MRAVINSKY'S RECORDINGS (1938-1984) IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
The data courtesy to Kenzo Amoh from Tokio

1938/03/27-4/3 Leningrad R M Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 OMel 06820/33 unknown

1938-1939 Leningrad R M Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 BMG(J) BVCX 8020 1998 unknown

1939 Moscow R M Wagner: Die Walkure: Ride of the Valkyries BMG(J) BVCX 8020 1998 unknown Moscow RSO

1940 Moscow R M Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 BMG(J) BVCX 8021 1998 unknown USSR SO

1940/05/28 (Moscow) R M Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Rimini OMel 010273/8* NA Moscow PO

1941 Moscow R M Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Prelude to Act 1 BMG(J) BVCX 8021 1998 unknown Moscow PO

1941 Moscow R M Wagner: Rienze: Overture BMG(J) BVCX 4022 1997 unknown Moscow PO

1945 Moscow R M Scriabin: Symphony No. 4 BMG(J) BVCX 8021 1998 unknown Moscow PO/L. Yuriev

1945 Moscow R M Weber: Der Freischutz: Overture BMG(J) BVCX 4021 1997 unknown USSR SO

1946/06/01 Prague C M Khachaturyan: Piano Concerto Praga PR 250017 1993 NA Czech PO/L. Oborin

1946/10/25 Leningrad R M Steinberg: Till Eilenspiegel: Dance of Buffoons and Dance of Gilina BMG(J) BVCX 8024 1998 I. Grodzensky

1946/11/04 Leningrad R M Shostakovich: Symphony No. 6 OMel D 2488/9 1955 unknown

1946/11/11 Leningrad R M Zhivotov: Heroic Poem BMG(J) BVCX 8027 1998 I. Grodzensky

1946/11/18 Leningrad R M Stravinsky: Petrushuka Multisonic 31 0189-2 1993 I. Grodzensky

1946/11/20 Leningrad R M Wagner: Siegfried: Forest Murmurs BMG(J) BVCX 4022 1997 I. Grodzensky

1946/11/21 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker: No. 6 Departure of the Guests and Night OMel D 03426/7 1956 I. Grodzensky

1946/11/21 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker: No. 7 The Battle and Transformation Scene OMel D 03426/7 1956 I. Grodzensky

1946/11/21 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker: No. 8 The Forests Fir Trees in Winter OMel D 03426/7 1956 I. Grodzensky

1946/11/21 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker: No. 9 Waltz of the Snowflakes OMel D 03426/7 1956 I. Grodzensky

1946/11/22 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker: No. 14a Pas de deux OMel D 03426/7 1956 I. Grodzensky

1946/11/22 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker: No. 15 Final Waltz and Apotheosia OMel D 03426/7 1956 I. Grodzensky

1946/11/23 Leningrad R M Bizet: Carmen: Entracte Nos. 1, 2 and 3 BMG(J) BVCX 4027 1997 I. Grodzensky

1946/11/23 Leningrad R M Bizet: L'Arlesienne: Farandole BMG(J) BVCX 4027 1997 I. Grodzensky

1947/02/14 Leningrad R M Liszt: Der Tanz in der Dorfschenko (Mephist Waltz) OMel D 1097 1953 (I. Grodzensky) -R1-

1947/02/14 Leningrad R M Mozart: Symphony No. 39 OMel D 851/2 1952 I. Grodzensky

1947/02/14 Leningrad R M Wagner: Gotterdammerung: Siegfried's Funeral March BMG(J) BVCX 8022 1998 I. Grodzensky

1947/06/02 Leningrad R M Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8 OMel D 03620/1 1957 I. Grodzensky

1947/12/25 Moscow C M Prokofiev: Symphony No. 6 BMG(J) BVCX 8025 1998 G. Dudkevich USSR SO

1947-1948 R M Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 OMel D 011/2 1951 NA

1948 (Moscow) R M Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5: Waltz OMel 16417/8* NA Moscow RSO

1948/03/02 Leningrad R M Glazunov: Symphony No. 4 OMel D 53/4 1951 I. Grodzensky

1948/03/10 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Rimini RsD RDCD 15003 1993 I. Grodzensky

1948/03/11 Leningrad R M Glazunov: Raimonda: Spanish Dance BMG(J) BVCX 8024 1998 I. Grodzensky

1948/03/11 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker: No. 2 March OMel 20421 I. Grodzensky

1948/03/11 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker: No. 12b Coffee (Arabian Dance) OMel 20422 I. Grodzensky

1948/03/11 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker: No. 12c Tea (Chinese Dance) OMel D 00512/5 1952 I. Grodzensky

1948/03/11 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker: No. 12d Trepak (Russian Dance) BMG(J) BVCX 8024 1998 I. Grodzensky

1948/03/11 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker: No. 12e Dance of the Mirlitons (Flutes) OMel 20423 I. Grodzensky

1948/03/11 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker: No. 14c Variation II (Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Coda) OMel 20424 I. Grodzensky

1948/03/12 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty: No. 28: Pas de deux: Adagio (Act 3) BMG(J) BVCX 4023 1997 I. Grodzensky

1948/03/13 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty: No. 4: Finale (Prologue) OMel D 00707/12 1952 I. Grodzensky

1948/03/13 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty: No. 8: Pas d'action: Adagio (Act 1) OMel D 00707/12 1952 I. Grodzensky

1948/03/13 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty: No. 17: Panorama (Act 1) BMG(J) BVCX 4023 1997 I. Grodzensky

1948/03/13 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty: No. 23a: Pas de quatre (Act 3) OMel D 00707/12 1952 I. Grodzensky

1948/03/13 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty: No. 23b: Variation II (Act 3) BMG(J) BVCX 4023 1997 I. Grodzensky

1948/03/13 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty: No. 24: Pas de caractere (Act 3) OMel D 00707/12 1952 I. Grodzensky

1948/03/16 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty: No. 3a: Pas de six: Introduction (Prologue) OMel 18607/8 I. Grodzensky

1948/03/16 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty: No. 3b: Pas de six: Adagio (Prologue) OMel 18534/5 I. Grodzensky

1948/03/16 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty: No. 25: Pas de quatre: Variation II (Act 3) BMG(J) BVCX 4023 1997 I. Grodzensky

1948/03/21 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty: No. 2: Scene dansante (Prologue) OMel D 00707/12 1952 I. Grodzensky

1948/03/22 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker: No. 13 Waltz of the Flowers OMel 20370/1 I. Grodzensky

1948/03/22 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty: No. 6: Valse (Act 1) OMel D 00198 1952 I. Grodzensky

1948/04/04 Leningrad R M Weber: Euryanthe: Overture BMG(J) BVCX 4021 1997 I. Grodzensky

1948/04/12 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty: No. 1: Introduction (Prologue) BMG(J) BVCX 4023 1997 I. Grodzensky

1949 Leningrad R M Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 OMel D 0416/7 1952 D. Gaklin

1949 Moscow R M Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique: Un bal OMel 16695/6* NA USSR SO

1949 Leningrad R M Brahms: Symphony No. 1 OMel D 01257/8 1953 D. Gaklin

1949 (Moscow) R M Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 OMel 016903/4* NA USSR SO

1949/01/19 Moscow C M Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 RsD RDCD 10914 1996 NA USSR SO

1949/03/14 Leningrad R M Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 OMel D 01466/7 1953 D. Gaklin

1949/03/15 Leningrad R M Mozart: Concerto for Flute, Harp and Orchestra, K 299 BMG(J) BVCX 8022 1998 D. Gaklin B. Trizno, E. Sinitsina

1949/03/25 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: Serenade in C OMel D 389/90 1952 D. Gaklin

1949/03/25 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 OMel D 0237/8 1952 D. Gaklin

1949/03/29 Moscow R M Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 OMel D 01091/2 1953 D. Gaklin

1949/04/04 Leningrad R M Rimsky-Korsakov: The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia Multisonic 31 0178-2 1993 S. Svetukhina

1949/05/02 Moscow C M Davidov: Cello Concerto No. 2 RsD RDCD 10914 1996 NA D. Shafran

1949/12/12 Moscow R M Shostakovich: Song of the Forests OMel 019191/9 S. Svetukhina A. Sveshnikov/RSFSR Chorus, USSR SO/V. Kiltchevsky, I. Petrov

1950/01 Leningrad R M Mozart: Symphony No. 33 OMel D 07973 1961 I. Grodzensky

1950/01/23 Leningrad R M Mica: Symphony in D OMel D 08518 1961 D. Gaklin

1950/02/08 Moscow R M Glazunov: Symphony No. 4: Scherzo OMel 16697/8 N. Barskova USSR SO

1950/02/23 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: Capriccio Italien OMel D 0239 1952 D. Gaklin

1950/12/28 Leningrad R M Lyapunov: Symphony No. 2 BMG(J) BVCX 8027 1998 unknown

1951/01/02 Leningrad R M Weber: Aufforderung zum Tanze OMel 19030/2 D. Gaklin

1951/01/02 Leningrad R M Weber: Oberon: Overture OMel 018988/9 D. Gaklin

1952/03/24 Leningrad R M Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet, Suite No. 2 OMel 22455/67 A. Grosman

1952/12/20 Leningrad R M Haydn: Symphony No. 101 OMel D 4204/5 1958 unknown

1952/12/28 Leningrad R M Debussy: Nocturnes: Clouds and Festivals OMel D 1705 1953 D. Gaklin

1952/12/30 Leningrad R M Ravel: Bolero OMel 022864/7 unknown

1953/01/06 Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 OMel D 01400/1 1953 D. Gaklin P. Serebryakov

1953/02/02 Leningrad C M Kalinnikov: Symphony No. 2 RsD RDCD 11155 1994 NA

1953/02/26# Leningrad R M Shostakovich: Symphony No. 7 OMel D 01380/3 1953 I. Grodzensky

1954 Leningrad R M Ustovolskaya: Children's Suite OMel D 04430 1958 A. Grosman

1954/04/03 Leningrad R M Ovsyaniko-Kulikovsky: Symphony No. 21 OMel D 851/2 D. Gaklin

1954/04/03 Leningrad R M Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 OMel D 02283/4 1954 D. Gaklin

1954/04/04 Leningrad R M Glinka: Ivan Susanin: Krakoviak BMG(J) BVCX 8024 1998 D. Gaklin

1954/04/24# (Leningrad) R M Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10 OMel D 02243/4 1954 NA

1954/12/29 Moscow C M Brahms: Symphony No. 4 RsD RDCD 10916 1995 NA USSR SO

1954/12/29 Moscow C M Weber: Aufforderung zum Tanze RsD RDCD 10916 1995 NA USSR SO

1954/12/29 Moscow C M Weber: Der Freischutz: Overture RsD RDCD 10916 1995 NA USSR SO

1954/12/29 Moscow C M Weber: Oberon: Overture RsD RDCD 10916 1995 NA USSR SO

1955/04/21 Leningrad C M Shostakovich: Festive Overture RsD RDCD 10902 1994 NA

1955/06/03 Prague C M Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 Praga PR 250021 1992 NA

1955/06/03 Prague C M Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10 Praga PR 250053 1994 NA

1955/12/29 Leningrad C M Lyatoshinsky: Symphony No. 3 RsD RDCD 10902 1994 NA

1956/06 Vienna R M Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 DG LPM 18333 1956 H. Keilholz

1956/06 Vienna R M Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 DG LPM 18334 1956 H. Keilholz

1956/06/21 Vienna C M Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 5 Cetra CDE 1025 1987 NA D. Oistrakh

1956/11/30# Leningrad R M Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1 OMel D 03658/9 1957 NA D. Oistrakh

1957/03/20 Leningrad C M Salmanov: Symphony No. 1 Mel S10 12977 1979 N. Kustov

1957/04/08 Moscow R M Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 OMel D 04098/9 1957 A. Grosman

1957/05 Prague C M Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1 Praga PR 250052 1994 NA Czech PO/D. Oistrakh

1957/11/03 Leningrad C M Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11 OMel D 4808/11 1958 NA

1958/11/16 Leningrad R M Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 OMel D 04938/9 1959 A. Grosman

1958/11/16 Leningrad R M Wagner: Die Walkure: Ride of the Valkyries OMel D 04943 1959 A. Grosman

1958/11/16 Leningrad R M Wagner: Gotterdammerung: Siegfried's Funeral March OMel D 04943 1959 A. Grosman

1958/11/16 Leningrad R M Wagner: Tannhauser: Overture OMel D 04943 1959 A. Grosman

1958/12/22 Moscow R M Scriabin: Symphony No. 4 OMel D 04942 1959 A. Grosman

1958/12/23 Moscow R M Prokofiev: Symphony No. 6 OMel D 05016/7 1959 A. Grosman

1959/02/02 Moscow R M Shostakovich: Symphony No. 11 OMel D 06295/7 1960 A. Grosman

1959/04/21 Moscow C M Liadov: Baba-Yaga RsD RDCD 10900 1994 NA

1959/04/21 Moscow C M Prokofiev: Symphony No. 6 RsD RDCD 10900 1994 NA

1959/04/21 Moscow C M Scriabin: Symphony No. 4 RsD RDCD 10900 1994 NA

1959/04/24 Moscow C M Schubert: Symphony No. 8 RsD RDCD 10903 1994 NA USSR SO

1959/04/24 Moscow C M Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 RsD RDCD 10903 1994 NA USSR SO

1959/04/24 Moscow C M Weber: Euryanthe: Overture RsD RDCD 10903 1994 NA USSR SO

1959/06/30 Moscow R M Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 OMel D 06187/90 1960 A. Grosman

1959/07/24# Leningrad R M Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 OMel D 05468/9 1959 unknown S. Richter

1960/02/26 Leningrad C M Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique RsD RDCD 10906 1995 NA

1960/02/26 Leningrad C M Debussy: Nocturnes: Clouds and Festivals RsD RDCD 11167 1994 NA

1960/02/26 Leningrad C M Ravel: Bolero RsD RDCD 10906 1995 NA

1960/02/26 Leningrad C M Ravel: Pavane pour une infante defunte RsD RDCD 10906 1995 NA

1960/03/30 Leningrad C M Salmanov: Symphony No. 2 Mel S10 12978/9 1979 N. Kustov

1960/09/14-15 London R S Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 DG LPM 18657 1960 H. Baudis

1960/09/23 London C S Mozart: Symphony No. 33 BBC BBCL 4002-2 1998 NA

1960/09/23 London C S Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8 BBC BBCL 4002-2 1998 NA

1960/11/07-9 Vienna R S Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 DG LPM 18659 1961 H. Baudis

1960/11/09-10 Vienna R S Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 DG LPM 18658 1961 H. Baudis

1961 or 1962 Leningrad C M Stravinsky: The Firebird, Concert Suite No. 2 Icone ICN 9401-2 1994 NA

1961/02/25 Leningrad C M Mozart: Symphony No. 33 RsD RDCD 10909 1995 NA

1961/02/25 Leningrad C M Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8 OMel D 09615/7 1962 N. Kustov

1961/05/14 Leningrad C M Brahms: Symphony No. 4 RsD RDCD 10907 1995 NA

1961/05/14 Leningrad C M Mozart: Horn Concerto No. 3, K 447 RsD RDCD 10909 1995 NA V. Buyanovsky

1961/05/14 Leningrad C M Sibelius: The Swan of Tuonela RsD RDCD 10907 1995 NA

1961/05/14 Leningrad C M Weber: Oberon: Overture RsD RDCD 10907 1995 NA

1961/06/24 Bergen C M Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 Hunt 2HUNTCD 714 1990 NA

1961 Bergen C M Mozart: Marriage of Figaro: Overture Hunt 2HUNTCD 714 1990 NA

1961 Bergen C M Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet, Suite No. 2 Hunt HUNTCD 713 1990 NA

1961 Bergen C M Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 Hunt 2HUNTCD 714 1990 NA

1961 Moscow R M Shostakovich: Symphony No. 12 OMel D 09395/6 1962 A. Grosman

1961/11/21 Leningrad C M Bach: Suite No. 2, BWV 1067 RsD RDCD 11167 1994 NA

1961/11/25 Leningrad C M Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante in Eb, K 297b RsD RDCD 10909 1995 NA K. Nikonchuk, V. Krasavin, D. Yeremin, V. Buyanovsky

1961/12/27 Leningrad C S Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 RsD RDCD 11158 1993 NA S. Richter

1962 Leningrad C M Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 RsD RDCD 11159 1993 NA

1962 Leningrad C M Debussy: First Rhapsody for Clarinet and Orchestra RsD RDCD 11159 1993 NA V. Krasavin

1962 Leningrad C M Debussy: La Mer RsD RDCD 11159 1993 NA

1962/04/21 Leningrad C S Strauss, R.: Eine Alpensinfonie Mel S10 17781/2 1982 G. Tses

1963 (Leningrad) C M Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 LenM LM 1321 1995 NA

1964/03/03 Leningrad C M Klyuzner: Symphony No. 2 RsD RDCD 11162 1994 NA

1964/04/20 Leningrad C S Haydn: Symphony No. 88 RsD RDCD 11163 1994 NA

1964/04/24 Leningrad C M Strauss, R.: Horn Concerto No. 1 RsD RDCD 11163 1994 S. Shugal V. Buyanovsky

1964/05/24 Leningrad C M Salmanov: Symphony No. 3 Mel S10 12979/80 1979 N. Kustov

1964/09/19 Leningrad C M Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 JVC VDC 25033 1989 A. Grosman

1964/10/24 Leningrad C M Stravinsky: Petrushuka RsD RDCD 11162 1994 NA

1965/02/21 Moscow C S Glazunov: Raimonda: Introduction to Act 3 Mel SM 02863 1971 I. Veprintsev

1965/02/21 Moscow C S Glinka: Ruslan and Ludmila: Overture Mel SM 02863 1971 I. Veprintsev

1965/02/21 Moscow C S Musorgsky: Khovanshchina: Prelude Mel SM 02863 1971 I. Veprintsev

1965/02/21 Moscow C S Shostakovich: Symphony No. 6 Mel SM 02857 1971 I. Veprintsev

1965/02/23 Moscow C S Mozart: Marriage of Figaro: Overture Mel SM 02864 1971 A. Grosman

1965/02/23 Moscow C S Mozart: Symphony No. 39 Mel SM 02855 1971 A. Grosman

1965/02/23 Moscow C S Sibelius: Symphony No. 7 Mel SM 02860 1971 A. Grosman

1965/02/23 Moscow C S Sibelius: The Swan of Tuonela Mel SM 02864 1971 A. Grosman

1965/02/23 Moscow C S Wagner: Die Walkure: Ride of the Valkyries BMG 74321 25199-2 1995 A. Grosman

1965/02/23 Moscow C S Wagner: Lohengrin: Prelude to Act 3 Mel SM 02864 1971 A. Grosman

1965/02/26 Moscow C S Hindemith: Die Harmonie der Welt Mel SM 02861/2 1971 I. Veprintsev

1965/02/26 Moscow C S Stravinsky: Apollon musagete Mel SM 02856 1971 I. Veprintsev

1965/02/28 Moscow C S Bartok: Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta Mel SM 02859/60 1971 D. Gaklin Ye. Sinitsina, A. Ivanov, O. Krylova, N. Nuradshanyan

1965/02/28 Moscow C S Debussy: Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune Mel SM 02864 1971 D. Gaklin

1965/02/28 Moscow C S Honegger: Symphony No. 3 Mel SM 02858 1971 D. Gaklin

1965/02/28 Moscow C S Liadov: Baba-Yaga Mel SM 02863 1971 I. Veprintsev

1965/10/03 Leningrad C S Haydn: Symphony No. 104 RsD RDCD 11163 1994 NA

1965/10/29 Leningrad C M Stravinsky: Agon Mel M10 43989/90 1982 G. Tses

1965/11/24 Leningrad C M Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 RsD RDCD 10910 1995 NA

1966 Leningrad C S Salmanov: Symphony No. 2 RsD RDCD 11023 1993 NA

1966 Leningrad C S Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 RsD RDCD 11023 1993 NA

1966/09/30 Leningrad C M Liadov: Baba-Yaga RsD RDCD 10902 1994 NA

1966/09/30 Leningrad C M Liadov: The Enchanted Lake RsD RDCD 10902 1994 NA

1967/01/31 Leningrad C S Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Prelude to Act 1 RsD RDCD 11166 1993 NA

1967/01/31 Leningrad C S Wagner: Die Walkure: Ride of the Valkyries RsD RDCD 11166 1993 NA

1967/01/31 Leningrad C S Wagner: Gotterdammerung: Siegfried's Funeral March RsD RDCD 11166 1993 NA

1967/01/31 Leningrad C S Wagner: Lohengrin: Prelude to Act 1 RsD RDCD 11166 1993 NA

1967/01/31 Leningrad C S Wagner: Lohengrin: Prelude to Act 3 RsD RDCD 11166 1993 NA

1967/01/31 Leningrad C S Wagner: Siegfried: Forest Murmurs RsD RDCD 11166 1993 NA

1967/01/31 Leningrad C S Wagner: Tannhauser: Overture RsD RDCD 11166 1993 NA

1967/01/31 Leningrad C S Wagner: Tristan und Isolde: Prelude and Liebestod RsD RDCD 11166 1993 NA

1967/02/25 Moscow C M Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 RsD RDCD 10911 1995 NA USSR SO

1967/05/24 Prague C S Bartok: Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta Praga PR 254047 1994 NA

1967/05/25 Prague C S Prokofiev: Symphony No. 6 Praga PR 250079 1994 NA

(1967)? Prague C M Glinka: Ruslan and Ludmila: Overture Hunt 2HUNTCD 714 1990 NA

(1967)? Prague C M Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 Hunt 2HUNTCD 714 1990 NA

1968/09/28 Leningrad C M Glazunov: Symphony No. 5 RsD RDCD 11165 1993 (S. Shugal) -R1-

1968/09/28 Leningrad C M Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 RsD RDCD 11165 1993 S. Shugal

1968/10/31 Leningrad C M Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 JVC VDC 25023 1989 K. Minakova

1968/11/29 Leningrad C M Mozart: Don Giovanni: Overture RsD RDCD 10911 1995 NA

1969/04/20 Leningrad C M Glazunov: The Seasons RsD RDCD 11155 1994 NA

1969/12/28 Leningrad C M Glazunov: Raimonda, Suite JVC VDC 25031 1989 K. Minakova

1970/10/12 Leningrad C M Bartok: Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta RsD RDCD 11167 1994 NA

1971 (Leningard) C M Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 Mel M90 48395/6* 1988 I. Shnipenko

1971/03/30 Leningrad C S Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 RsD RDCD 11170 1993 S. Shugal E. Gilels

1971/11/30 (Leningard) C S Brahms: Symphony No. 3 RsD RDCD 10905 1994 NA

1972/01/26 Moscow C S Wagner: Die Walkure: Ride of the Valkyries BMG(J) BVCX 4031 1997 I. Veprintsev

1972/01/26 Moscow C S Wagner: Gotterdammerung: Dawn and Siegfried's Rhine Journey BMG(J) BVCX 4031 1997 I. Veprintsev

1972/01/26 Moscow C S Wagner: Gotterdammerung: Siegfried's Funeral March BMG(J) BVCX 4031 1997 I. Veprintsev

1972/01/27 Moscow C S Brahms: Symphony No. 3 Memoria 991-006 1993 G. Tses

1972/01/27 Moscow C S Shostakovich: Symphony No. 6 BMG 74321 25198-2 1995 I. Veprintsev

1972/01/27 Moscow C S Stravinsky: Apollon musagete RsD RDCD 10908 1995 NA

1972/01/27 Moscow C S Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Rimini BMG(J) BVCX 4030 1997 I. Veprintsev

1972/01/27 Moscow C S Wagner: Tannhauser: Venusberg Music (Bacchanale) BMG(J) BVCX 4029 1997 I. Veprintsev

1972/01/29 Moscow C S Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 BMG(J) BVCX 4029 1997 V. Antonenko

1972/01/29 Moscow C S Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 BMG(J) BVCX 4029 1997 V. Antonenko

1972/01/30 Moscow C S Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 BMG(J) BVCX 4030 1997 V. Antonenko

1972/03/31 Leningrad C M Mozart: Symphony No. 33 Mel M10 43989/90* 1982

1972/04/18 Leningrad C S Mozart: Symphony No. 40 RsD RDCD 10901 1994 NA

1972/05/05 or 6 Leningrad C M Shostakovich: Symphony No. 15 Mel M10 43653/4 1982 K. Minakova

1972/05/06 Leningrad C M Mozart: Symphony No. 39 JVC VDC 25031 1989 K. Minakova

1973/03/11 Leningrad C S Wagner: Lohengrin: Prelude to Act 1 JVC VDC 25029 1989 S. Shugal

1973/03/11 Leningrad C M Wagner: Lohengrin: Prelude to Act 3 JVC VDC 25031 1989 K. Minakova

1973/04/28 Leningrad C S Brahms: Symphony No. 4 Mel S10 17639/40 1982 G. Tses

1973/04/29 Leningrad C S Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 Mel S10 18171/2 1983 G. Tses

1973/04/29 Leningrad C S Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 Mel S10 17319/20 1982 G. Tses

1973/05/26 Tokyo C S Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 RsD RDCD 10901 1994 NA

1973/05/26 Tokyo C S Glazunov: Raimonda: Introduction to Act 3 RsD RDCD 10901 1994 NA

1973/05/26 Tokyo C S Liadov: Baba-Yaga RsD RDCD 10901 1994 NA

1973/06/29 Leningrad C S Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet, Suite No. 2 (No. 11 omitted) RsD RDCD 11180 1994 NA

1973/06/29 Leningrad C S Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 RsD RDCD 11180 1994 NA

1974/09/08 Leningrad C M Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 JVC VICC 40148 1993

1974/09/08 Leningrad C M Prokofiev: Symphony No. 6 JVC VICC 40148 1993

1974/09/15 Leningrad C M Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 JVC VDC 25033 1989 S. Shugal

1975 Leningrad C S Rimsky-Korsakov: Russian Easter Festival Overture Live Classic LCB 144 1994 NA

1976/03/03 Leningrad C S Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10 JVC VDC 25027 1989 S. Shugal

1976/03/31 Leningrad C M Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10 Mel M10 44371/2 1982 G. Tses

1976/05/26 Leningrad C S Shostakovich: Symphony No. 15 Mel S10 19299/300 1983 S. Shugal

1977/01/28 Leningrad C S Salmanov: Symphony No. 4 Mel S10 12981/2 1979 S. Shugal

1978/03/30 Leningrad C S Wagner: Lohengrin: Prelude to Act 1 Mel S10 17646 1983 S. Shugal

1978/03/31 Leningrad C S Wagner: Die Walkure: Ride of the Valkyries JVC VDC 25029 1989 S. Shugal

1978/03/31 Leningrad C S Wagner: Gotterdammerung: Siegfried's Funeral March Mel S10 17783 1982 S. Shugal

1978/03/31 Leningrad C S Wagner: Tannhauser: Overture Mel S10 17646 1983 S. Shugal

1978/03/31 Leningrad C S Wagner: Tristan und Isolde: Prelude and Liebestod Mel S10 17784 1982 S. Shugal

1978/04/29 Leningrad C S Brahms: Symphony No. 2 Mel S10 18153/4 1982 G. Tses

1978/04/29 Leningrad C S Weber: Oberon: Overture Mel S10 22372 1985 G. Tses

1978/04/30 Leningrad C S Schubert: Symphony No. 8 Mel S10 22371 1985 G. Tses

1978/06/12 Vienna C S Brahms: Symphony No. 2 Ariola 300665 1980 A. Tsafrel

1978/06/12 Vienna C S Schubert: Symphony No. 8 Ariola 300664 1980 A. Tsafrel

1978/06/12 Vienna C S Weber: Oberon: Overture Ariola 300664 1980 A. Tsafrel

1978/06/13 Vienna C S Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 Ariola 300666 1980 A. Tsafrel

1978/06/13 Vienna C S Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 Ariola 300667 1980 A. Tsafrel

1980/01/30 Leningrad C S Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 Mel S10 17643/5 1983 S. Shugal

1981/11/29 Leningrad C S Glinka: Ruslan and Ludmila: Overture JVC VDC 25030 1989 S. Shugal

1981/12/30 Leningrad C S Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet, Suite No. 2 (No. 11 omitted) Mel S10 23720 1986 S. Shugal

1981/12/31 Leningrad C S Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker: Excerpts (6, 7, 8, 9, 14a, 15) Mel S10 23521/2 1985 S. Shugal

1982/01/28 Leningrad C S Beethoven: Symphony No. 1 JVC VDC 25022 1989 S. Shugal

1982/01/31 Leningrad C S Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: Prelude to Act 1 Mel S10 22372 1985 S. Shugal

1982/01/31 Leningrad C S Wagner: Tannhauser: Overture JVC VDC 25029 1989 S. Shugal

1982/03/27 or 28 Leningrad C S Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8 Philips 422442-2PH 1989 NA

1982/10/17 Leningrad C S Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 JVC VDC 25023 1989 S. Shugal

1982/11/18 Leningrad C S Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 RsD RDCD 10908 1995 NA

1982/11/24 Moscow C S Musorgsky: Khovanshchina: Prelude RsD RDCD 10905 1994 NA

1982/11/24 Moscow C S Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker: Excerpts (6, 7, 8, 9, 14a, 15) RsD RDCD 10905 1994 NA

1983 Leningrad C M Stravinsky: The Fairy's Kiss RsD RDCD 11160 1995 NA

1983/03/19 Leningrad C S Musorgsky: Khovanshchina: Prelude JVC VDC 25030 1989 S. Shugal

1983/03/19 Leningrad C S Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Rimini JVC VDC 25030 1989 S. Shugal

1983/03/19 Leningrad C S Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 JVC VDC 25024 1989 S. Shugal

1983/04/08 Leningrad C S Glinka: Ruslan and Ludmila: Overture RsD RDCD 10912 1996 NA

1983/12/24 Leningrad C S Mozart: Symphony No. 33 Mel S10 23719 1986 S. Shugal

1983/12/24 Leningrad C S Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 JVC VDC 25025 1989 S. Shugal

1984/04/04 Leningrad C S Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 JVC VDC 25026 1989 S. Shugal

1984/04/29 or 30 Leningrad C S Shostakovich: Symphony No. 12 JVC VDC 25028 1989 S. Shugal

Wojtek wrote:

Select 10 "must have ";0) and I'll take it from there.

Wojtek wrote:

Following some "must have" isn't moronic just naive but not a bad way for starters (or just plain guys with interest in classical music but without ambition i.e ability and discipline, to become refined classical buff-snob) There are ages of beautiful music and countless performances .Some are extraordinary some just mechanical. Thank You for Mravinsky selection.It feels like a good novel when you realize there are many many chapters ahead of you. I'll start with 1946-62 period .

I did not say that it was moronic I said that there is no such a thing as "must have", and a peruse of anything "must have" was always an alien concept to me.

Mravinsky has his own “sound” and own prostration style and his orchestra has own sound. You might like it or not, it is up to you. Some of the things that Mravinsky did were stunning, others I do not exactly appreciate, so is anything different then any other conductor? It depends what you are looking in interpretations… but this would be hardly coming from a "must have" list and will be largely depending from who you are.

Still, I would note that despite of some marvelous recordings Mravinsky did he seldom “owns” any music. Under “owning music” I imply the ability for a conductor to demonstrate a recording that virtually close up the given musical pieces for any further interpretation or at least your desire to look for something else. As the examples (for me) I would name the Argerich with Abbado who “own” the Tchaikovsky Concert, Furtwangler in1942 who “owns” the Beethoven’s Ninths, Gould who “owns” a lot of Bach’s music, Sofronitsky who “owns” Scrabin or Horowitz  who “own” Schumann. So, Mravinsky “owns” very little. Some of his Tchaikovsky was good, some of his Shostakovich was fine (10, 6 and probably 5), his Bruckner 8, Sibelius 7, his Prokofiev, Honegger and Strauss. Still very few of the Mravinsky’s recorded performances “closed the field” sort of speak. 

Among the very few that from my point of view Mravinsky “owes” would be the Shostakovich 6, primary because not a lot of people play it. The Shostakovich 8 in London is unconditionally owned by Mravinsky. The Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings is at near “owning” status. The Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker suites from 1946 - unquestionably “owned” by Mravinsky. The Tchaikovsky’s last 3 symphonies, at lest some of the movements, “owned” by Mravinsky… It will be pretty much it from my side….

Still, if one like the Mravinsky “X-ray” style of presentation then many-many of Mravinsky’s recordings will be treasured.

Today, at Mravinsky's birthday I publish a good article by Rob Barnett: the Classical Editor of the UK-based http://www.musicweb.uk.net. Rob gives a brief observation of the 20 CDs Melodia's box-set with Mravinsky's recordings.

MRAVINSKY Edition BOX. 1 LENINGRAD PO/YEVGENY MRAVINSKY   10 CDs BMG-Melodiya 74321 25189 2 

This is the first of two BMG boxes of Mravinsky-conducted recordings. Each comprises ten discs in a slip case. The slip case for Box 1 is of light card by contrast with the heavy duty box for No. 2. Each disc is available separately.

The recordings emanate from radio tapes of live concerts, studio broadcasts and commercial Melodiya recordings. The first box has a higher quotient of more recent recordings and technical quality tends to be better although in the face of Mravinsky's raw intensity issues such as sound quality are often lost sight (and sound) of seconds into the disc.

A common strength of the set are insert notes (trilingual) from Dr Sigrid Neef. These seem to have been prepared after some time-consuming research. They certainly suggest dedication and make for great illumination in the way they, wherever possible, concentrate on the background to the recording and Mravinsky's performance history for that particular work.

Given the amount of music in these boxes all I can do is to provide notes on my impressions of the performances. I am aware that there is a considerable investigative literature and discography mapping out the provenance of various Mrav recordings. I cannot provide that expertise here but I can speak as an enthusiast (balanced, I hope) of fine Russian recordings and of Mravinsky in particular.

Full discographical information is given in the booklets. Playing times are generous.

Vol. 1 WEBER SCHUBERT BRAHMS - rec 1978 live

There are two strands in these sets: the German classical mainstream and the Russian nationalist. The Weber Oberon is full of Teutonic magic and refinement. The same can be said of the Schubert Unfinished which in its tragic stride always seemed ahead of its time and certainly more tragic than Schubert's so-titled symphony. The Brahms 2 lilts and dances in an autumnal glow.

Vol. 2 MOZART SIBELIUS MUSSORGSKY rec 1965

In this coupling we span the two streams. The Mozart (Figaro overture and Symphony No. 34) is precise and full of lively bounce. The Mussorgsky is intense and, in its delicate though steely impressionism, illustrates how the Russian school could have been an influence on Debussy.

The Sibelius Symphony No 7 is in a live recording from the Grand Hall, Moscow Conservatoire, February 1965. A performance crackling with tension and crowned by a trombone section whose fruity Russian vibrato may prove a problem for some but which for me catches the magnificence of this epic score. The trombone here rises triumphantly from its accustomed role as bragging school bully to bardic alumnus. This recording gives me that frisson which is the usual signal for a very special piece of music in a performance to match. It as this high candle power approach which was my introduction to Mravinsky back in 1973. I remember buying the EMI LP incarnation secondhand in Bristol in the late 1970s. After hearing this performance all the others seem too smooth and refined. The magnificence of Sibelius emerges from a primitive Northern magic and it is that wild primeval quality which Mravinsky projects with electric intensity. The Swan floats in a lake of lugubrious magic.

Vol. 3 STRAVINSKY SHOSTAKOVICH rec 1965 and 1976

Stravinsky's Agon ballet is amongst his driest works but in Mravinsky's hands it comes alive. Shostakovich's kaleidoscopic puzzle of a 15th symphony was not premiered by Mravinsky however within four months of Maxim's Moscow premiere Mravinsky gave a performance in Leningrad. The Mahlerian collision between populist highlights from Rossini and volcanic tragedy had many scratching their heads. Mravinsky leaves the contrast in full focus and is a strong advocate for the work. This performance dates from a concert given on 26 May 1976 to commemorate the composer who had died in 1975. The clockwork of eternity ringing and clicking in the final bars is well done by the Leningraders.

Vol. 4 BRUCKNER rec 1980

Bruckner is not instantly a name one associates with Mravinsky. Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich? yes, but Bruckner? In fact he introduced Bruckner No. 4 to Leningrad audiences within a year of being appointed conductor of the Leningrad orchestra in 1938. In 1939 he added No. 7 and in 1940 No. 9. This concert tape of Symphony No. 9 dates from 1980 and sounds clean and powerful with just that invigorating edge one associates with Russian performances and recordings. Mravinsky's approach is very sharply etched - a clarion purity which is given some memorable juiciness and spice by the Russian accented brass choir. The bray is nowhere near as pronounced as one is used to from Russian orchestras recorded in the 1950s and 1960s but it is still there. Presumably the softened edge was due to the increasing import of Western sourced instruments and techniques. The strings are wondrously light-toned in Bruckner's many sunny uplands - try 16.58 in the third movement.

Vol. 5 TCHAIKOVSKY PROKOFIEV rec 1981

Here we veer back into the Russian vein. The Nutcracker suite (six numbers) is done with a light fantasy (compare the late 1940s version in Vol 2) but with just the right hint of darkness to settle the glycerine and caramel of this oft-derided score. Romeo and Juliet is a classic of Mravinsky's repertoire - hyper-romantic, raw emotions, epic horns in a strident blaze of agony and triumph. At just under an hour this is among the shorter playing times.

Vol. 6 HINDEMITH HONEGGER rec 1965

These tapes emanate from the famous series of Moscow Grand Hall concerts in 1965. Neither fits the two mainstreams identified above. The Hindemith symphony Die Harmonie der Welt has some Russian linkages and, as you would expect, fully projects a Mravinskian spirit. Hindemith visited Russia twice as violist with the Amar Quartet. His opera Neues von Tage (seen as a scandalous work at the time) was to have been performed in Leningrad in 1929-1930. However this was not to be as Stalinism began to put up the shutters. This performance was given just over a year after the 'freeze' had ended with Mravinsky giving the Russian premiere of the work. Its lyrical intensity completely confounds the usual image of Hindemith and this recording could easily be used to win friends for Hindemith's often slighted music.

Much the same can be said about the Honegger whose music also suffers from a dried-out image. The fruity tragedy of the war-torn symphony No. 3 makes for parallels with Shostakovich 6; another work done with typical blaze by Mravinsky.

This disc plays for just over an hour.

Vol. 7 BEETHOVEN and TCHAIKOVSKY rec 1973

In this disc classical and Russian mainstreams meet. The classical poise of Beethoven's 4th symphony is as well done (and without incongruous infusions of Russian intensity) as the ripe romanticism of Tchaik Symphony No. 5. The late Tchaikovsky symphonies, since their DG recordings (1950s mono - Sanderling did No. 4 - or 1960s stereo sets), will always be associated with Mravinsky and the Leningraders. This performance in its ebb, flow and sweep is impressive but lacks a degree or so of the warmth of the DG stereo version.

Vol. 8 DEBUSSY BARTOK STRAVINSKY rec 1965

These again are sourced from tapes of the live concerts in 1965 at the Moscow Great Hall. The Debussy (Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune) is dreamy but with a clarity that struck me anew in Mravinsky's hands. The Bartok has a Russian spirit that seems to come from Prokofiev at least as we hear the work (Music for strings, percussion and celesta) here. The Stravinsky ballet (Apollo) remains, for me, unlovable - as much of a challenge as Agon.

Vol. 9 SHOSTAKOVICH

Symphonies 6 and 10 are given with the raw power you would expect. No. 6's devastating Largo (which I find amongst the most powerful documents in all Shostakovich's output) comes across very strongly in this 1972 performance. The other two movements always strike me as real incongruities. No. 10 is done with resentful abrasion and a scorching blast.

VOL. 10. WAGNER

Lastly there is a collection of Wagner chunks - concert-pieces of the type often anthologised on disc by Stokowski, Boult and a host of others. The Meistersinger prelude recorded in Mravinsky's final (and on this showing rather tired) year (1982) with the Leningraders is rather heavy of plod though lightened momentarily by the piercing trumpets that crown the closing bars. A drowsy numbness oozes though the veins of the Tannhauser overture also (rec 1978). More impressive is the indomitable swing and serene weave of the Lohengrin Act I prelude recorded in 1978. The starry strings are the epitome of a romantic spirit that was to hang over music into the 1930s. The slightly enervating air which cloys these pages is blown to the four winds by one of the most explosive Act III Lohengrin preludes (rec live in 1965) with devastating trumpets and rippling wind instruments. This one has to be heard! A slack Siegfried's Funeral March disappoints despite heaven-clawing brass. This piece should positively spark and flame with crackling Brucknerian tension. In Mravinsky's hands it does not. A funeral march does not need to sleep. The disc returns to glorious form with another 1965 recording; this time of The Ride of the Valkyries. The strings shriek and wheel around the skies and the brass, blackened by battle, rush in dark legions across the landscape. The pace may well have been too much for the brass players and loosens up towards the end.

The MRAVINSKY Edition BOX. 2  LENINGRAD PO/YEVGENY MRAVINSKY   10 CDs BMG-Melodiya 74321 29459 2

These ten respectably (though not overly generously) filled discs are, perhaps inevitably, a mixed blessing but blessing they remain and this long benediction often surprises and astounds.

The vintage of the recordings in boxes 1 and 2 varies from well known concert performances from 1965 when a clutch of concerts given at the Moscow Conservatoire were recorded and issued for commercial consumption to radio broadcasts from the seventies and eighties. Volume two also has quite a few commercial recordings from the late 1940s and the 1950s. These have appeared previously on EMI LPs and latterly (1980s) on Olympia CDs. Most of the discs are sourced from tapes of the Leningraders on their own soil.

Some of the performances, as in Box 1, are taken from live concerts given in Leningrad (now St Petersburg) and Moscow. The trade-off for concert-hall ambience and some striking high voltage playing and insight is a light speckling of coughs or in a very few cases a staggered barrage of coughing. Too much can be made of this. For my part I would rather suffer audience noise than forego the patent awe that suffuses so much of this making of music.

The notes (English, German and French) are by the always excellent Dr Sigrid Neef and the translations are idiomatic. What I especially like about the notes is that the work-specific sections link commentary about the work directly with Mravinsky's performance history and his philosophy about these composers.

The numbering of the volumes carries over from the first box which includes vols 1-10.

Vol 11 BEETHOVEN

Beethoven's Symphonies 5 and 7 are presented with typical iron-crease precision and high emotional temperature. Recording quality in the 1949 fifth symphony tape is as expected - rather ancient - but it still has the power to communicate. Neither will be regarded as library shelf standards but for my part I would rather get to know these works from this disc than I would from a probably plusher modern production. There is no sense of routine in this music making. I wonder if Mravinsky ever recorded Eroica? Now that I would like to hear.

Vol 12 BRAHMS

Leaping forward to 1972 and 1973, Symphonies 3 and 4 join the disc of No 2 in the first box. It is a pity that there is not an available tape of No. 1 - a work completely in tune with Mravinsky's intensity. Similar qualities bless these performances and recordings. Mravinsky and the Leningrad orchestra (what a delight that BMG resisted redubbing it the St Petersburg in what would have been a curious inversion of '1984' rewriting of history) do not distort. There are no incongruities. The blaze on the brass sound seems completely in keeping. The strings are precise and generously toned. At the same time the tragic edge in both symphonies is presented with conviction borne of experience. Both performances are live not studio.

Vol. 13 BRUCKNER Symphony No  8 rec 1959 mono

At 73.59 this must surely be a cut version. Nevertheless what is caught in this, the towering climax of the Bruckner cycle, is the blooming dark tragedy of the work and of course Mravinsky is fully sympathetic to that mood. This is one of the strengths of this set.

Vol. 14 RICHARD STRAUSS

I had not expected a Strauss collection, least of all the tottering awe of the Alpine Symphony. What comes over eloquently in the Alpine is less of the 'kolossal' and more of the ecstasy of Alpine pastures. The First Horn Concerto is a favourite of mine and is the only concerto in the two boxes. It is exuberantly done by Vitaly Buyanovsky. The tapes date from the early 1960s and must be of live concert performances judging by the occasional coughs.

VOL. 15 OVSYANIKO-KULIKOVSKY and SHOSTAKOVICH

The inconsequential symphony no. 21 by Nikolai Ovsyaniko-Kulikovsky is a fake written by one Michael Goldstein (where is he now?) who is given to perpetrating such counterfeits. He has also written a cello sonata by Borodin! The symphony is coupled with a ragged but typically excoriating performance of the Shostakovich 5. Both tapes date from 1954 and like others in this set are in mono.

VOL 16 SHOSTAKOVICH

This work (Symphony No. 7) is much more than the primary colours propaganda poster it is sometimes condemned as. Its long Adagio throbs with tragic power and its wartime origins smoke and smoulder through every bar. As expected Mravinsky is completely in touch with this music and a compelling and bruising power burns through and through. The 1953 recording was made in Leningrad probably by an orchestra many of whose members remembered the terrible days of 1941.

VOL. 17 SHOSTAKOVICH

The Eighth Symphony (1943) is another avowedly wartime work. This symphony is dedicated to Mravinsky. It is tough, pugnacious and tragic and very much in keeping with Mravinsky's temperament. The mono recording from 1947 is primitive but communicative. Hardly a definitive choice but one that it is a pleasure to know exists.

VOL 18 TCHAIKOVSKY and GLAZUNOV

Two fourth symphonies. Glazunov's is comparatively rare (a pity there weren't more Glazunovs in this set - I would have liked to have heard Glazunov 5, 6, 7 and 8 from Mravinsky). Here its pastoral pleasures and Kouchka-like romance are well handled and make a contrast with the straining drama of Tchaikovsky 4. Both tapes are mono dating from 1957 (Tchaikovsky) and 1948 (Glazunov).

VOL 19 TCHAIKOVSKY and RIMSKY-KORSAKOV

Rather like the last volume, two traditions meet in this disc. The Russian steppes romance and exoticism of Rimsky-Korsakov (Legend of the City of Kitezh suite) and the tightly screwed up breaking strain emotionalism of Tchaikovsky's Pathetique. Both mono tapes date from 1949.

VOL. 20 TCHAIKOVSKY - all mono tapes

Francesca da Rimini is work ideally suited to Mravinsky's sense of theatre and passion. It is excellently done here with a volcanic spirit hindered not a whit by the 1948 recording quality. The 1949 sourced tape of the Serenade for Strings provides a lilting contrast with the blood, passion and gore of Francesca. Finally Tchaikovsky's circus ring postcard (Capriccio Italien) is done with crude eagerness in a 1950 tape.

SUMMARY

This set, with older recordings than box 1, has much to commend it but if it comes to a choice between having Box 1 or Box 2 I would go for the more consistently glowing splendours of Box 1. At the same time you will look wistfully over your shoulder at Box 2.