The Nutcracker Suite Wynton

There are only so many ways you can say it, but it's worth repeating: the combination of Valery Gergiev and the Kirov Orchestra is one of the all-time best when it comes to performing Russian music for the stage. The recording of the complete Nutcracker is just one example of their particular skills. There is a clarity and precision to the orchestra's playing that gives Tchaikovsky's music sparkle, while Gergiev breathes life into the dances and few moments of drama that are in the story. Even if you are only half-paying attention to it, you can still make out every distinct line, as melodies and countermelodies seamlessly pass from one instrument to another, and every nuance of dynamics and timing.

Given that box sets are too often thrown together in a last cavalier attempt to get mileage from back catalog, it's a pleasure to find one that has rhyme and reason, assembling a program that would be hard for the buyer to find on his or her own and offering a real tribute to a beloved figure.

Back by popular demand, The Toscanini Collection is a reissue of RCA's 1992 compendium that encompassed all of the recordings Toscanini made with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and NBC Symphony. A new addition to this amazing collection is his approved recordings with the BBC Symphony from the 1930s that were not included in the 1992 edition.

When Deutsche Grammophon released the first volume (of solo recitals) in this series to celebrate the recordings of Martha Argerich, it became a best-seller. This was followed by a collection of the pianist's concerto recordings, and now, the third collection of chamber ensemble works will be released. The CDs are packaged with original LP-cover artwork along with new liner notes and a host of rare photos and each recording has been newly mastered to ensure the highest quality listening experience.

Pyotr Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker Ballet Op. 71 (excerpts); Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Polonaise from Christmas Eve Suite;
“Dance of the Tumblers” from The Snow Maiden, etc. – The Philhadelphia Orchestra; Eugene Ormandy, conductor
Classical | 1 CD | EAC Rip | 324 Mb | FLAC+LOG+Cue | Full scans | RS links & 4shared links
Publisher: Sony Classical

Eugene Ormandy's disc of Nutcracker excerpts, including the entire "suite" plus a good bit of additional music (Act 1's journey through the snow and Waltz of the Snowflakes, along with some more Act 2 dances, including the Final Waltz and Apotheosis) must be one of the biggest selling records of all time… Sounding better than ever, and at a budget price, this disc deserves to sell another few million copies. [11/8/2003]
–David Hurwitz