Aram Khachaturian recorded selections from his two famous ballets several times for various labels, but this Decca selection of excerpts has long enjoyed particular affection, both for the vitality of the composer’s direction and the sumptuousness of the sound. It’s rather amazing, actually, how suitable the Vienna Philharmonic was for this music back in 1962: the bleating oboes, blasting horns, and piercing trumpets are all a far cry from the smooth, luxuriously upholstered sound that they project today. Of course, the percussion section was, and remains, comparatively feeble, but Khachaturian gets them to play out when necessary, and although the selection of music isn’t overly generous, all of the most famous numbers, from the “Sabre Dance” and “Lezhginka” in Gayaneh to the “Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia”, are present and accounted for. Even better is the filler: Ernest Ansermet’s rip-roaring assault on Glazunov’s The Seasons, featuring the fastest and wildest “Autumn Bacchanal” on disc (miscued, in this case, but no matter). Great fun. [4/27/2000]
