THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 8, 1995 TAG: 9501060071
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: ALBUM REVIEWS
SOURCE: Paul Sayegh
LENGTH: Short : 35 lines
Rimsky-Korsakov, First Symphony and ``Antar'' (RCA); Third Symphony and Piano Concerto (Chandos) - Two worthwhile CDs highlight little-known music by the 19th century Russian composer Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Today he is chiefly remembered for ``Scheherazade'' and a handful of other works. He was also one of the great orchestrators.
The RCA disc fetures Evgeny Svetlanov and the Russian State Symphony Orchestra in Rimsky's first two symphonies. The First seems a typical mid-19th century piece, tuneful and closely modeled on Schumann and Liszt. ``Antar,'' originally designated No. 2 but later renamed a symphonic suite, is a worthy predecessor to the more-famous ``Scheherazade.'' It successfully combines a near-Eastern melodic style with lush orchestrations and deserves to be heard more frequently.
Chandos offers the Bergen Philharmonic and conductor Dmitri Kitajenko in performances of the even-rarer Symphony No. 3, the piano concerto and the more familiar Russian Easter Overture and ``Sadko.'' The concerto, played by Geoffrey Tozer, is a short but effective display piece with an especially lovely slow movement; its brevity has most likely hampered its life in the concert hall. Performances and recordings on both discs are excellent. MEMO: To hear Rimsky-Korsakov's music, call Infoline at 640-5555 and punch
category 6275. by CNB