Peter Iljitsch Tschaikowsky: Schwanensee op.20 (180g) 2-LP

Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Ernest Ansermet
Label: Decca, 1958

Serie: Speakers Corner Records

A special treat for ballet lovers and those who want to become one: With the re-issue of Tchaikovsky's probably most popular ballet, Swan Lake, conducted by Ernest Ansermet, an important repertoire work in an outstanding interpretation becomes available again as a new pressing on record. The listener encounters the Russian's first ballet work here on a double LP, not as a complete recording, but shortened by a few meaningful strokes, but nevertheless not robbed of its most beautiful and expressive scenes.
The "ballet specialist" Ansermet and the wonderfully balanced Orchestre de la Suisse Romande turn the recording into a real "listener", in which the tragic moments of the fairytale ballet as well as the lively dance interludes of the festival scenes are stylistically confidently realized. Well pointed solo wind instruments, e.g. in No. 4, contrast with loud, dashing tutti (No. 5), next to them there are dreamlike string cantilenas corresponding with soft woodwind instruments (No. 11). The characters of the national dances interspersed in the festival scenes (polkas, mazurkas, Hungarian dance, etc.) are also worked out in a temperamental and rhythmically concise manner, whereby it is above all the waltzes that invite the listener to dance along with them, with their luxuriant sweetness.