Also, Night on Bare Mountain; Boris Godunov Symphonic Synthesis;
Entr’acte to Khovanshchina. Symphonic transcriptions by Leopold Stokowski. Oliver
Knussen, the Cleveland Orchestra. DG B0002123-02.
Most folks are
probably familiar with Maurice Ravel’s orchestration of Russian composer Modest
Mussorgsky’s piano portraits, Pictures at
an Exhibition, but fewer people have probably heard Leopold Stokowski’s
orchestration of them. Of course, we all know Stokowski’s rendering of Night on Bare Mountain from having seen Fantasia, and if that kind of thing
appeals to you, then this disc might be right up your alley.
Critics often
complained about Stokowski (and still do, long after his death) for his
glamorizing of classical music, either by changing the music itself or by
interpreting it differently than other conductors. Be that as it may, the
fellow had (and still has) quite a following of loyal fans. Indeed, much of the
man’s recorded work still impresses me, and I can understand why so many
listeners adore him. This disc of Stokowski’s orchestral transcriptions of
several Mussorgsky works will either convert you or send you packing.
Stokowski made his
version of Pictures at an Exhibition
in 1939, more than a decade and a half after Ravel did his familiar reworking.
My first and lasting impression of Stokowski’s version was one of greater
fluency, greater poetry, and greater romanticism than the Ravel orchestration.
Stokowski utilizes a lot more lush strings, which leads to much of this
feeling. However, on most recordings it’s hard to tell how much of this effect
is the result of Stokowski’s orchestration, or, in the case of this recording,
the result of the Cleveland Orchestra and Maestro Oliver Knussen.
Anyway, the combination of Stokowski, the Cleveland
players, Maestro Knussen, and the DG engineers provides us with an ultrasmooth,
ultrasophisticated Pictures, much
different from the Ravel arrangements I’ve gotten used to from the likes of
Reiner (RCA), Muti (EMI), Maazel (Telarc), and Ansermet (Decca). In the process
of refining the score, Stokowski and company render it less volatile, less
explosive, and, well, less colorful. In fact, much of the color seems washed
out of the work compared to the aforementioned renditions. However, the
listener might find “The Hut on Fowl’s Legs” fascinating for its herky-jerky
dynamism, and certainly “The Great Gate of Kiev” comes across with a splendid
grandeur.
More interesting for me was the shorter Entr’acte to Khovanshchina, which is direct, to the point, and incisive. Maybe
it’s too short, though, for its own good. Knussen handles the other works, Night on Bare Mountain and the Boris Godunov Symphonic Synthesis quite
well, too, although I doubt many potential buyers are looking just for these
things.
I also wonder how
much the DG engineers are responsible for the music’s smoothness, to the extent
of having little apparent bite. The sound is so polished and comfortable and so
multi-miked, one is in danger of calling it mood music. Yet the sound does not
lack a deep bass or a strong dynamic impact. Curious. I think some listeners
will respond to it quite favorably, especially if they have become tired of
listening to the hard, shrill, bright sound found on some CDs. I didn’t find DG’s sound at all
objectionable; I just didn’t find it particularly natural or realistic.
To listen to several brief excerpts from this album, click
here:
JJP
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