Track Listing

1. 1. Scene - Swan Theme - Leon Spierer, Eberhard Finke, Berliner Philharmoniker, Mstislav Rostropovich
2. 2. Valse in A - Leon Spierer, Eberhard Finke, Berliner Philharmoniker, Mstislav Rostropovich
3. 3. Danse des petits cygnes - Leon Spierer, Eberhard Finke, Berliner Philharmoniker, Mstislav Rostropovich
4. 4. Scene - Leon Spierer, Eberhard Finke, Berliner Philharmoniker, Mstislav Rostropovich
5. 5. Danse Hongroise (Czardas) - Leon Spierer, Eberhard Finke, Berliner Philharmoniker, Mstislav Rostropovich
6. 6. Scène finale. - Leon Spierer, Eberhard Finke, Berliner Philharmoniker, Mstislav Rostropovich
7. Introduction - The Lilac Fairy - Berliner Philharmoniker, Mstislav Rostropovich
8. Pas d'action: Rose Adagio - Berliner Philharmoniker, Mstislav Rostropovich
9. Pas de caractère: Puss in Boots - Berliner Philharmoniker, Mstislav Rostropovich
10. Panorama (andantino) - Berliner Philharmoniker, Mstislav Rostropovich
11. Valse - Berliner Philharmoniker, Mstislav Rostropovich
12. 1. Miniature Overture - Berliner Philharmoniker, Mstislav Rostropovich
13. March - Berliner Philharmoniker, Mstislav Rostropovich
14. Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy - Berliner Philharmoniker, Mstislav Rostropovich
15. Russian Dance (Trepak) - Berliner Philharmoniker, Mstislav Rostropovich
16. Arabian Dance (Coffee) - Berliner Philharmoniker, Mstislav Rostropovich
17. Chinese Dance (Tea) - Berliner Philharmoniker, Mstislav Rostropovich
18. Dance of the Reed-Pipes (Merlitons) - Berliner Philharmoniker, Mstislav Rostropovich
19. 3. Waltz of the Flowers - Berliner Philharmoniker, Mstislav Rostropovich

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1480 in Music
• Released on: 1996-10-14
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds
• Running time: 67 minutes

Customer Reviews

Detail you just dont hear elsewhere!
One might have thought that the Ballet suites have been recorded too many times, for anyone to get excited about 'another' recording! In truth these are fabulous performances, with inner detail that I have to say I haven't heard in any other recordings! At an incredibly low price, I urge anyone thinking of buying a recording of the suites to look no further.
A superb cellist and wonderful conductor, golly how we will miss him!

Outstanding Tchaikovsky disc
Outstanding versions of Tchaikovsky’s three popular ballet suites. The Berlin Philharmonic is in glowing form and Mstislav Rostropovich on the rostrum sounds inspired as none else. Warmly and dynamically recorded, with plenty of orchestral detail, this thrilling disc may stand as a criterion from the analogue era.
If you only need the suites, or if you think this music no longer holds any surprises for you, this is the CD to go for. Highly recommended.

Essential
Fantastic music, superb performances and excellent sound. The govt should issue every music department in every school in the country with a free copy of this CD (along with another DG Originals classic - the Karajan/BPO disc of La Mer/Pictures at an Exhibition/Bolero, and lots of Sibelius & Shostakovich) in order to demonstrate to kids how exciting classical music can be.

Tchaikovsky's ballet suites are endlessly inventive musically and are packed with great melodic ideas, fantastic orchestration and, well, wonderfull tunes. Personally, I much prefer the composer in this kind of exuberant mood than in his supposedly more serious symphonic works.

It's a pity that the Rostropovich/BPO combo never recorded the full scores of any of these works, because after hearing the three suites on this CD you'll want to hear Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker in full.

Incidentally, by DG Originals standards this is not a particularly old recording - it's from 1978. Accordingly the sound quality is first rate and much better than most current digital recordings.

An iconic CD that you should not be without (even if, like me, you were once idiotic enough to sneer at Tchaikovsky. D'oh!).

Anyway, if you want a CD of Tchaikovsky's ballet suites (and why on earth wouldn't you?) then this is simply in a class of its own.