The main attraction here is Michael Tilson Thomas's 1991 account of the Fifth Symphony with the LSO. Of all the available versions, none matches it for idiomatic feeling, spot-on accuracy of playing, and sonic excellence. One is struck by the extraordinary detail in Thomas's reading of the piece--it's all there in the score, but for once, one actually hears it in performance. Even more impressive is the magnificence of the overall conception. The cinematic sweep of this music, and the powerful emotions it evokes, emerge unmistakably. Thomas also captures the lightness and acerbic wit that make the Classical Symphony so remarkable. The breadth of the programming on this 2-CD set, which includes the popular Lt. Kijé Suite as well as a suite drawn from Prokofiev's wartime ballet Cinderella, makes it a particularly worthwhile offering.
- Ted Libbey
Disc: 1
1. Symphony No. 5 In B Flat Major, Op. 100: Andante – S. Prokofiev
2. Symphony No. 5 In B Flat Major, Op. 100: Allegro marcato – S. Prokofiev
3. Symphony No. 5 In B Flat Major, Op. 100: Adagio – S. Prokofiev
4. Symphony No. 5 In B Flat Major, Op. 100: Allegro giocoso – S. Prokofiev
5. Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 ‘Classical Symphony’: Allegro – S. Prokofiev
6. Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 ‘Classical Symphony’: Larghetto – S. Prokofiev
7. Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 ‘Classical Symphony’: Gavotta. Non troppo allegro – S. Prokofiev
8. Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 ‘Classical Symphony’: Finale. Molto vivace – S. Prokofiev
Disc: 2
1. Lieutenant Kije Symphonic Suite, Op. 60: The Birth of Kije
2. Lieutenant Kije Symphonic Suite, Op. 60: Romance
3. Lieutenant Kije Symphonic Suite, Op. 60: The Wedding of Kije
4. Lieutenant Kije Symphonic Suite, Op. 60: Troika
5. Lieutenant Kije Symphonic Suite, Op. 60: Burial of Kije
6. Suite From The Love For Three Oranges, Op. 33a: Les Ridicules
7. Suite From The Love For Three Oranges, Op. 33a: Le Magicien Tchelio et Fata Morgana jouent aux crates (Secene infernale)
8. Suite From The Love For Three Oranges, Op. 33a: Marche
9. Suite From The Love For Three Oranges, Op. 33a: Scherzo
10. Suite From The Love For Three Oranges, Op. 33a: Le Prince et la Princesse
11. Suite From The Love For Three Oranges, Op. 33a: La Fuite
12. Overture In B Flat Major, Op. 42 ‘American Overture’
13. Music From Cinderella, Op. 87: Introduction
14. Music From Cinderella, Op. 87: Quarrel
15. Music From Cinderella, Op. 87: At The Palace
16. Music From Cinderella, Op. 87: Spring And Summer Fairies. Grasshopper Dance
17. Music From Cinderella, Op. 87: Fairy Godmother And Winter Fairy
18. Music From Cinderella, Op. 87: Cinderella’s Waltz. Midnight
19. Music From Cinderella, Op. 87: Apotheosis
