It would be easy to dismiss this as just another Russian orchestral music collection, especially as it features the profusely over-recorded Night on Bald Mountain. But you’d be missing out on a uniquely enjoyable disc. Balakirev’s Chopin transcriptions go far afield of the composer’s own limited style (his use of trombone and winds makes the finale sound like Liszt’s First Piano Concerto), but they exude brilliance and charm nonetheless. Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances benefit from Evegeni Svetlanov’s lithe and lively conducting, but what really makes them special is the USSR Radio and TV Large Chorus, which sings this music with a passionate fervor that’s unique on disc.
The Moscow and Novosibirsk Chamber Choirs provide stirring singing of their own in Mussorgsky’s captivating and rarely heard Destruction of Sennacherib and Jesus Navinus. Which brings us to the aforementioned Night on Bald Mountain–and if you think you know what to expect, then think again. This is one blistering performance, with Svetlanov charging ahead at breakneck tempos, and the crackerjack USSR Symphony providing razor-sharp precision and unbridled bravura. It’s the sort of performance that makes most others seem tame (you can vividly imagine wild-eyed witches swirling about in the fierce mountain winds). The remastered recordings are typical of the Melodiya era: pronounced clarity offset by limited dynamics and occasional (in the Borodin especially) distortion. But don’t worry about that, just enjoy.
