSR Symphony (now the Russian State Orchestra) was one of Russia's leading orchestras. These performances are part of a series of re-releases of material originally recorded by Melodiya during the Soviet era. Do not consider buying this compilation for the more familiar music; consider it for the rarities and for the the authentic Russian-sounding performances in good remastered analog stereo. If you are unsure about the music on these particular discs, investigate Svetlanov's other BMG releases, such as his Tchaikovsky symphonies (including one of the best Manfred Symphonies ever recorded).
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jt52
5.0 out of 5 stars Some beautiful playing in this Svetlanov compilation
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2014
Long-time Russian maestro Evgeny Svetlanov is in my opinion an uneven conductor, his work ranging from the outstanding to the average. This pattern holds true in this collection. The performances include the inspired - take Rimsky-Korsakov's "Bright Holiday", Borodin's "In the steppes of Central Asia" or Alexander Glazunov's "Spring" as illustrations - to the less successful. "Bright Holiday" is an idiomatic, musical interpretation. I will go out and say that Svetlanov's "In the steppes" is the most evocative and memorable performance of this beautiful if overplayed warhorse I have heard. Finally, "Spring" was a discovery for me; it is a serene orchestral essay lasting 10 minutes, a wonderful tone poem played with love by Svetlanov and the USSR Symphony.

The disappointments include the five short tone poems from Anatoly Liadov, a composer of first-rate talent and third-rate work ethic. Because Lyadov completed so little orchestral music, these works would be an ideal component of a set like this one. Unfortunately, Svetlanov is too enthusiastic, even overaggressive which doesn't present Lyadov's jewel-like quasi-impressionistic music in its best light. To take one example, "Page from the Apocalypse" (ominously completed in early 1914) is a disturbing, dark short work not because of the blunt brass attacks but because the dark often hushed orchestral surface only fleetingly hints at the turmoil and violence of world's end.

In between these two extremes, we have successful if not exceptional performances like Rimsky-Korsakov's "Sadko", Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain" and Borodin's Polvetsian Dances. Also included are some turn-of-the-20th-century works that were once better known, such as Anton Arensky's "Dream on the Volga" overture, Vassily Kalinnikov's "Nymphs" (which I believe is the wrong piece to have pulled from the 1990 Svetlanov session devoted to this talented composer) and Balakirev's "Islamey", the Balakirev being the only track in the set done live.

Some data: the performances range from 1963 for one of the Mussorgsky tracks, to several from later in the 1960s ("In the steppes" and "Sadko") and 1970s (the Lyadov, the other Mussorgsky and Borodin as well as "Bright Holiday"), a couple from the 1980s ("Islamey" and the Arensky overture) and concluding with some 1990 recordings (the Glazunov and Kalinnikov). The sound quality varies. The Glazunov and Kalinnikov feature probably the best sound, with "Bright Holiday" also presented very well. I thought "In the steppes" and "Sadko", which date from the 1960s, actually sound better than some of the 1970s tracks, such as "Night on Bald mountain" and the Polovetsian Dances. The Lyadov set has somewhat blunt sound not well-suited for the music. It's worth mentioning that on my copy the end of disc 1 has a manufacturing error.

I'm glad I own this collection both for the three exceptional performances I pointed to and also because it handily contains some other famous music overall played well. A worthwhile set.
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John K. Gayley
5.0 out of 5 stars More caviar, anyone?
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2015
My experience has been that when you offer the combination of Russian orchestral pieces, Svetlanov conducting and the Melodyia label, you generally get pretty entertaining results. Am so it is here. While I might agree that the Melodyia sound and engineering shows their respective ages, you can't beat this selection and the price. The famous and familiar (Mussorgsky, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov) rub shoulders with the less familiar--at least to me (Liadov, Kalinnikov). Svetlanov and the USSR symphony render them all with energy atmosphere and suitable élan.

Various other reviewers have more experience with the individual pieces and have their own views on whether Svetlanov et al are equally effective in all of them. Perhaps not. But, in the end, does it matter? this is a great selection rendered extremely well in decent but not totally modern sound, and at a price more reflective of the '70s when it was recorded. If you see it my suggestion is you grab it.
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A. Tohline
3.0 out of 5 stars This is an obscure but worthwhile CD
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2002
I have a penchant for shopping in local used music stores, and this is one of the CDs I found. This CD does not cater to the Tchaikovsky, bombastic Russian fan which I am, but instead explores lesser-known works with excellent merit in their own right. Though I bought the CD for Bright Holiday (that is, the Russian Easter Overture), I kept it for the pieces by Liadov, Glazunov and other virtual unknowns.
The Russian Easter Overture was sub-par by my standards, but for an obscure orchestra (USSR Symphony? Who are they?) and an obscure conductor (Svetlanov? Who's he?), I was quite impressed by the maturity and expressiveness of the lesser-known pieces on the second disc. About Olden Times by Liadov became my instant favorite, and the nostalgic and passionate harp and strings at the start endeared me to it instantly.
Do not buy this CD for the "known" pieces. The Polovtsian Dances are also sub-par. However, this CD is worth a listen, and perhaps a purchase, for the touching mystique and fiery obscurity of the lesser-knowns.
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Top reviews from other countries

bbgg109
5.0 out of 5 stars Orchestral Pictures from Russia - USSR Symphony Orchestra - Evgeny Svetlanov
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 11, 2021
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2 disc set.
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Tomspot
3.0 out of 5 stars The best performances on this Twofer are with the pieces by ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 1, 2016
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The best performances on this Twofer are with the pieces by Mussorgsky who was first and foremost a songwriter but who had a rough and ready feel for dramatic orchestral works. This is realised particularly well in Dawn on the Moscow River with its impression of tolling bells calling the faithful to prayer. A Night on Bald Mountain was a recomposition by Rimsky-Korsakov based on themes from Mussorgsky's St John's Night on Bare Mountain. In his book My Musical Life Rimsky tells us that he had particular difficulty with this work although the result is generally more successful than the original by Mussorgsky which sounds congested. Hopak reveals Mussorgsky's ability to compose an original folk like theme. Had Mussorgsky not been ruled by the demon drink he would probably have had a clearer vision of his orchestration. Evgeny Svetlanov is not alone in finding difficulty with the subtleties of Borodin's style which goes through a succession of mood colourations, particularly in his musical picture In the Steppes of Central Asia. Polovtsian Dances is better but suffers from fast and slow speeds and little in between.Rimsky-Korsakov crammed a lot into his musical picture of Sadko and later wrote an opera on the same story with an extension of themes used in the earlier work. There should have been more drive to the final climax although the performance is fairly good. The Russian Easter Festival Overture is given an outstanding performance in a work which can often sound drawn out but not so here with an exciting realisation of bell tolling and the wonders of clock mechanics. The Balakirev is essentially a scherzo and is a tour de force for the orchestra. CD2 consists of lighter fare opening with a slight piece Dream of the Volga by the minor composer Anton Arensky. Alexander Glazunov was often short of an original theme and these two pieces while pleasant enough could have been movements which never made it into his ballet scores. The best pieces on the second CD are these miniatures by Anatoli Liadov. It is believed that they were intended for an opera which the composer never got around to writing but he was said to be lazy, perhaps spoiled by his rich parents. The Enchanted Lake is delightful. The best piece is Kikimora which tells how a magician creates a miniature devil. The piece is skilfully orchestrated. The final piece by Kalinnikov titled Nymphs is in a similar style to Tchaikovsky but fails to live up to its name.
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