Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Ansermet, L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
"Prokofiev: 'Classical' Symphony, Borodin: 'In the Steppes of Central Asia'" (Vinyl)

I encountered this little-known work by Alexander Borodin earlier this season.  It was used as a program opener, and I have to say, it really stuck in my ear.

The melodies are poignant and simple; on the whole, the work is not a complex or difficult one, so I'm surprised I've never seen it before now.

Ernest Ansermet was the conductor of the Orchestra of French-speaking Switzerland from 1918 to 1967.  That's a phenomenal tenure in any generation of music-making.  I'm not exactly sure when this recording was released, but aside from some questionable clarinet- and oboe-playing, the orchestra sounds wonderful and is beautifully captured on a London FFRR stereo recording.

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