Chandos has wisely reduced this original, expensive three-disc set to a moderately priced twofer, without losing any music at all. The performances are wonderful: this recording was made in the first flush of Neeme Järvi’s relationship with Chandos, when their recordings with the Scottish National Orchestra were winning accolades the world over for their sonic brilliance. At the time, much of this music was also difficult to find (particularly the suites from Christmas Eve and The Invisible City of Kitezh), and so were additionally welcome in such glittering interpretations. Even now they hold up extremely well: Järvi’s strength always was his willingness to let the orchestra cut loose in the big moments, especially the march music in Le coq d’or, or the Dance of the Tumblers from The Snow Maiden. Also as usual, the string playing lacks that last ounce of precision and rhythmic clarity (the galloping rhythms in Christmas Eve, for example), but few will complain. BIS’s ongoing series of Rimsky’s orchestral music with the Malaysian Philharmonic has even finer sonics, but if you’re looking for just the opera suites, you can hardly do better than this. [6/22/2006]
