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Cover: Peter Tchaikovsky – Swan Lake · (Complete recording)

Peter Tchaikovsky

Swan Lake

(Complete recording)

Russian National Orchestra
Mikhail Pletnev, conductor

ODE 1167-2D · CD · March 2010

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Swan Lake - the very quintessence of Russian ballet - performed by Mikhail Pletnev and the outstanding Russian National Orchestra

Track listing

50 tracks · 145:43

Listen to samples on selected tracks.

CD 1

Peter Tchaikovsky

  1. Swan Lake - Ballet in four acts, Op. 20
  2. 1 Introduction 3:05
  3. 2 Act I: No. 1 Scène 2:49
  4. 3 Act I: No. 2 Valse (Corps de ballet) 7:07
  5. 4 Act I: No. 3 Scène 3:35
  6. 5 Act I: No. 4 Pas de trois: I. Intrada. Allegro 2:08
  7. 6 Act I: No. 4 Pas de trois: II. Andante sostenuto 5:54
  8. 7 Act I: No. 4 Pas de trois: III. Allegro simplice 1:18
  9. 8 Act I: No. 4 Pas de trois: IV. Moderato 1:10
  10. 9 Act I: No. 4 Pas de trois: V. Allegro 1:10
  11. 10 Act I: No. 4 Pas de trois: VI. Coda. Allegro vivace 1:32
  12. 11 Act I: No. 5 Pas de deux: I. Tempo di valse ma non troppo vivo, quasi moderato 2:35
  13. 12 Act I: No. 5 Pas de deux: II. Andante 5:41
  14. 13 Act I: No. 5 Pas de deux: III. Tempo di valse 1:33
  15. 14 Act I: No. 5 Pas de deux: IV. Coda. Allegro molto vivace 1:49
  16. 15 Act I: No. 6 Pas d'action 2:06
  17. 16 Act I: No. 7 Sujet 0:50
  18. 17 Act I: No. 8 Danse des coupes 5:31
  19. 18 Act I: No. 9 Finale 2:43
  20. 19 Act II: No. 10 Scène 3:00
  21. 20 Act II: No. 11 Scène 5:04
  22. 21 Act II: No. 12 Scène 3:07
  23. 22 Act II: No. 13 Danse des cygnes: I. Tempo di valse 2:21
  24. 23 Act II: No. 13 Danse des cygnes: II. Moderato assai (Odette solo) 1:49
  25. 24 Act II: No. 13 Danse des cygnes: III. Tempo di valse 2:17
  26. 25 Act II: No. 13 Danse des cygnes: IV. Allegro moderato (Danse des petits cygnes) 1:26
  27. 26 Act II: No. 13 Danse des cygnes: V. Pas d'action (Odette et le prince) 6:46
  28. 27 Act II: No. 13 Danse des cygnes: VI. (Tout le monde danse) Tempo di valse 1:31
  29. 28 Act II: No. 13 Danse des cygnes: VII. Coda. Allegro vivo 1:41

CD 2

Peter Tchaikovsky

  1. Swan Lake - Ballet in four acts, Op. 20
  2. 1 Act II: No. 14 Scène 2:54
  3. 2 Act III: No. 15 Allegro giusto 2:33
  4. 3 Act III: No. 16 Danse du corps de ballet et des nains 2:31
  5. 4 Act III: No. 17 Scène. La sortie des invités et la valse 7:52
  6. 5 Act III: No. 18 Scène 1:38
  7. 6 Act III: No. 19 Pas de six: Intrada. Moderato assai 2:37
  8. 7 Act III: No. 19 Pas de six: Variation I. Allegro 1:13
  9. 8 Act III: No. 19 Pas de six: Variation II. Andante con moto 3:10
  10. 9 Act III: No. 19 Pas de six: Variation III. Moderato 0:41
  11. 10 Act III: No. 19 Pas de six: Variation IV. Allegro 0:58
  12. 11 Act III: No. 19 Pas de six: V. Moderato 1:33
  13. 12 Act III: No. 19 Pas de six: Coda. Allegro molto 1:39
  14. 13 Act III: No. 20 Danse hongroise. Czardas 3:00
  15. 14 Act III: No. 21 Danse espagnole 2:42
  16. 15 Act III: No. 22 Danse napolitaine 2:00
  17. 16 Act III: No. 23 Mazurka (Solistes et corps du ballet) 4:04
  18. 17 Act III: No. 24 Scène 3:41
  19. 18 Act IV: No. 25 Entr'acte 2:22
  20. 19 Act IV: No. 26 Scène 2:35
  21. 20 Act IV: No. 27 Danse des petits cygnes 5:01
  22. 21 Act IV: No. 28 Scène 2:55
  23. 22 Act IV: No. 29 Scène finale 6:26

About this recording

This CD features star conductor Mikhail Pletnev and the Russian National Orchestra with the complete recording of Swan Lake by Peter Tchaikovsky.

Composed in 1875-76, this absolute masterpiece of Russian orchestral music has come to be regarded as the very quintessence of Russian ballet. Based on an ancient German legend and Russian folk tales, the libretto by Vladimir Begichev and Vasily Geltzer tells the unique and tragic love story of Prince Siegfried and Princess Odette, who is kept captive by the evil sorcerer von Rothbart, having been turned her into a swan by night and a woman by day.

The CD release marks the 20th anniversary of the Russian National Orchestra in 2010, and the orchestra's debut on the Ondine label; since being founded by Mikhail Pletnev in 1990, the RNO has quickly reached a position at the top of Russian orchestras, as well as among the top ten of international orchestras (according to a recent listing by the Gramophone magazine).

This recording was recorded and mastered by Emil Berliner Studios at the Great Hall of the Moscow State Conservatory.

Features

2 CDs; booklet with liner notes and synopsis in English and German

Press

All sections of the Russian National Orchestra play with immense virtuosity and cope with their conductor's demands with admirable aplomb and (the) technical team, headed by Rainer Maillard, has certainly produced a spectacular and glittering recording.
Rob Maynard, MusicWeb-International, June 10, 2010

(La) lecture (de Mikhail Pletnev) offre une vision d'un classicisme parfait servit par une perfection orchestrale. (...) Le fini instrumental est, comme nous l'avons dit, parfait et la prise de son restitue les belles couleurs de l'orchestre. (...) Une nouvelle référence (...)
Pierre-Jean Tribot, ResMusica.com, 7.6.2010, La Clef ResMusica.com

Magistralement captée dans la grande salle du Conservatoire de Mosou, cette gravure est d'abord un choc sonore : rencontre avec les splendides sonorités (hautbois, harpe...) du National de Russie. (...) L'équilibre sonore défini par le chef est exemplaire.
François Dru, Diapason, juin 2010, *****

With his Russian National Orchestra on devastating form, Pletnev does it supremely well (...). It's a superb achievement.
Tim Ashley, The Guardian, April 8, 2010

This is a performance that ballet lovers and Tchaikovsky fans alike can appreciate and enjoy without hesitation.
David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com, March 2010, Artistic Quality 9 / Sound Quality 9

The Russian orchestra has the right sound and virtuosity to do justice to it. Ondine's engineering is superb - a quality issue!
Robert Benson, Classical CD Review, March 2010

For pure excitement and powerful orchestral articulation, this version of Swan Lake sweeps the board.
Stephen Habington, Classical Music Sentinel, March 2010

Diese Schwanensee-Gesamtaufnahme nimmt gleichermaßen Intellekt, Gefühl und Phantasie gefangen. Dazu eine Aufnahmequalität, die mit Präsenz, Tiefe, einer großen dynamischen Bandbreite und weiträumigen Akustik rundum überzeugt. Großartig.
Christof Jetzschke, Klassik-Heute.com, 12. Februar 2010, 10 • 10 • 10

The artists

Russian National Orchestra

The Russian National Orchestra was founded by the conductor and pianist Mikhail Pletnev in 1990, following sweeping changes in the former USSR. Under his artistic leadership, the orchestra soon achieved international renown and established its hallmarks of innovation and excellence. Vladimir Jurowski served as Principal Guest Conductor from 2005 to 2009. In 2008, a panel of international critics named the Russian National Orchestra as one of the world’s top orchestras. In recognition of both its artistic quality and its pioneering structure, the Russian Federation recently awarded the Russian National Orchestra the first-ever grant to a nongovernmental orchestra.

Full biography

Mikhail Pletnev

The pianist, conductor, and composer Mikhail Pletnev is one of the most respected and influential artists worldwide. His genius as an "all-round" musician has enchanted audiences around the globe since he won the Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow in 1978, at the age of 21. Two years later, Pletnev made his début as a conductor. In 1988, he was invited by Mikhail Gorbachev to perform at the superpower summit in Washington. In 1990, he founded the Russian National Orchestra, with many of the country's finest musicians joining the ensemble. Under his leadership, in a few short years the Russian National Orchestra achieved towering stature among the world's orchestras. In 1991, it became the first Russian orchestra to perform at the Vatican, in a private concert for Pope John Paul II.

Full biography

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