Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
Swan Lake, Op. 20 (1876) [156:02]
The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66 (1889) [160:03]
The Nutcracker, Op. 71 (1892) [86:20]
London Symphony Orchestra/André Previn
rec. Kingsway Hall, 1976 (Swan Lake); Studio No. 1, Abbey Road, 1974
(Sleeping Beauty); Kingsway Hall, 1972 (Nutcracker)
WARNER CLASSICS 9029597489
[7 CDs: 403:35]
In his 2010
review
of the classic Previn/LSO Sleeping Beauty, Nick Barnard remarked: ‘I
do feel a spruced-up remastering is what [this recording] richly deserves.’
In that, he echoes my feelings about the team’s Nutcracker, whose
manifold pleasures on LP were diminished by EMI’s fierce, very fatiguing CD
reissues. Ditto their Swan Lake, which, like the other ballets here,
was so memorable in its LP form.
Well, the good news is that Warner have now remastered these recordings, The Nutcracker and Swan Lake in 2011, The Sleeping Beauty in 2016, and repackaged all seven discs in a sturdy
retro-box for around £12. Of course, remastering doesn’t always achieve the
desired result, but in recent years a number of classics have been
transformed in ways I scarcely thought possible. The BD-A version of
Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem (Decca)
and William Steinberg’s coupling of Also sprach Zarathustra
and The Planets (Deutsche Grammophon)
spring readily to mind. Then there’s the vastly improved version of
Ravel’s Daphnis, with Pierre Monteux (Praga Digitals), and a revealing refurb of the Previn/LSO Shostakovich Babi Yar
(Warner).
So, has the ‘snake oil’ worked here too? Swan Lake, on the first two
discs, certainly sounds warmer and fuller than it does on previous CD
issues. Not only that, there seems to be a little more ‘air’ around the
instruments, the brass especially well served. Also, the delectable
woodwinds are more easily discernible. Most important, much of that
strident treble has gone. Alas, not all, but at least there’s none of the
jaw clenching that usually accompanies ‘edgy’ recordings. As a performance,
it’s as accomplished as I remembered it, with the LSO in sparkling form.
Rhythms are nicely sprung, tuttis are exciting without being overdriven,
and there’s a seamless ease to the music-making that can’t fail to please.
One thing I’d quite forgotten, though, was the spectacular finale; indeed,
it’s as dramatically intense as any on record.
What a pleasure it is to hear that ‘golden oldie’ in such amenable sound.
It's also good to be reminded of Previn’s halcyon days with this orchestra,
which he led from 1968 to 1979. Hence my impatience to revisit their Sleeping Beauty, on discs three to five. Unlike Swan Lake
and The Nutcracker, both of which were recorded in the
legendary acoustic of Kingsway Hall, this was taped at another fabled
venue, Studio No. 1, Abbey Road. The USP of this remastering – and that of Swan Lake – is that music omitted in the changeover from LP to CD
has now been reinstated. However, the sound here is much more forward – I
had to reduce the volume a couple of notches – with little of the
three-dimensionality that makes the ‘new’ Swan Lake such a sonic
treat. In addition to flattened perspectives, there’s a hint of coarseness
in the tuttis.
I must confess that, despite its many charms, The Sleeping Beauty is
my least favourite Tchaikovsky ballet. It’s certainly the darkest and most
complex, powerfully symphonic in places, and, as I remembered, Previn has a
very good grasp of the work’s architecture. Not for the first time, I was
struck by how forward-looking Tchaikovsky’s writing is here, and how short
the leap to Stravinsky and Prokofiev. As for the playing, it’s polished,
with fine contributions from all sections, the woodwinds in particular.
Overall, this is a compelling performance, if a tad slow at times, the
celebrated setpieces nicely done. More than anything, I’m reminded of what
a versatile and characterful band the LSO have always been, and how they
can sound both collegiate and individual at the same time.
True, one’s audio memory is fickle, and nostalgia often adds Vaseline to
the lens, but I’ll never forget, as a student, buying the LPs of Previn’s Nutcracker and playing them to death. Since then, I’ve heard many
fine versions, but this one has always had a special place in my
affections. What a pity the various CD incarnations – that awful ‘edge’
again – were so disappointing. That said, this performance, recorded in
1972, boasts some of the nimblest woodwind playing imaginable. Previn’s
pace, phrasing and dynamic shading are as persuasive as ever, but despite a
tamed treble there’s a hint of hardness in certain passages. What concerns
me most, though, is the slightly ‘processed’ sound, and that might be one
of the reasons why this recording seems to have lost its magic for me.
Of these three offerings, Swan Lake is by far the most
rewarding, both musically and in terms of the remastered sound. Indeed, I’d
now rank it alongside my current favourite, the recently remastered set from
Evgeny Svetlanov and the USSR SO (Melodiya). In second place is The Sleeping Beauty, Previn more nuanced,
colourful and cohesive than I remembered. I do prefer it to the much lauded
Antal Doráti/Concertgebouw recording, which generates more heat than light
(Philips/UMG). As indicated, time and a very average remastering have not
been kind to Previn’s Nutcracker. Happily, there are many great
performances out there, Ernest Ansermet/OSR (Decca,
Major Classics)
and the LSO under Sir Charles Mackerras (Telarc) high among them. Then
again, such comparisons matter less in the context of this bargain box,
which is sure to please impecunious buyers and Previn fans alike.
Three classic sets remastered; not an unqualified success, though.
Dan Morgan
