New Tchaikovsky and Delibes

When I started this series of entries, the initial idea was to get a sample of good recordings in this better than regular cd physical format to supplement my regular classical music recordings and so I might have just the odd disc by composer unless it was a piece of music that I had not already purchased. 

The first time I touched upon Tchaikovsky was in November of 2017 looking at his symphonies and string works.

In 2012 Chandos Records started a new series of recordings of the full unedited ballet scores of Tchaikovsky starting with The Sleeping Beauty, then a year later to Swan Lake and finally that christmas favourite, The Nutcracker.  

From the outset this was programmed to offer the best performance possible by recording for both conventional stereo and multichannel surround sound preserving the full dynamics of the score at a very high resolution. 

The result is a lively 'you are there at a performance' feel with excitement, orchestral brilliance and natural acoustics captured by the Bergen Philharmonic orchestra conducted by Neeme Jarvi.

Originally they were issued as three separate issues as they came out with two double super audio discs and a 84 minute single disc for The Nutcracker but in 2017 were issued in this box set.

One thing I love about the presentation is the full original booklets are kept in the box while the discs are in card sleeves so with such a set it is easy to listen to any one ballet, referring the appropriate booklet.

There is nothing lost to buying the box and it works out about a third cheaper than buying each work separately even at discount.

This interesting selection of Tchaikovsky's delightful Serenade For Strings coupled with Bartók's Divertimento by the London Symphony Orchestra's string ensemble was recorded like most of the Lso Live discs at the Barbican, London which isn't blessed with great acoustics but on this they have managed to get a lively clear sound.

Back to Ballets and this selection of the orchestral suites from each of Delibes ballets came out last year doing full justice to the scores in a set of performances by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra with Neeme Jarvi  conducting.

I didn't have set of the suites, just the full Coppélia recording on two regular cds this was an addition to whole collection.