Kitayenko Prokofiev

This recording brings together unique orchestral suites by the Soviet composer Sergei Prokofiev and the Soviet-Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian. Summer Night Suite is based on the music from Prokofievs opera Betrothal in a Monastery and Scythian Suite was derived from his ballet Ala and Lolly. Aram Khachaturian wrote his Masquerade Suite in 1941 to accompany Mikhail Lermontovs play of the same name. His ballet Spartacus (1954) portrays the defeat the Romans by the hero Spartacus who leads an uprising of slaves. The suites present a range of moods and variety of melodic invention that are completely engaging. This is the Zagreb Philharmonics third recording for the OehmsClassics label. Their recording of Glazunovs The Seasons, also under the direction of Dmitrij Kitajenko, received an ICMA nomination.

This recording brings together unique orchestral suites by the Soviet composer Sergei Prokofiev and the Soviet-Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian. Summer Night Suite is based on the music from Prokofievs opera Betrothal in a Monastery and Scythian Suite was derived from his ballet Ala and Lolly. Aram Khachaturian wrote his Masquerade Suite in 1941 to accompany Mikhail Lermontovs play of the same name. His ballet Spartacus (1954) portrays the defeat the Romans by the hero Spartacus who leads an uprising of slaves. The suites present a range of moods and variety of melodic invention that are completely engaging. This is the Zagreb Philharmonics third recording for the OehmsClassics label. Their recording of Glazunovs The Seasons, also under the direction of Dmitrij Kitajenko, received an ICMA nomination.

This compilation brings together popular orchestral works and ballet music by Tchaikovsky. Dmitrij Kitajenko and the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, of which he has been Honorary Conductor since 2009, have recorded the complete symphonies by Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. These recordings have been awarded with numerous international prizes and are considered important reference recordings. Their recording of Tchaikovsky’s opera Iolanta in 2015 (with Olesya Golovneva, Alexander Vinogradov and Andrei Bondarenko in the lead roles) caused a sensation, and it received the "Opera of the Year" Award of the International Classical Music Awards (ICMA).

"Following the ebb and flow of the music Meyers produces a marvellous variety of tone, switching from a high fluting sound to a rich woody bass, and multiple shades in between, with consummate ease. In the quirky, volatile scherzo, she gaily sacrifices this hard-won sweetness for a rollicking, almost carefree approach. This is playing of rare sensitivity which seems perfectly in tune with the lyrical and contemplative nature of the concerto… Meyers goes on to bring similar insight to the Second Concerto, although with its more conventional, full-blooded character it could be said less to deserve it."

Internationally recognized as one of the most talented conductors of his generation, Yuri Temirkanov has been the Music Director and Chief Conductor of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra since 1988.