Shostakovich: The Golden Age / Serebrier, Et Al

$29.99
Label
Naxos
Release Date
November 21, 2006
Format
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    Featuring ⌄
    • COMPOSER
      SHOSTAKOVICH
    • ORCHESTRA / ENSEMBLE
      Royal Scottish National Orchestra
    • PERFORMER
      Serebrier
    Product Details ⌄
    • RELEASE DATE
      November 21, 2006
    • UPC
      747313021772
    • CATALOG NUMBER
      8570217-18
    • LABEL
      Naxos
    • NUMBER OF DISCS
      2
    • GENRE
      Ballet
    Works ⌄

    1. Prelude

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    2. Act I Scene 1, The Golden Age of Industry Exhibition: Procession of the Guests of Honour

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    3. Act I Scene 1, The Golden Age of Industry Exhibition: Inspection of the Display Windows

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    4. Act I Scene 1, The Golden Age of Industry Exhibition: Demonstration of Important Exhibits - Appearance of the Soviet Football Team

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    5. Act I Scene 1, The Golden Age of Industry Exhibition: Magician-Advertising Agent - Dance of the Hindu

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    6. Act I Scene 1, The Golden Age of Industry Exhibition: Boxing as an Advertising Stunt

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    7. Act I Scene 1, The Golden Age of Industry Exhibition: Scandal during the Boxing Match - Entrance of the Police

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    8. Act I Scene 2, Exhibition Hall: Dance of the Golden Youths

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    9. Act I Scene 2, Exhibition Hall: Dance of Diva: Adagio

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    10. Act I Scene 2, Exhibition Hall: Appearance of the Soviet Football Team and Diva's Variations

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    11. Act I Scene 2, Exhibition Hall: Soviet Dance

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    12. Act I Scene 2, Exhibition Hall: Diva asks the Leader of the Soviet Team to Dance with Her

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    13. Act I Scene 2, Exhibition Hall: Dance and Scene of the Diva and the Fascist

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    14. Act I Scene 2, Exhibition Hall: Dance of the Black Man and 2 Soviet Football Players

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    15. Act I Scene 2, Exhibition Hall: The Supposed Terrorist, "The Hand of Moscow"

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    16. Act I Scene 2, Exhibition Hall: General Confusion - The Embarrassment of the Fascists

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    17. Act I Scene 2, Exhibition Hall: A Rare Case of Mass Hysteria

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    18. Act I Scene 2, Exhibition Hall: Conversation between the Director of the Exhibition and the Fascist

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    19. Act I Scene 2, Exhibition Hall: Foxtrot … foxtrot … foxtrot

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    20. Act II Scene 3, A Street in the Same City: Mime of the Agents Provocateurs, Provocation and Arrest: Galop

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    21. Act II Scene 4, Workers' Stadium: Procession of the Workers to the Stadium - Dance of the Young Pioneers - Sports Games

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    22. Act II Scene 4, Workers' Stadium: Football March

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    23. Act II Scene 4, Workers' Stadium: Intermezzo, "Everybody amuses oneself in one's own way"

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    24. Act II Scene 4, Workers' Stadium: Dance of the Western Komsomol Girl and 4 Sportsmen

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    25. Act II Scene 4, Workers' Stadium: Sports Contests - Joint Sports Dance

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    26. Act II Scene 4, Workers' Stadium: Scene and Exit of the Soviet Team

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    27. Act III: Entr'acte, "Tea for Two"

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    28. Act III Scene 5, Music Hall: Chechotka, "Shoe Shine of the Highest Grade"

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    29. Act III Scene 5, Music Hall: Tango

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    30. Act III Scene 5, Music Hall: Polka, "Once upon a Time in Geneva" - Polka, "Angel of Peace"

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    31. Act III Scene 5, Music Hall: The Touching Coalition of the Classes, slightly fraudulent

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    32. Act III Scene 5, Music Hall: Entrance of Diva and the Fascist - Their Dance

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    33. Act III Scene 5, Music Hall: Can-can

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    34. Act III Scene 6, Prison Building: Prelude

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    35. Act III Scene 6, Prison Building: Scene of the Freeing of the Prisoners

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    36. Act III Scene 6, Prison Building: Total Unveiling of the Conspiracy - The Bourgeoisie in Panic

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier

    37. Act III Scene 6, Prison Building: Final Dance of Solidarity

      Composer: Dmitri Shostakovich

      Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra

      Conductor: José Serebrier


This recording is billed as the first totally, absolutely complete release of The Golden Age, Shostakovich's best ballet, in that you get all of the repeats, some of which are omitted in the only competing, more or less complete version on Chandos (with Rozhdestvensky). Having all of the repeats isn't necessarily a good thing, but with Serebrier and his Scottish players we are in good hands. Rozhdestvensky's recording also is very good, but his Swedish orchestra isn't any better than the Royal Scottish National--and it also suffers from some minor moments of scruffy rhythm in the strings. More to the point, the Russian conductor's reading isn't entirely free of the heaviness that often characterizes his conducting.


You can hear this quite clearly in comparing the two interpretations of the splendid Can-can in Act 3, one of the largest and most powerful extended numbers in the ballet. Serebrier actually is the slower of the two, by a few unimportant seconds, but his rhythms cut through more crisply, and the orchestra's brighter-toned brass and more vivid percussion make the music sparkle as it should--and terrify when it must (as at the end of this very piece). Otherwise there's little to choose between the two, but much else to enjoy here, including that splendidly romantic Dance of the Diva (a big Adagio) as well as all of the other numbers familiar from the popular suite extracted by the composer at the time of the original production. Terrific sound and a very reasonable price make this the clear version of choice.
--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com