[Hadden]

Damn. I'd better get the Jarvi again then.

 

[DarkAngel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyson /img/forum/go_quote.gif Been doing some intensive prokofiev symphony set listening lately and I'm revising my original rec - Jarvi goes to the top, with Weller close behind, then Martinon and Gergiev last. I elevated Jarvi because he emphasizes more than the others the bombastic and mechanistic sides of this composer. This brings to the fore those qualities that make prokofiev different than other composers. Weller has a similar approach, but allows for more moments of elegance. Both have good sound quality, as does Gergiev. Martinon has the worst sound quality of the group.

This is exactly why I always recommend Jarvi so strongly for Prokefiev, he has a very good feel for the angular strange tempos of modern composers, and pulls it off with great panache and dramatic punch. The Chandos sound far better than any other Prokefiev symphony set I have heard.

Alexander Nevsky & Ivan the Terrible
These are two ochestral/vocal works that any Prokefiev fan should acquire especially Ivan which is very colorful and exciting. I just started listening to Ivan recently but have two good versions available cheap used:

Jarvi/Chandos
Gergiev/Phillips Originals

If not for the occassional vocal/choral parts sounds more like Cinderella/Romeo ballet soundtrack, wish I would have found this sooner, grab one if you haven't tried Ivan yet.

 

[Facade19]

How is the Abbado/LSO on DG of Alexander Nevsky? Reading reviews from amazon it sounds like a sweet deal.
BTW how is the Ozawa set? Once again reviewers on amazon seem to be liking it. BTW I have the Jarvi set, which I forgot about and neglected until today. Yup heard my first Prokofiev symphonies today (1,2, and 3) and dang I loved all of them, especially the third one!

 

[DarkAngel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Facade19 /img/forum/go_quote.gif How is the Abbado/LSO on DG of Alexander Nevsky? Reading reviews from amazon it sounds like a sweet deal. BTW how is the Ozawa set? Once again reviewers on amazon seem to be liking it. BTW I have the Jarvi set, which I forgot about and neglected until today. Yup heard my first Prokofiev symphonies today (1,2, and 3) and dang I loved all of them, especially the third one!

The Abbado/DG Originals Nevsky is great with some wonderful extra works thrown in to make a memorable Prokofiev CD!

If you like the Nevsky work get Ivan the Terrible also, as recommended above go with Jarvi/Chandos or Gergiev/Phillips here

 

[mbhaub]

Abbado is really good in Prokofieff. His recording of the 3rd symphony is excellent.

Among the Prokofieff sets, I have to say that Ozawa's is the worst of all. He makes them simply dull. There's no drive or energy. Any of the others is preferable. Jarvi or Gergiev take top honors for me. I would recommend the Weller set on Decca, but you can't get it anymore. I also like the Rostropovich, but I know others don't. Skip Ozawa.

 

[DarkAngel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbhaub /img/forum/go_quote.gif Abbado is really good in Prokofieff. His recording of the 3rd symphony is excellent. Among the Prokofieff sets, I have to say that Ozawa's is the worst of all. He makes them simply dull. There's no drive or energy. Any of the others is preferable. Jarvi or Gergiev take top honors for me. I would recommend the Weller set on Decca, but you can't get it anymore. I also like the Rostropovich, but I know others don't. Skip Ozawa.

X2

You can safely purchase any of the many Jarvi/Chandos Prokofiev orchestral/ballet/vocal Cds, they are uniformly excellent both in performance and sound........can't find anything bad to say and I have quite a few of them

 

[Facade19]

Sweet! I am going to place an order soon then for the Abbado/LSO set.
After I finished with Wagner's Ring. BTW I have a quick question. Are there any other 20th composers that have unique sound such as Prokofiev? In 20th century modernism, neo-classicism I am unfamiliar, so any help is warmly welcomed. Thx!

 

[mbhaub]

Going on a limb, but one that feels very strong, I think it is safe to say that every genuinely great composer has a unique sound. Lesser composers imitate and borrow. I think Danny Elfman is a genius, but his debt to Prokofieff is clear.

Sibelius (too old to be modern?) certainly has a clearly defined sound that is his alone. But for 20th C. moderns, Vaughan Williams, Searle, Simpson certainly have unique musical signatures, but with the latter two you'd better have ears of steel! Khachaturian, too, is immediately recognizable for his distinctive style, and his music is much more agreeable, and more in line with Prokofieff.

 

[Facade19]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbhaub /img/forum/go_quote.gif Going on a limb, but one that feels very strong, I think it is safe to say that every genuinely great composer has a unique sound. Lesser composers imitate and borrow. I think Danny Elfman is a genius, but his debt to Prokofieff is clear. Sibelius (too old to be modern?) certainly has a clearly defined sound that is his alone. But for 20th C. moderns, Vaughan Williams, Searle, Simpson certainly have unique musical signatures, but with the latter two you'd better have ears of steel! Khachaturian, too, is immediately recognizable for his distinctive style, and his music is much more agreeable, and more in line with Prokofieff.

I totally forgot about Khachaturian's Gayne Ballet Suites. Ah how could I. I utterly adore it. I am going to check out Danny Elfman as well seems you seem to be really recommending him. Thank you mbhaud!

 

[DarkAngel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Facade19 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sweet! I am going to place an order soon then for the Abbado/LSO set. After I finished with Wagner's Ring. BTW I have a quick question. Are there any other 20th composers that have unique sound such as Prokofiev? In 20th century modernism, neo-classicism I am unfamiliar, so any help is warmly welcomed. Thx!

Besides the two giants of Shostakovich and Prokofiev I would next go to Malcolm Arnold.......very modern sounding and has 9 wonderful symphonies which sound like a hybrid of Mahler/Shosty styles, very high quality work. Also easily available and cheap, the Penny/Naxos set is wonderful as are several other more expensive versions. I was late to the game just discovering Arnold a few years ago.....a major find for me!

Neilsen and Sibelius are major composers but are not really modern sounding, more influenced by late romantic styles

 

[Facade19]

I do not know whether I am right here or not, but when I listen to Prokofiev's 1st and 2nd symphonies I feel a touch of Tchaikovsky at work. I wonder why I have not listened earlier to Prokofiev's work. They are really mesmerizing. It must have been my Mahler addiction (which I am slowly recovering from).