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Site review by Edvin January 23, 2006
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Performance: Sonics (MC): |
A friend of mine played this to me. I was not allowed to utter a word during the music, only to make notes. The orchestra and conductor where unknown to me.
So the music starts with the Folk Dance from suite No 1, and it sounds quite nice. Nothing special, but nice. But after some ten minutes my patience starts to wear off..my first note is "rehearsal". This doesn´t sound like a fully prepared performance. The details of this so much played music are in this performance too smooth.
After another ten minutes I am certain that this is another of those not so impressive performances by Paavo Järvi.
Maazel and Previn are still the champions of this music and the Telarc recording doesn´t threat them in any way. Järvi is, and I have listened to this sacd three more times, his usual sloppy conductor. The "Romeo at Juliet´s grave" is more noice than drama. No tension at all, merely loud playing.
The "Death of Juliet" is sluggish and played with no passion at all, no sense of tragedy.
The sound is adequate, not more. There are details that are very nice, but a the performance..it doesn´t add up.
Buy the Maazel or Previn complete ballets instead. On RBCD.
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Copyright © 2006 Thomas Roth and SA-CD.net
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Review by beardawgs April 19, 2004 (5 of 8 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics: |
This magnificent score it treated equally magnificent in this performance. Jarvi sees it more as an orchestral showpiece, and Cincinnati players are enjoying themselves enormously. They tackle with great ease even the most demanding virtuosic passages, while never sticking out of the whole in some impressive tutti sections. Every time when Prokofiev enters the full strings, the sound lifts off emotions to fantastic heights. Jarvi has an incredible ear for detail, and the recording is equally transparent, even the quietest solo instruments far in the background are audible as much as they should be.
I was impressed by the strings, violins in particular. They sound sweet, bursting with passion and emotions, but never overblown or sentimental. In the scenes with Romeo and Juliet they are light and transparent, and can mourn in tragedy and devastation at the opening of “Romeo at the Grave of Juliet”, while the brass instruments sound menacing. I would prefer more weight at “Death of Tybalt”, but that’s just a really minor complaint, compensated more than enough with the dynamic outburst at the very end of that number.
This disc is a great joy to listen to. Jarvi is sensible to every mood change, his tempos are well judged and rhythmic pulse steady. The orchestra is not just responsive, but totally committed to light and shade every single note or passage. Fast music is playfully furious, happy episodes burst with joy and sad moments are devastating. The recording captures all those qualities in their full glory, as customary with Telarc. I’m not sure that this kind of approach would necessary work as good in the theatre with the ballet dancers on the stage, but as a concert piece and orchestral showpiece it’s a stunner.
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