COMPOSERS: Borodin,Glinka,Mussorgsky
LABELS: Karussell Belart
WORKS: Russlan and Ludmilla Overture; Khovanshchina Prelude; Night on the Bare Mountain; Prince Igor Overture and Polovtsian Dances
PERFORMER: LSO & Chorus/Georg Solti
CATALOGUE NO: 450 017-2 ADD (1966)
Solti pulls out all the stops in these Russian showpieces which explode off the disc fast, furious and exciting. The Khovanshchina Prelude and the approach of dawn in Night on the Bare Mountain are evocatively handled. Elsewhere the frenzied pace is impressive but exhausting. The Polovtsian Dances (with chorus) are so rushed that something of their sensuousness is missed and there’s little time to enjoy the magical oriental colouring. Spectacular Decca recording, super-budget price but ungenerous playing time. David Michaels