Mussorgsky Pictures at an exhibition?

[jmdesignz2]

Has anyone listened to this one yet? I really love Pictures at an Exhibition but wonder about this recording and performance

 

October 2, 2012, Naxos is releasing one of its featured recordings in a digital-only format. Conductor, arranger and composer Peter Breiner's new orchestrations of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, Songs and Dances of Death, and The Nursery is available as MP3 and 24 bit/96 kHz High Definition Audio downloads on eClassical.com

[brucknerdoc]

Just got done listening to Breiner's Pictures...

 

Solid recording - picked it up on HDT for a couple bucks less than eClassical.

 

In terms of the new arrangement/performance - yuck! He seems to go for new orchestration just for the sake of new - most of his decisions don't make sense and frequently change mid-thought. Tempos are all over the map. Many lines are whooly created - not even in the original piano work. He's best in the big moments like Kiev, preferring a big, thick texture and sound over subtlety. It's a novelty to listen to once, but i would never listen to this performance again.

 

The other works on the disc fair MUCH better. Still don't agree with much of his orchestration choice, but they work for the most part (unlike Pictures).

 

Besides Ravel, I've heard a few other composers re-work Pictures. Breiners is the only one i would consider a complete fail.

[jmdesignz2]

ouch - thanks for the honest review

Do you have a favorite performance/recording of Pictures?

[One and a half]

Only a Redbook, but the Charles Dutoit MSO is available from EMI UK is more traditional and palatable.

 

if you like rock then ELP is king, sadly no orchestrations , which the piece really needs to give some weight missing from the 70's live recording.

[Blu]

I had a preview listen on eClassical where you can listen to the whole if you want, in 30 second bites. Unfortunately I found it lumbering in tempo, and still preferred the Ravel orchestration, he was a brilliant orchestrator.

[integriscdp]

I had a preview listen on eClassical where you can listen to the whole if you want, in 30 second bites. Unfortunately I found it lumbering in tempo, and still preferred the Ravel orchestration, he was a brilliant orchestrator.

 

Indeed. The Reiner / Chicago Symphony performance from 1957 is considered by many as a definitive version. Both the XRCD and SHM-XRCD versions sound very, very nice, but both of these are out-of-print. It is available on a Living Stereo hybrid SACD, which has been said to sound quite good, but I have not heard it.

[Musicophile]

I still way prefer the original piano version.

[integriscdp]

I still way prefer the original piano version.

 

Hi;

 

Can you recommended a particular performance? Thanks.

[Musicophile]

@integriscdp:

The most impressive I have is unfortunately far from audiophile: Julius Katchen's 1952 recording (this one usually one either loves or hates).

 

More mainstream, clear and extremely precise in his very personal style: Alfred Brendel on Philips (1996). This is usually coupled with a orchestral version played by André Previn (the latter is only so-so).

 

Finally: a rather special Russian touch with very nice energy: Evgeny Kissin on RCA.

[jhwalker]

@integriscdp:

The most impressive I have is unfortunately far from audiophile: Julius Katchen's 1952 recording (this one usually one either loves or hates).

 

More mainstream, clear and extremely precise in his very personal style: Alfred Brendel on Philips (1996). This is usually coupled with a orchestral version played by André Previn (the latter is only so-so).

 

Finally: a rather special Russian touch with very nice energy: Evgeny Kissin on RCA.

 

Speaking of a Russian (or, rather, Ukranian) touch, the almost ridiculously-legendary Sviatoslav Richter recital from Sophia (1958):

 

Amazon.com: Sviatoslav Richter: The Sofia Recital 1958: Modest Mussorgsky,Franz [Vienna] Schubert,Frederic Chopin,Franz Liszt,Sergey Rachmaninov,Sviatoslav Richter: Music

 

Decidedly *not* audiophile, but a remarkable performance, nonetheless.

[DCHammer]

Just this last week the CO Springs Philharmonic did "Pictures.." as a "Beyond The Score" performance where the first half of the evening was a multimedia event with live narration of the story behind the piece. There were plenty of Russian and French visuals plus images of the score as well as Hartman, Mussorgsky, Ravel, Rimsky-Korsakov. The orchestra would play short bits that were being discussed as well as live comparison of the piano score vs. the orchestral. Then after intermission the orchestra played the whole piece start to finish. The sold-out crowd loved it!

 

Any way I was inspired to get a piano version and settled on the Chandos release "Piano Works by the Mighty Handful", pianist Philip Edward Fisher, 24-bit. Played it on my new SotM server and was VERY pleased. Got it at eClassical.

[maelob]

Solti with the Chicago symphony orchestra great recording decca/london . Awesome performance and good recording

[firedog]

I have a few versions. Riccardo Muti with the Philadelphia Orchestra from 1992 is a pretty good one. It's paired with "Night on Bare Mountain"

 

I also have Zubin Mehta with the Los Angeles Philharmonic from 1967 which I like better, but I think it is out of print. It's paired with the piano solo version, played by Vladimir Ashkenazy.

[Russell_L]

For those still brave enough to try it out (I was until I read brucknerdoc's review ), this new recording is now available on Qobuz for only 8.99 Euros (about $11.70).

 

Russell

[Boris75]

Hi;

 

Can you recommended a particular performance? Thanks.

 

If you are after something with above-redbook sound quality, I would recommend Sa Chen's SACD (Pentatone). Musically, it's very fine, and the sound quality is astounding.

[Boris75]

October 2, 2012, Naxos is releasing one of its featured recordings in a digital-only format. Conductor, arranger and composer Peter Breiner's new orchestrations of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, Songs and Dances of Death, and The Nursery is available as MP3 and 24 bit/96 kHz High Definition Audio downloads on eClassical.com

 

Maybe it's my bias as a Frenchman, but trying to beat Ravel at orchestration sounds like hubris to me.