Farewell.baghdad

This 5-CD collection puts its primary focus on the Russians, with some notable excursions over to France. Ravel's immortal Bolero joins 1812 Overture; Capriccio Italien Tchaikovsky; Pictures at an Exhibition; Night on Bald Mountain Mussorgsky; Scheherazade ; three suites and The Flight of the Bumblebee from The Tale of Tsar Sultan Rimsky-Korsakov; Hungarian March: The Damnation of Faust Berlioz; L'Apprenti Sorcier Dukas; Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte Ravel; Danse Macabre Saint-Saens; Jota Aragonesa Glinka; Prince Igor: Polovtsian Dances Borodin; Prelude A I'apres-Midi D'un Faune, and more!

This may not be an essential Scheherazade, but it is a very good one. Vladimir Ashkenazy certainly knows how this music should go. His is an idiomatic and balanced interpretation of Rimsky-Korsakov's score. This is not a Stokowskian swoon fest, nor a precision powerhouse performance like Reiner’s. It is does not surge with the high octane of Svetlanov, nor is it ablaze with the passion of Kondrashin – the latter’s performance with the Concertgebouw (Philips 454 550-2) is my benchmark. It is, however, a colourful and highly enjoyable account played by a virtuoso orchestra on top form.