Rimsky-Korsakov: Schéhérazade/Antar - Ansermet cond.

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Ernest Ansermet was a mathematician before being conductor, and that skillfulness may be felt in every score he conducted. His devoted stubbornness for the Russian music was more than obvious. It's far to be a secret that a work such scherezade has been so diffused and so used as musical curtain that literally has provoked in the great audiences (at least in my case) a serious case of auditory fatigue, and that has been a terrible impediment for the Opus. To my mind only three notable conductors have been able to bring it back to this monumental orchestral fantasy, the Dionysian majesty and sensual taste; Ferenc Fricsay, Isaac Dobrowne and Ernest Ansermet, whose devoted efforts are still evident since the first bars. So from any point of view and given the special feature given by this masterful conductor, this version still stands out as one the most sublime ever recorded. Antar's performance still remains as one of the most extraordinary versions, just behind two insurmountable ones; Morton Gould performance and Hermann Scherchen. A must-have.

”

Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Cond.: Ernest Ansermet
Recording location: Victoria Hall, Geneva, June 1954 (Antar), November 1960 (Scheherazade)
Tracks:
1. Scheherazade, Op.35 - The Sea and Sinbad's Ship 10:11
2. Scheherazade, Op.35 - The Story of the Calender Prince 11:15
3. Scheherazade, Op.35 - The Young Prince and the Young Princess 9:39
4. Scheherazade, Op.35 - Festival at Bagdad - The Sea - The Shipwreck against a rock surmounted by a bronze warrior (The Shipwreck) 12:27
5. Symphony No.2, Op.9 "Antar" - 1. Largo - Allegro giocoso - Adagio - Largo - (Tempo I) - Allegretto Vivace - Largo (Tempo I) 11:55
6. Symphony No.2, Op.9 "Antar" - 2. Allegro - Molto allegro - Meno mosso, allargando - Allegro (Tempo I) 5:11
7. Symphony No.2, Op.9 "Antar" - 3. Allegro risoluto alla marcia 5:42
8. Symphony No.2, Op.9 "Antar" - 4. Allegretto vivace - Andante amoroso - Animato assai - Tempo I 8:28