Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade; Stravinsky: Song of the Nightingale [Hybrid SACD]

By Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Igor Stravinsky, Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sidney Harth

RCA, 2005, Audio CD

Product Description

This is a classic recording of these two works, led with grand authority by Fritz Reiner. The Chicago's brass and wind section play gloriously throughout, and the final movement of Scheherazade (we learn from the original producer [1960] in an accompanying essay) was recorded in one take — an almost unheard-of feat. This fast movement is taken at breakneck speed, with no loss of clarity or power, with the strings in the hands of magicians. Stravinsky's Nightingale has never sounded so exotic, so bristling over with color, since this 1956(!) recording under Reiner, and the wonderful surprise with this new release of old material is the revamped sound: the original "Living Stereo" was a fantastic breakthrough in recording, and this new SACD format has returned the spatial relationships to something so "real" that it comes as close as I've ever heard to a true concert hall experience. Simply glorious. — Robert Levine

Tracks Information

Scheherazade, symphonic suite for orchestra, Op. 35: The Sea and Sinbad's Ship
Scheherazade, symphonic suite for orchestra, Op. 35: The Story of the Kalender Prince
Scheherazade, symphonic suite for orchestra, Op. 35: The Young Prince and the Young Princess
Scheherazade, symphonic suite for orchestra, Op. 35: Festival in Bagdad; The Sea; The Ship Goes to Pieces on a Rock Surmounted by a B
Chant du rossignol (Song of the Nightingale), symphonic poem for orchestra: Presto
Chant du rossignol (Song of the Nightingale), symphonic poem for orchestra: Chinese March
Chant du rossignol (Song of the Nightingale), symphonic poem for orchestra: Song of the Nightingale
Chant du rossignol (Song of the Nightingale), symphonic poem for orchestra: The Mechanical Nightingale: The mechanical nightingale
Chant du rossignol (Song of the Nightingale), symphonic poem for orchestra: The Mechanical Nightingale: The Emperor's displeasure at
Chant du rossignol (Song of the Nightingale), symphonic poem for orchestra: The Mechanical Nightingale: The Emperor's sickroom
Chant du rossignol (Song of the Nightingale), symphonic poem for orchestra: The Mechanical Nightingale: The real nightingale returns
Chant du rossignol (Song of the Nightingale), symphonic poem for orchestra: The Mechanical Nightingale: Funeral march and Finale

Product Details

Title: Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade; Stravinsky: Song of the Nightingale [Hybrid SACD]
Sales Rank: 4785 in Music
Creator: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Igor Stravinsky, Fritz Reiner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sidney Harth
Label: RCA, 2005-01-25, Audio CD, 1 Disc
Format: Hybrid SACD - DSD
Item Dimensions: 0.24 pounds
Package Dimensions: 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.4 inches, 0.2 pounds

Customer Reviews

My favorite CD before I lost it in a fire evacuation: Gaaaaah!
I loved this CD. For me it is even better than the Reiner Pictures at an Exhibition recording, which says quite a bit. Scheherezade is masterfully written, and is by far my favorite piece by Rimsky-Korsakov, especially the middle two movements. Every single one of the four movements are far beyond the standard musical performance however, and I highly recommend listening to all… More reviews

Great Sound, One Of The Best Performances Of Scheherazade: Legend has it that conductor Fritz Reiner had a very foul temperament. I'm sure there must be some truth to this, because what we have here is one of the best performances of "Scheherazade" I've ever heard. Like all great conductors, Reiner was had magnificent control over his orchestra. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra plays with a lot of passion and… More reviews

Listen in COMPLETE Surround--if you dare: Hear a new revelation in sound with this SACD.
RCA originally recorded this in 1960 using 3 channels. That makes this recording nearly 50 years old. Don't let that fool you. This is an EXCEPTIONAL recording. The fidelity is remarkable. It is not flawless and the highs can have a bit of an edge. Also, crashes on the cymbal occasionally overload the left… More reviews

Historic -- the best Scheherazade ever! Details follow...: Scheherazade is performed a LOT. Fritz Reiner was well-aware of this fact in 1960 when he conceived this historic recording. As a consequence, he fostered no desire to yield just another run-of-the-mill performance. Here's a blurp from the notes which explains his subsequent efforts more fully:
"Some weeks before the actual recording was made, most of the existing recordings of the music… More reviews

Classic Treasure: Conductor Fritz Reiner beautifully captures the fragrant aromas of Rimsky-Korsakov's exotic orchestrations with great poetry and sensitivity and just the right touches of elegance and flair from concertmaster Sidney Harth and the Chicago Symphony to make this one of the greatest performances ever. I am always stirred by the trumpet player's tonguing technique here and the driving,… More reviews