Track Listing

1. Scheherazade, symphonic suite for orchestra, Op. 35: I. The Sea & Sinbad's Ship
2. Scheherazade, symphonic suite for orchestra, Op. 35: II. The Tale of the Kalender Prince
3. Scheherazade, symphonic suite for orchestra, Op. 35: III. The Young Prince & the Young Princess
4. Scheherazade, symphonic suite for orchestra, Op. 35: IV. The Festival at Baghdad - The Sea - Shipwreck on a Rock Surmounted by a Bron
5. Capriccio espagnol (Kaprichchio na ispankskiye tem�), for orchestra, Op. 34: I. Alborada
6. Capriccio espagnol (Kaprichchio na ispankskiye tem�), for orchestra, Op. 34: II. Variazioni
7. Capriccio espagnol (Kaprichchio na ispankskiye tem�), for orchestra, Op. 34: III. Alborada
8. Capriccio espagnol (Kaprichchio na ispankskiye tem�), for orchestra, Op. 34: IV. Scena e canto gitano
9. Capriccio espagnol (Kaprichchio na ispankskiye tem�), for orchestra, Op. 34: V. Fandango asturiano

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14938 in Music
• Released on: 1990-06-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Content/Copy-Protected CD
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.com
Charles Mackerras is an unassuming guy who just makes great music. He's never made a bad record, and his enthusiasms range from Handel to Janácek to Sullivan (he's one of the world's leading authorities on all three). Because he's had no long-term relationship with any specific label, his career hasn't been pushed the way, say, Herbert von Karajan's was, but that doesn't make his recordings any less good. In fact, as this brilliant and exciting performance of two Rimsky-Korsakov classics shows, Mackerras is as completely at home in these lush, Romantic orchestral soundscapes as he is in his chosen fields of expertise. Add Telarc's knockout sound to the equation, and what more could you ask for? --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews

This comes close to being the Perfect One
There is no need to add too much to the glowing praises already humped onto this recording. This disc stands as a testament to the greatness of the LSO's virtuosity, its great violin soloist (Hulmanns) and the skilful, seductive conducting of Mackerras. If you are a fan of Scheherazade this CD is mandatory in your collection, regardless if it becomes your No.1 favourite or not.

The only quibble that could be raised is the overly w-i-d-e dynamic range of the recording. This CD is one of Telarc's audio engineering spectaculars, but listening to it at lowered volume levels late at night is a problem due to the immense -dB range, especially in the third movement. At lower volume levels, Hulmann's delicate playing is barely discernible. This rules it out as a Scheherazade for considerate late-night listening.

Brilliant, Powerfull, Amazing
The performance is one in a million. Both works are played brilliantly. Scheherazade's beginning is powerfull, the first part of the second movement y lovely, soft, the rest is just great. The third movement is absolutely romantic and the fourth is breathtaking. The capriccio, one of my favorite works in the entire world of classical music is performed just as a miracle, in fact, the best performance I've heard (listen to the harp. Mackerras was great in this recording, as always in his recordings. Besides, the sound of the recording is absolutely clean and that counts too. Don't leave this recording out of your collection.

Exquisite Scheherazade!
I confess, Sheherazade is my all-time favorite piece of music, bar none. You only need two four-letter words to describe this recording: FULL and LUSH. This recording is romantic to the hilt. Mackerras carresses every last drop of ecstasy out of the London Symphony Orchestra. His Sheherazade is breathtakingly hypnotic, not unlike the lady herself. It is like a fine opiate. (By the way, Mackerras approaches this piece with a technique similar to the great Sir Adrian Boult.) The soundscape provided by Telarc will absolutely blow you away! It is like an opening into another dimension. The only reason I give this 4 instead of 5 stars is the inclusion of the Cappriccio Espagnol. While it is a nice piece in its own right, it completely burns away the intangible, drug-induced haze that is woven so carefully for you by Sheherazade. By it for Mackerras' Scheherazade alone. This version kicks butt and takes names!