Kirov Nutcracker Tchaikovsky Blueray

Martha Argerich (piano), Nicolas Economou (piano, work arranger).Berliner Philharmoniker, Mstislav Rostropovich.

See what's hidden in yourThe Tchaikovsky ballet score recordings conducted for Decca and Philips by the Ukrainian-born Anatole Fistoulari (1907-1995) are prized ‘among the finest ever made’ (Gramophone).As a companion issue to his first, abridged versions of Swan Lake (4825225) and Sleeping Beauty (4827223), this newly remastered set offers another trio of complete LP albums, all stereo recordings from the early 1960s: highlights from Swan Lake made in Amsterdam in 1961, and LSO recordings from 1962 of highlights from Sleeping Beauty, the familiar suite from The Nutcracker and the evergreen Serenade for Strings which only received a limited first release on LP. It is the sense of being present at a live performance that critics prized in Fistoulari’s ballet recordings. As an experienced conductor in the pit, who (perhaps apocryphally) led his first opera performance at the age of twelve, he understood how to make a score glisten with greasepaint in the studio.The legendary 1961 Swan Lake was one of the Concertgebouw’s first stereo recordings, and all the solos are brilliantly played by leaders of the Concertgebouw. Nearly 50 years after its release, the climactic moments of the score still continue to overwhelm, not least thanks to the Decca engineering. The other two albums issued here were originally made by Philips, though the Serenade was first released on its Mercury sub-label, and the Suite from The Nutcracker was not issued at all until 1967, five years after being recorded.

On the 18th December, 1892 at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, The Nutcracker was first introduced to the world. Now, almost 125 years since that opening night and from the very same hall, the Mariinsky’s current Artistic Director, Valery Gergiev, reveals a perfectly judged interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s ballet masterpiece.

Mstislav Rostropovich, known for his affinity for the music of Tchaikovsky, is at his peak conducting the music of his fellow countryman on this album. He leads the Berliner Philharmoniker in stirring performances of Tchaikovsky's ballet suites The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, all recorded in June 1978.

There is a wonderfully vivid, pictorial quality to Tchaikovsky's colourful music. Soon after Tchaikovsky completed his ballet, The Nutcracker, Taneyev made a piano transcription of the entire work. When he finished his transcription, he gave it to Tchaikovsky. Taneyev may have thought about using this transcription for ballet practice and that he intended to try to capture all the sounds of the original piece when arranging it. But the overt frankness with which Taneyev reacted to Tchaikovsky's works made the composer nervous lot and they are often particularly dissatisfied with each other.

André Previn Known as a successful classical conductor, jazz pianist, and composer of jazz, classical, and film music, André Previn frequently bridged the gap between popular and so-called "serious" music, and in doing so broadened the horizons of both. A German-American who fled Nazi Germany with his family in his youth, he went on to win four Academy Awards, all for his work on film musicals in late '50s and '60s, including his adaptation of My Fair Lady (1964). By the '70s, he had established himself as one of the world's leading classical conductors, with terms at the London Symphony Orchestra (1968-1979), Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (1976-1984), and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (1985-1992). He also served as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic from 1985 to 1989. During his tenure at the LSO, the BBC series André Previn's Music Hour made him household name.

André Previn Known as a successful classical conductor, jazz pianist, and composer of jazz, classical, and film music, André Previn frequently bridged the gap between popular and so-called "serious" music, and in doing so broadened the horizons of both. A German-American who fled Nazi Germany with his family in his youth, he went on to win four Academy Awards, all for his work on film musicals in late '50s and '60s, including his adaptation of My Fair Lady (1964). By the '70s, he had established himself as one of the world's leading classical conductors, with terms at the London Symphony Orchestra (1968-1979), Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (1976-1984), and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (1985-1992). He also served as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic from 1985 to 1989. During his tenure at the LSO, the BBC series André Previn's Music Hour made him household name.

Simon Rattle recorded Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky's festive ballet the Nutcracker in 2009 with the Berlin Philharmonic, and this double-disc package is a first-rate presentation of the beloved holiday favorite. Rattle's approach is warm and inviting, and the music is played with brilliant flair and playful buoyancy. A late-comer to appreciating other works by Tchaikovsky, Rattle claims he always had a special affection for the ballets, and found the Nutcracker especially interesting when he learned of its influence on Igor Stravinsky's Petrushka. This is not to say that Rattle conducts this work in a revisionist or ironic manner, à la Stravinsky, for there is a richness here that is pure Tchaikovsky. Yet a case could be made that Rattle interprets the work with little sentimentality and with an ear for the piquant, and in that manner makes a connection between the two great Russian composers. The Berlin Philharmonic is exceptional in its radiant colors, full textures, and cohesive playing, and the Nutcracker is a delight with such a superb ensemble. EMI's reproduction is also deserving of praise, for the digital sound is as close to state-of-the-art as possible in a regular CD format, and the audio range is wide and deep, with every note easy to hear.