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TaiwanExcellent
A classic performance and recording!
Almost but...
First the bad news. Although I've always been a "fan" of Dorati's recordings for Mercury label (the sound is as good as it gets), I think (as another reviewer has pointed out) this time the great conductor is misleaded in his version of the Iberia Suite. It goes too fast, flat and lacking the sense of mystery and subtleness that this work clearly demands. Now, the good news. Dorati comes to be in very good shape with Kodaly and Proklfiev. Pulse, modulation, dynamic contrasts and phrasing (specially with Prokofiev) are here and in authoritative form. If the Albéniz pieces had been in the same league of performance, I'd rated the album with five stars, but... Recommended, anyway.
Dorati conducts Albeniz - Kodaly - Prokofiev - The Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra and The London Symphony Orchestra
very solid preformances of great interpretations of great music.
Mixed bag!
There is some wonderful 20th century music, well played. And a whole lot of it - therefore good value for money. One star dropped for SQ; characteristically, Mercury recordings do not always wash and scrub up so well in hi-res digital; Deccas and Living Stereos generally do better under such scrutiny. It's the screechy top end of their Telefunken mikes that bothers me most. And it's here, to a greater or lesser extent, throughout whenever strings go loud in their upper register. Apart from this one issue, otherwise, you can't lose.
Description:
Title: Dorati conducts Albeniz - Kodaly - Prokofiev
Artist(s): Antal Dorati conducts The Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra
Recording Info: Recorded by Mercury Records
Albeniz Recorded April 21 1957 in the Northrop Memorial Auditorium, Minneapolis
Kodaly Recorded November 17, 1956 in the Northrop Memorial Auditorium, Minneapolis
Prokofiev Recorded July 4, 1957 at Watford Town Hall, London
Producer – Wilma Cozart
Edited By – Harold Lawrence
Engineer – C. R. Fine
Transferred from 2-track tapes
1 Albeniz (Arbos) Iberia 26:29
2 Kodaly Hary Janos Suite 22:09
3 Prokofiev Suite from the Love for Three Oranges 16:07
Total Time: 64:45
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