London Symphony Orchestra, Valery Gergiev – Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances; Stravinsky: Symphony in Three Movements (2012)
DSF Stereo DSD64/2.82MHz | Time – 58:29 minutes | 2,31 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: nativeDSDmusic | Digital Booklet | © LSO
Did Rachmaninov realise that the Symphonic Dances would be his last work? Whether he had such a premonition or not, few composers have ended their careers with such appropriate music, for the Symphonic Dances contain all that is finest in Rachmaninov, representing a compendium of a lifetime’s musical and emotional experience.
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Denis Matsuev, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev – Rachmaninov, Stravinsky, Shchedrin – Piano Concertos & Capriccio (2015)
DSF Stereo DSD64/2.82MHz | Time – 01:06:19 minutes | 2,62 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download – Source: nativeDSDmusic | Digital Booklet | © LSO
Denis Matsuev showcases works for piano and orchestra by three of Russia’s greatest composers. Renowned for interpretations of music from his homeland, and affectionately known as ‘the Siberian Bear with the fastest paws in the Arctic’, Matsuev’s previous releases on the Mariinsky Label, including Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No 3 and Rhapsody on a Theme of Pagnini, have received widespread acclaim.
Piano Concerto No 1 was written whilst Rachmaninov was still a teenager and though relatively playful in comparison to his other piano concertos, its three movements are full of the showmanship, beautiful melodies and lush orchestral accompaniment that were to characterise his music in the years to come. A similarly playful tone can be found in the revised 1949 edition of Stravinsky’s Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra, which premiered in 1949 with the composer at the piano. Written as a virtuosic vehicle for Stravinsky himself, the piece is characterised by a dancing piano part, full of leaps and bounding with energy. Completing this release is Shchedrin’s Piano Concerto No 2, recorded in the presence of the composer, which influenced by twelve-tone techniques and jazz. Virtuosic writing is a feature throughout, and the final movement sees the surprise introduction of a jazz ensemble, including vibraphone and drum kit.
Speaking about this release, Denis Matsuev says ‘ we wanted to show Great Russian composers from different periods.’ Rachmaninov’s First Piano Concerto is one of my favourites. It was written whilst he studied at the Moscow Conservatory and despite his young age he managed to reveal himself as a great artist. Capriccio is a brilliant work with a wonderful sense of humour. It is also very cinematic; one can envisage this music whilst listening to it and we tried to communicate all of these features to the audience. Shchedrin is a very special composer in the Russian tradition. He takes an active part in rehearsals; we have an opportunity to talk to him, to exchange ideas and listen to his advice. It is a priceless experience.’
This release is dedicated to the memory of Maya Plisetskaya (1925–2015), wife of Rodion Shchedrin and dedicatee of his Piano Concerto No 2, who passed away shortly after the making of this recording.
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London Symphony Orchestra, Valery Gergiev – Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 1 – Balakirev: Tamara (2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:01:22 minutes | 1,13 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © LSO Live
This new release in the LSO Live cycle of Rachmaninovs complete symphonies features his Symphony No. 1. The piece was composed in 1895 at his Ivanovka estate in Tambov, Russia. The premiere was a disaster due to poor conductor performance and under-rehearsal, but the score was rediscovered after the composers death and has since been frequently performed. English composer and professor Robert Simpson calls the First Symphony a powerful work in its own right convinced, individual, finely constructed, and achieving a genuinely tragic and heroic expression. Valery Gergiev is able to shine with this work, displaying his impeccable transparent interpretation. Also included on this release is Balakirevs Tamara. A member of Russias Mighty Handful, this work is considered by most scholars to be Balakirevs best work. The score drips with exotic and oriental influences, which were popular in nineteenth century Russia. This concert received extraordinary reviews: Full blooded and engrossing the performance revealed the genius of this strange, haunted piece. (The Telegraph) This is music Gergiev clearly believes in and that translated itself to his players Here was Gergiev at his best. (Bachtrack)
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London Symphony Orchestra, Valery Gergiev – Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances; Stravinsky: Symphony in three movements (2012)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 58:37 minutes | 528 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © LSO Live
The Symphonic Dances, an orchestral suite in three sections, was the last work Rachmaninov completed and proved one of his most popular compositions. Although rarely sentimental, it draws on many of the composer’s reminiscences of Russia, from where he emigrated in 1917. It is characteristically lyrical with vivacious rhythmic sections, reminiscent of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and the composer’s own Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini.
Gergiev couples the Symphonic Dances with another work in three movements by a Russian émigré to the USA. Stravinsky’s Symphony in three movements was written between 1942-45 and was the first work Stravinsky completed after his arrival in the USA. Although he claimed it was a ‘War Symphony’, his true inspiration was typically vague.
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Munich Philharmonic & Valery Gergiev – R. Strauss: Don Juan, Ein Heldenleben (2017)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 01:05:27 minutes | 615 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © MUNCHNER PHILHARMONIKER GBR
Richard Strauss and Munich share a very special connection. Not only was the composer born in Munich, several of his pieces had their world premiere here. His works have been a substantial part of the Munich Philharmonic’s core repertoire ever since and the orchestra has excelled on many occasions. This has become a lasting tradition for the orchestra that principal conductors such as Rudolf Kempe, Lorin Maazel, Christian Thielemann and now Valery Gergiev have continued and are continuing to grow.
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Münchner Philharmoniker & Valery Gergiev – Stravinsky: Symphonies of Wind Instruments – Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade (Live) (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 57:22 minutes | 1001 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © MUNCHNER PHILHARMONIKER GBR
We have curated 125 years of music history, we have chosen some of the most sought after recordings with the great conductors of this and the last century. We are looking back upon more than a hundred years of musical collaboration and artistic frugality. Our exclusive selection includes recordings together with Hans Knappertsbusch, Fritz Rieger, Eugen Jochum, Sergiu Celibidache, Zubin Mehta, Lorin Maazel, Günter Wand, Horst Stein, James Levine, Christian Thielemann and Valery Gergiev.
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Münchner Philharmoniker & Valery Gergiev – Mahler: Symphony No. 8 (Live) (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 01:12:37 minutes | 722 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © MUNCHNER PHILHARMONIKER GBR
Hardly any other concert marks the city of Munich’s musical history as strikingly as the premiere of Gustav Mahler’s 8th symphony, the Symphony of a Thousand, which struck real waves of enthusiasm within the city’s cultural scene, and beyond. It marked a memorable triumph for the composer, whose works had regularly been performed in Munich since 1896. Mahler felt his art form was understood by the people of Munich.
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Münchner Philharmoniker & Valery Gergiev – Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 (Live) (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:02:41 minutes | 1,15 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © MUNCHNER PHILHARMONIKER GBR
The Münchner Philharmoniker have arguably given more performances of Anton Bruckner’s music than any other orchestra. A great number of Bruckner recordings led by the many legendary conductors that have worked for and with the Münchner Philharmoniker are stored in the historical archive of the MPHIL Label including magnificent pieces with Sergiu Celibidache, Christian Thielemann, Rudolf Kempe, Günter Wand and Oswald Kabasta.
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Münchner Philharmoniker & Valery Gergiev – Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 (Live) (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:20:42 minutes | 1,45 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © MUNCHNER PHILHARMONIKER GBR
The Münchner Philharmoniker have arguably given more performances of Anton Bruckner’s music than any other orchestra. A great number of Bruckner recordings led by the many legendary conductors that have worked for and with the Münchner Philharmoniker are stored in the historical archive of the MPHIL Label including magnificent pieces with Sergiu Celibidache, Christian Thielemann, Rudolf Kempe, Günter Wand and Oswald Kabasta.
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Münchner Philharmoniker & Valery Gergiev – Bruckner: Symphony No. 2 (Live) (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 55:30 minutes | 1,01 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © MUNCHNER PHILHARMONIKER GBR
The Münchner Philharmoniker have arguably given more performances of Anton Bruckner’s music than any other orchestra. A great number of Bruckner recordings led by the many legendary conductors that have worked for and with the Münchner Philharmoniker are stored in the historical archive of the MPHIL Label including magnificent pieces with Sergiu Celibidache, Christian Thielemann, Rudolf Kempe, Günter Wand and Oswald Kabasta.
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Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev – Massenet: Don Quichotte (2012)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:51:40 minutes | 1,88 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Mariinsky
Italian bass Ferruccio Furlanetto is one of the most sought-after interpreters of French, Italian and Russian repertoire. Here he joins Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky orchestra for a sumptuous recording of Massenet’s final great opera. Gergiev is no stranger to conducting Massenet, having recorded an outstanding performance of ‘Hérodiade’ in 1995 with Renée Fleming and Placido Domingo.
‘Don Quichotte’, Massenet’s comédie-héroïque, is a tale of heroism, adventure and unrequited love. The plot relates only indirectly to the great novel by Miguel de Cervantes and more likely refers to the play Le chevalier de la longue figure, by the poet Jacques Le Lorrain. Massenet, nearing the end of his career, probably identified with the character of Don Quichotte, and fell in love with the mezzo-soprano Lucy Arbell, who played Dulcinée in the first performance of the work.
Praised for his vast range, thundering vocal power, and exceptional acting ability, Ferruccio Furlanetto has performed at the world’s leading opera houses, including La Scala, the Royal Opera House, the New York Metropolitan Opera and the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg. His 2011-12 season is dominated by performances of ‘Boris Godunov’ with the Chicago Lyric Opera, Vienna Staatsoper and the Teatro Massimo (Palermo). Furlanetto will also sing Méphistophélès in Gounod’s ‘Faust’, Don Basilio in ‘Il Barbiere di Siviglia’ and Silva in ‘Ernani’ at the Met.
Mezzo-soprano Anna Kiknadze is a principal soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg. Highlights of her early career include being a finalist at the 2001 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, 2002 Placido Domingo Operalia Competition in Paris and the International Rimsky-Korsakov Competition in St. Petersburg.
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Mariinsky Orchestra and Valery Gergiev – Russian Classics Vol. 2 (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:17:44 minutes | 1,40 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Mariinsky
The second volume in a series of compilations exploring the jewels of Russian classical music as performed by the country’s greatest musical institution. Russian Classics Vol. 2 includes some of the most recognisable and well-loved pieces that Russian music has to offer, including Tchaikovsky’s delicate Waltz of the Flowers, the brooding opening to Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony and the Great Gate of Kiev from Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.
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Valery Gergiev, Mariinsky Orchestra and Chorus – Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos 3 & 10 (2011)
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DST64 2.0 & 5.1 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 80:23 minutes | Full Artwork | 4,37 GB
or FLAC 2.0 Stereo (converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Artwork | 1,41 GB
The trend in the 21st century has been to let the suppressed emotions detailed in the still-controversial Shostakovich memoir Testimony spill over into performances of his music, and this is all to the good: the emotional core of Shostakovich’s music is the experience of living under repression at a fundamental level. But that’s not to say soberer, more controlled readings don’t have their place, as well, and conductor Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra deliver some here. The program opens with the Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, Op. 20 (“The First of May”), one of the least-often-performed of Shostakovich’s 15 symphonies. Composed in 1930, the work carries overtones of the breakdown in freedom that accompanied the Soviet Union’s second decade; it’s as if the composer was unsure of what he could get away with and ended the work with some rather plain patriotic choral music. The Symphony No. 3 serves almost as a prelude to the much longer and weightier Symphony No. 10 in E minor, Op. 93. In both works Gergiev’s readings are restrained, with the entire album recorded at very quiet dynamic levels, as if hesitant to make too much of a statement. The quick central movements, often taken as slightly angry commentary on Joseph Stalin, the dictator whom Shostakovich had managed to outlast, are crisp but not especially tangy, and in the giant 23-minute opening movement Gergiev sacrifices emotional intensity for a remarkable sense of the long line of the whole. There are plenty of other choices on the market for the Symphony No. 10, but those interested in letting the music speak for itself will find a masterly recording here, in audiophile-quality sound.
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London Symphony Orchestra, Valery Gergiev – Mahler: Symphonies Nos. 1-9 (2008)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 10:53:49 minutes | 5,95 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © LSO Live
Valery Gergiev’s performances and recordings of Mahler’s symphonies with the LSO have garnered international acclaim. They have performed the works in Europe, North America and the Far East and their recordings have received numerous awards. The symphonies were originally released between 2008 and 2011 and will now be made available together for the first time as a beautifully packaged 10 SACD box set.
Gustav Mahler redefined the dimensions, structure, and possibilities for expression that the symphony offered. Neglected for decades after his untimely death, his symphonies are now universally regarded as among the greatest works of music. The themes of faith, love, tragedy and death run throughout the cycle of nine completed scores, effectively chronicling the career of one of the greatest composers on an epic scale.
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London Symphony Orchestra, Valery Gergiev – Szymanowski: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4, Stabat Mater (2013/2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:09:59 minutes | 1,18 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © LSO Live
This second, star-studded instalment of Gergiev’s Szymanowski cycle features Toby Spence as soloist in the Third Symphony, ‘Song of the Night’ and internationally renowned pianist, Denis Matsuev in the virtuosic ‘Symphonie concertante’, Symphony No 4. Szymanowski’s deeply personal choral work, ‘Stabat Mater’, completes the cycle and stars Sally Matthews and Ekaterina Gubanova, and introduces the young baritone, Kostas Smoriginas to LSO Live listeners.
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