Prokofiev - Romeo & Juliet - Valery Gergiev - London Symphony Orchestra - LSO0682 (2010) 2x SACD rip via PS3 to 2x iso (3.68GB & 4.02GB) | 24bit/88.2kHz flac | Disc-1 Mch (2.75GB) (+6dB gain) | Disc-2 Mch (3.09GB) (+5.73dB gain) | Disc-1 2ch (1.01GB) DR14 (+6dB gain) | Disc-2 2ch (1.13GB) DR13 (+5.82dB gain) | PDF | Classical 2009 recording ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 'A ballet for the Bolshoi has to be done “resplendently”, with velvet costumes’, declared Sergey Prokofiev in early 1934 to a colleague who had proposed a bold scenario on a Soviet contemporary theme, ‘otherwise the public won’t come’. Prokofiev’s characteristically clear-sighted assessment of the situation in the more conservative of Russia’s 2 leading theatres heralded a new turn in his own work for the Soviet stage. The glory days of his experimental 1-act ballets for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in Paris had come to an end with the death of the impresario in 1929; On the Dnieper, a music-1st, plot-afterwards concoction for the company of a Diaghilev protégé, Serge Lifar, fell flat 3 years later. AllMusic: This 2008 live recording with the London Symphony Orchestra is Valery Gergiev's 2nd complete recording of Prokofiev's ballet Romeo & Juliet, the 1st being a 1991 Philips release with the Kirov Orchestra. This performance, like his 1st, is notable for its refinement & lyricism. It's perhaps surprising that Gergiev, known for the wildness & ferocity of his performances of other Prokofiev works, like The Fiery Angel, shows such restraint here. Gergiev clearly understands the ballet as a work in which Prokofiev, writing originally for the Bolshoi, a theater known for its conservatism (although that production was canceled), tailored his score to follow in the tradition of the 3 great Tchaikovsky ballets. The composer certainly cuts loose when appropriate, as in the fierce Introduction to Act III & the various fights, but the score is exceptional in its delicacy & finely calibrated orchestration. Because it is a "numbers" ballet, made up of a series of discrete movements or sections, it's easy for the complete, nearly 2.5 hour ballet to come across as episodic, especially without the visual element to hold the narrative together. Gergiev does an excellent job of keeping the dramatic momentum going at the same time as he gives loving attention to its many exquisite details, & even though his approach is refined, that doesn't mean that it in any way lacks passion, intensity, & suspense. Another strong recommendation for this performance is the fact that it is the 1st recording of the ballet as the composer originally conceived it. In preparation for the ballet's Russian premiere at the Kirov Theatre in 1940, Prokofiev reluctantly cut or altered some numbers & added others. This version, prepared for the Mark Morris Dance Group by Princeton musicologist Simon Morrison, restores the composer's original intentions for the scenario & the music. Gergiev led the LSO in accompanying Morris' British premiere of the restored version in 2008, & went on to conduct it in concert, the source of this recording. The sound of the SACD is clean, clear, & brilliant. This is a recording that should be of strong interest to Gergiev's fans & anyone who loves the music. Tracks: Disc-1 01-Romeo and Juliet: No 1: Introduction 02-Romeo and Juliet: Act I: No 2: Romeo 03-Romeo and Juliet: Act I: No 3: The street awakens 04-Romeo and Juliet: Act I: No 4: Morning dance 05-Romeo and Juliet: Act I: No 5: The quarrel 06-Romeo and Juliet: Act I: No 6: The fight 07-Romeo and Juliet: Act I: No 7: The Duke's command 08-Romeo and Juliet: Act I: No 8: Interlude 09-Romeo and Juliet: Act I: No 9: Preparations for the ball 10-Romeo and Juliet: Act I: No 10: Juliet the young girl 11-Romeo and Juliet: Act I: No 11: Arrival of the guests 12-Romeo and Juliet: Act I: No 12: Masks 13-Romeo and Juliet: Act I: No 13: Dance of the Knights 14-Romeo and Juliet: Act I: No 14: Juliet's Variation 15-Romeo and Juliet: Act I: No 15: Mercutio 16-Romeo and Juliet: Act I: No 16: Madrigal 17-Romeo and Juliet: Act I: No 17: Tybalt recognises Romeo 18-Romeo and Juliet: Act I: No 18: Gavotte 19-Romeo and Juliet: Act I: No 19: Balcony scene 20-Romeo and Juliet: Act I: No 20: Romeo's variation 21-Romeo and Juliet: Act I: No 21: Romeo and Juliet's love dance 22-Romeo and Juliet: Act II: No 22: Folk dance 23-Romeo and Juliet: Act II: No 23: Romeo and Mercutio 24-Romeo and Juliet: Act II: No 24: Dance of the five couples Disc-2 01-Romeo and Juliet: Act II: No 25: Dance with mandolins 02-Romeo and Juliet: Act II: No 26: The Nurse 03-Romeo and Juliet: Act II: No 27: The Nurse delivers Juliet's letter to Romeo 04-Romeo and Juliet: Act II: No 28: Romeo at Friar Laurence's 05-Romeo and Juliet: Act II: No 29: Juliet at Friar Laurence's 06-Romeo and Juliet: Act II: No 30: The people continue to make merry 07-Romeo and Juliet: Act II: No 31: Further public festivities 08-Romeo and Juliet: Act II: No 32: Meeting of Tybalt and Mercutio 09-Romeo and Juliet: Act II: No 33: Tybalt and Mercutio fight 10-Romeo and Juliet: Act II: No 34: Death of Mercutio 11-Romeo and Juliet: Act II: No 35: Romeo decides to avenge Mercutio's death 12-Romeo and Juliet: Act II: No 36: Finale 13-Romeo and Juliet: Act III: No 37: Introduction 14-Romeo and Juliet: Act III: No 38: Romeo and Juliet 15-Romeo and Juliet: Act III: No 39: The last farewell 16-Romeo and Juliet: Act III: No 40: The Nurse 17-Romeo and Juliet: Act III: No 41: Juliet refuses to marry Paris 18-Romeo and Juliet: Act III: No 42: Juliet alone 19-Romeo and Juliet: Act III: No 43: Interlude 20-Romeo and Juliet: Act III: No 44: At Friar Laurence's cell 21-Romeo and Juliet: Act III: No 45: Interlude 22-Romeo and Juliet: Act III: No 46: Juliet's bedroom 23-Romeo and Juliet: Act III: No 47: Juliet alone 24-Romeo and Juliet: Act III: No 48: Aubade 25-Romeo and Juliet: Act III: No 49: Dance of the young girls with lilies 26-Romeo and Juliet: Act III: No 50: At Juliet's bedside 27-Romeo and Juliet: Act IV: Epilogue: No 51: Juliet's funeral 28-Romeo and Juliet: Act IV: Epilogue: No 52: Death of Juliet Musicians: Valery Gergiev London Symphony Orchestra Recording: Producer: James Mallinson Recording Engineer: Jonathan Stokes - Classic Sounds Ltd Recording location: The Barbican london Recording Software: Merging Recording Type & Bit Rate: DSD64 http://www.filefactory.com/folder/d156590396ef4232 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Checksums for iso: 149c9ba24b1f080a31202f22258c47bb *Valery Gergiev - LSO - PROKOFIEV Romeo and Juliet.iso 58068280b2cda3784e0e4adfda987ca5 *Valery Gergiev - LSO - PROKOFIEV Romeo and Juliet.iso