Perhaps surprisingly for Wand, who is best known for his recordings of Beethoven, Brahms, and Bruckner, he has had a soft spot in his heart for the
Mussorgsky piece for many years and has only recently gotten around to recording it digitally.
Mussorgsky's "Night on the Bare Mountain" is scary and evocative in its first half and delicate and serene in its conclusion.
The three scenes from
Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov--the coronation, the monologue "I have achieved absolute power" and the Czar's death (all in Russian)--are more singular.
The reception was followed by a performance of excerpts from
Mussorgsky Boris Godunov, the Kingdom of the Shades scene from La Bayadere, and the Polovtsian Camp Scene from Borodins Prince Igor.
Composed between 1868 and 1873 in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Boris Godunov is
Mussorgsky's only completed opera and is considered his masterpiece.
An economical set design by Vyacheslav Okunev contributes to the success of this ballet, as do the excellently arranged excerpts from the works of Rachmaninoff,
Mussorgsky, and Wagner.
Richter plays
Mussorgsky and Prokofiev Sviatoslav Richter One of the greatest pianists of the 20th century, the rugged, no-nonsense Sviatoslav Richter was a fine ambassador for the music of his native Russia, but this release shows two sides to his temperament.
The Stravinsky piece put the much better known first half choices,
Mussorgsky's Night On A Bare Mountain and Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No 2, somewhat in the shade.
The concert includes Enigma Variations by Elgar, and Ravel's arrangement of Pictures of an Exhibition by
Mussorgsky, a repertoire John has been waiting years to perform.
Petersburg premiere by the ballet of the
Mussorgsky Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet.
This generous disc is framed by the two biggies of the 19th-century Russian piano repertoire:
Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, and Balakirev's Islamey, notoriously demanding technically, but how spectacularly delivered here by Fisher.
But on Saturday, the opener,
Mussorgsky's dramatic, not to say melodramatic Night On Bald Mountain was excellent from the off.
Once that event finishes I will be looking forward to promoting - and enjoying - the 25th Birthday Prom on July 17 which will feature two of my favourite pieces of classical music;
Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition and Ravel's Bolero.
The concert opened with the delightful Preludeand Dance of the ST PETERSBURG SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Conductor Alexander Dmit riev, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Persian Slaves from
Mussorgsky's opera Khovanshchina.
The programme will include
Mussorgsky's Night on a Bare Mountain, Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No 2 and Stravinksy's Petrushka There will be a pre-concert talk, at 6.30pm.
