*** This title is a reissue of a Japanese release with liner notes in Japanese. ***

The distinctive point about Ormandy's version of the Midsummer Night's Dream music is that the vocal sections are given in German. On the sleeve the producer notes the significant point that in the Schlegel-Tieck translation "You spotted snakes" becomes "Bunte Schlartgen", and that Mendelssohn wrote it with two quavers instead of quaver plus two semi-quavers at the beginning of the phrase. It was for a Berlin performance that Mendelssohn wrote his extra incidental music, and therefore there is an historic case, too, for preferring Schlegel-Tieck to Shakespeare... [W]ith finely disciplined playing from the Philadelphians, Ormandy is a fraction heavier [than Previn and Leppard], less playful, but the discrepancy is slight, and with such glorious sound recorded fully and richly with plenty of inner detail, no one will feel disappointed... Both Previn and Leppard include even the briefest melodramas, where Ormandy omits three of them (No. 4 before the Intermezzo, No. 10 before the ironic "Funeral March" and No. 12 before the finale, all of them very brief). The last one consists of a fragment of the "Wedding March" fading into the distance to be followed by fairy music, and I am sorry to lose it. Instead Ormandy opts to transpose the Melodrama No. 8 to that point with a fragment of the "Nocturne" plus a radiant violin descant.

The casual listener may well not register any of these details, and certainly the Ormandy record, beautifully played and recorded, can be confidently recommended...

-- Edward Greenfield, Gramophone [6/1978, reviewing the original LP release of the Mendelssohn]

*** This title is a reissue of a Japanese release with liner notes in Japanese. ***

*** This title is a reissue of a Japanese release with liner notes in Japanese. ***

R E V I E W S:

This is a slower, weightier Prokofiev Symphony No. 5 than the one Eugene Ormandy recorded for CBS in 1961. His 1972 recording (for RCA) also features increased intensity and greater emphasis on color and ensemble clarity. So many details register with exceptional clarity: piano chords at the beginning of the first movement, the tam-tam at the end of same, the string tremolos in the adagio. The Philadelphia Orchestra plays sumptuously throughout, with robust tone and lively articulation--so much so that the slow tempos really don't matter, save for the adagio, which sounds almost lifeless before the big central climax.

Of course, Ormandy's not alone in his more measured approach; you can find similar tempos on the younger Bernstein's first recording with the New York Philharmonic, and on the much younger Yoel Levi's rendition with the Atlanta Symphony on Telarc. Still, Prokofiev's Fifth really catches fire when infused with the type of vitality and zest that Neeme Järvi and Herbert von Karajan bring to it.

David Bowie's telling of Peter and the Wolf may surprise listeners expecting a "rock star" interpretation. Actually, his gentle reading is in the tradition of British storytelling, strong on elocution as well as characterization. It's all quite charming, especially when supported by Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra's richly colorful playing. The recordings (remastered by RCA Japan) feature nice depth and spaciousness, but as often with these productions there's too much treble emphasis. Nonetheless, this remains a highly desirable item for Ormandy fans, and it's now widely available thanks to Arkivmusic.com's "on-demand" service.

--Victor Carr Jr, ClassicsToday.com

The Prokofiev Fifth is one of those conductor-proof pieces; this 1975 version, at over 49 minutes, lacks the propulsion of the early-stereo 1957 Columbia version, which is a full five minutes faster. Still, the orchestral playing is brilliant, and the performance, if it lacks the frisson of the earlier one, is a joy to hear.

Peter and the Wolf was recorded in 1977; it is noteworthy, of course, for the participation of British rocker David Bowie—one wonders whether Ormandy had any idea who he was. In fact, Bowie overdubbed his part in New York a month after the orchestra had recorded the score. I don’t know whether he ever actually performed the work with the orchestra. In any event, I remember that contemporary reviewers were surprised that he played it straight, and he gives a perfectly acceptable account of the narrative, even though Peter and the Wolf never sounds right to me with anyone other than Cyril Ritchard reading the text.

-- Richard A. Kaplan, Fanfare

*** This title is a reissue of a Japanese release with liner notes in Japanese. ***

*** This title is a reissue of a Japanese release with liner notes in Japanese. ***

KODÁLY Háry Janos: Suite. PROKOFIEV Lieutenant Kijé: Suite. STRAVINSKY The Firebird: Suite (1919) • Eugene Ormandy, cond; Philadelphia O • RCA-ArkivMusic 38125 (68:45)

"The LP coupling of the Háry Janos (1975) and Lieutenant Kijé (1974) suites—one describing imaginary exploits, the other the exploits of an imaginary soldier—was a natural, and one of the best-sounding Philadelphia RCAs. Of course, both are virtuoso show-stoppers played by a virtuoso orchestra. The bass drum in “The Battle and Defeat of Napoleon” will give your woofers a workout. The 1973 Firebird Suite is not captured quite so dramatically, but this Rimsky-influenced work was right up Ormandy’s alley, and the performance stands up just fine alongside the knockout versions of Kodály’s and Prokofiev’s musical fables. This has to be awarded 'Best in Show.'”

FANFARE: Richard A. Kaplan

*** This title is a reissue of a Japanese release with liner notes in Japanese. ***

MENDELSSOHN, PAGANINI UTU UGH

This is the Japanese RCA Munch Edition reissue of these superb performances, now available "on-demand" from Arkivmusic.com. Although the sound is mono, it's very good mono, and a touch more vivid than the domestic RCA productions--the Honegger symphonies in this case originally came coupled with works by Milhaud. The only technical issue stems from the fact that, perhaps in an effort to cut down on ambient noise, the opening notes of the music are very slightly clipped (most noticeable at the start of the Fifth Symphony). I checked this against the original Japanese release and it's not a function of the disc's on-demand provenance. The performances themselves are legendary: there is no better version of the two Honegger works (though Karajan's Symphony No. 2 is just as good, albeit in a very different way), and Munch's Roussel ranks with the best. A classic, and self-recommending.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

*** This title is a reissue of a Japanese release with liner notes in Japanese. ***

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: SCHEHERAZADE

*** This title is a reissue of a Japanese release with liner notes in Japanese. ***

*** This title is a reissue of a Japanese release with liner notes in Japanese. ***

Heppner is extraordinary, giving a solidly expansive performance of poise and breadth. The voice is both strong and youthful, and he knows what he is singing about. Heppner's sense of phrasing, allied with his commanding voice, does a lot to bring the difficult character of Lohengrin to life, and the third act is clearly his.

-- Patrick J. Smith, Opera News [12/9/1995]

This 1975 recording of Schubert's C major String Quintet finds the Guarneri Quartet and cellist Leonard Rose in fine form. Admittedly, first violinist Arnold Steinhardt's tone is occasionally edgy, a feature exacerbated by microphone placement, and there are several patches of questionable intonation, but tonal blend and balance are otherwise exemplary. The opening movement comes off best (performed without the exposition repeat), with propulsive, dramatic playing and a sensitive shaping of the oh-so-lovely, lyrical second theme. The Adagio's fragile atmosphere is nicely sustained, though the opening could be more hushed. Rough-hewn and unhurried, the Guarneri underscores the rustic, dance-like qualities of the last two movements, and while the scherzo is too heavy-handed, the finale has an endearing, Gypsy-like rhythmic snap.

The Alban Berg Quartet and Heinrich Schiff (EMI) offer a sweeter, more polished view of this hallowed repertoire staple. And then there's the Hollywood String Quartet and Kurt Reher (Testament), who are far plainer-sounding yet phrase in glorious, long paragraphs. I wouldn't give up either of these deservedly acclaimed accounts, but RCA was right to finally put the Guarneri's compelling version on CD. The coupling is a 1970 recording of the Beethovenian Quartettsatz that begins perfunctorily but quickly gathers expressive weight.

--Andrew Farach-Colton, ClassicsToday.com

Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 4 & 5