Classical Music Blogger Reviews Mussorgsky Recording
Since Paavo Jarvi became the Cincinnati Symphony's Music Director in September, 2001, the Telearc label has issued 2 albums a year of the CSO directed by Maestro Jarvi, pretty much like clockwork, one in the Fall, and one in the Spring. This is the 14th in the series. This CD (51 min.) is an all-Mussorgsky album. It starts off with a great appetizer "Night on Bald Mountain", which will immediately appeal to you and sound familiar (from the Walt Disney movie Fantasia). It then is followed by the main course, "Pictures at an Exhibition", one of the most popular classical pieces ever, and Maestro Jarvi brings it with great skill and brings out the best in the orchestra. Check out the subtle yet warm "The Old Castle", the highlight for me on the album, with a tremendous saxophone solo. But other "portraits" like "Bydlo", "The Marketplace of Limoges" and the finale, "The Great Gate of Kiev" are also standouts. The final piece of the album, think of it as the dessert, is the short "Down on the Moscow River", a beautiful pensive tune. As usual, courtesy the folks at Telearc, the recording/audio quality of this CD is nothing short of spectacular. Maestro Jarvi and the CSO went on a highly successful tour of Europe earlier this year (I had the good fortune of catching them on that tour in Amsterdam and Paris). Under the guidance of Maestro Jarvi, the CSO continues to shine, and this new album is ample proof of that. Meanwhile, this album is highly recommended!
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