Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade

1	Scheherazade, Op. 35
2	Scheherazade, Op. 35
3	Scheherazade, Op. 35
4	Scheherazade, Op. 35
5	Symphony no 2 in B minor
6	Symphony no 2 in B minor
7	Symphony no 2 in B minor
8	Symphony no 2 in B minor
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade
1.	Scheherazade, symphonic suite for orchestra, Op. 35 44:34
	Composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
	Performed by Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam and Herman Krebbers
	Conducted by Kiril Kondrashin
2.	Symphony No.2 in B minor 27:29
	Composed by Alexander Borodin
	Performed by Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam
	Conducted by Kiril Kondrashin

Barnes & Noble

In 1978, after a long and prominent career in the Soviet Union that included a 15-year stint as artistic director of the Moscow Symphony, Kiril Kondrashin emigrated to the Netherlands during a concert tour abroad. The following year, he became conductor of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the recordings included on this disc date from his all-too-brief tenure there, which lasted until his death in 1981. The Concertgebouw must have been a hospitable appointment for Kondrashin, judging from these fine performances, and the orchestra was a lucky beneficiary of the conductor's deep affinity for Russian music. Scheherazade Rimsky-Korsakov's oft-recorded masterpiece of exotica, is thoroughly riveting here, with the orchestra's lustrous tone molded by Kondrashin into a sequence of richly detailed, lushly Romantic musical narratives that build to a thrilling conclusion. Concertgebouw concertmaster Herman Krebbers brings a poignant, delicate beauty to the violin solos, but the orchestra's horns and woodwind soloists contribute nearly as much to the performance's brilliance -- as do the Concertgebouw's spacious acoustics. Alexander Borodin's Symphony No. 2 -- along with Scheherazade, one of the greatest orchestral works by Russia's nationalistic "Mighty Handful" -- is heard here in a live recording from 1980. Like Borodin's music itself, this performance is rawer than the high-gloss Rimsky-Korsakov, but Kondrashin etches an irresistible reading of this work from its brutal opening rhythmic gestures to the wildly swirling festivities of its finale. There's no shortage of good recordings of either of these showpieces, but you'll hard pressed to find any more thoroughly enjoyable than Kondrashin's. Scott Paulin

All Music Guide

Of the famous conductors who carry the venerable Russian tradition, Yevgeny Mravinsky has largely eclipsed the work of his contemporaries, including that of conductor Kiril Kondrashin. While Mravinsky remained inside the Soviet Union and in Leningrad (St. Petersburg) for most of his life, Kondrashin was one of the first prominent Russian conductors to travel outside of the country, appearing across the globe and guest conducting as far as even the United States. This album features his outstanding work with the Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam. In accordance with his legacy of creating a highly personal sound no matter where he traveled, this top-notch Dutch orchestra is, under Kondrashin's leadership, transformed into a versatile Russian powerhouse, complete with gritty string playing and the sounds of lusciously dirty brass. His evocation of the exotic, bright, colors in Rimsky-Korsakov's brilliant orchestration, combined with blistering energy, help make Kondrashin's "Scheherazade" one of the most exciting ever recorded. Especially crucial to this somewhat monothematic work is pacing, and Kondrashin does not disappoint here either: he gives the performance an organic, natural feel. The poignant violin solos are played with genuine depth and beautiful sound, and the versatile Concertgebouw woodwinds add to the performance's virtuosity. This album also features Borodin's "Symphony No. 2," which, like any piece in the wrong hands, can be both a real bore and a real disaster. Luckily, Kondrashin gives this work a ferocious intensity that demands immediate attention from the gritty, octave opening and drives relentlessly into the finale's enthralling explosion of exuberance. The Borodin is a live recording from 1980, and the Rimsky-Korsakov was recorded a year prior. Both have been released with different couplings, but this album features superior, remastered sound. Warm and present, Philip's audio quality is a perfect match for Kondrashin's style, and the double basses come through especially nicely. If you are looking for definitive performances of either "Scheherazade" or the Borodin, look no further. Highly recommended. C. Ryan Hill