Just listen to this CD artwork


A chance online mention that Sergei Prokofiev died on March 5th 1953 set me listening to Mstislav Rostropovich's accounts of the Prokofiev symphonies over the weekend. These passionately committed interpretations are enhanced by the exceptionally lifelike sound captured in 1986/7 by Erato in the Grand Auditorium, Radio France, Paris. Like many of these reissue boxes, this 4 CD set can be bought for a stupidly low price if you shop around. And in addition there are erudite notes by David Nice who started a recent thread On An Overgrown Path, plus that evocative artwork. A post back in 2012 explained how sleeve artwork changes the sound of CDs, and this Prokofiev box is yet more proof of that perplexing phenomenon.

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Comments

Pliable said…
On the subject of reissue boxes at stupidly low prices the Warner/Erato 9 CD box of Rostropovich as cellist contains much unfamiliar but well-worth exploring music - http://www.warnerclassics.com/release/1745,0825646968176/rostropovich-mstislav-rostropovich-plays-cello-works
7:48 pm
David said…
I didn;t know anything about the reissue until I read this, My impressions are that Rostropovich is a bit on the slow side, especially in the Seventh. But what's behind the notes is always impressive. Perhaps his greatest achievement in the symphonic rep was his very last London performance of Shostakovich's Eighth, mercifully captured on LSO Live.
12:35 pm
Pliable said…
David, I was going to ask whether Warner paid you a repeat fee for the use of your notes, but I think I know the answer to that question.
12:43 pm
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