Considering that
Mariss Jansons recorded the
Mussorgsky material in this two-disc with the
Oslo Philharmonic in the Konserthus in
Oslo in 1988 and the
Rimsky-Korsakov material with the
London Philharmonic in Abbey Road Studio in London in 1994, the sound and the performances are amazingly consistent. Naturally, the orchestras are distinctly different. The
Oslo Philharmonic is the best orchestra in Norway with lean but muscular strings, colorful and characterful brass and woodwinds, and a solid but not especially refined ensemble while the
London Philharmonic is one of the better London orchestra with rich but perhaps too ripe strings, colorful but not particularly characterful brass and woodwinds, and a well-polished ensemble. But the actual performances themselves are amazingly similar in conception and execution -- a testimony to conductor
Mariss Jansons' skill and individuality.
With the
Oslo,
Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition in its familiar orchestration by
Ravel glitters and gleams with a mixture of barbaric power and sophisticated elegance while his Night on Bald Mountain and Khovanshchina Overture, in their familiar orchestrations by
Rimsky-Korsakov, shimmer and shine with a mixture of demonic energy and heavenly poise. With the
London Philharmonic,
Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade blazes and burns with a combination of luminous orchestral colors and dramatic musical narratives, while Capricco espagnol crackles and sizzles with a combination of gaudy orchestral colors and irresistible rhythmic energy. Likewise, the sound of the performances is amazingly similar because in both cases, EMI grants the orchestras a clear, warm, deep, and lush acoustic. Although old-timers might vote for the mighty
Reiner performances with the
Chicago Symphony as the finest recordings of all time, anyone with a fondness for any of these works will enjoy these discs.