Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov - Orchestral Works (Vasily Petrenko)

Information

Composer: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

• Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34
• Russian Easter Festival Overture, Op. 36
• Scheherazade, Op. 35

Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra

Vasily Petrenko, conductor

Date: 2020

Label: LAWO Classics

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Review

After his avian double bill of The Firebird and The Golden Cockerel with the RLPO (Onyx, 1/19), Vasily Petrenko has now recorded a complete disc devoted to Rimsky-Korsakov with his Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra for the Norwegian label LAWO Classics. The beguiling Sheherazade continues to be a great concert warhorse, but although she was the darling of the LPO era, studio recordings have been distinctly thin on the ground since Sasha Goetzel’s invigorating account with the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic in 2014.

Petrenko has a keen ear for drama and his Sheherazade is full of dash and derring-do, often with tempos to match. There is plenty of momentum to Sinbad’s ship and a lively storm and shipwreck in the outer movements. Petrenko doesn’t hang about in ‘The Young Prince and the Young Princess’ either, lacking in languor, although the central episode has the princess’s palanquin jogging along perkily. Goetzel draws a wider spectrum of colours from his Turkish orchestra, enhancing the already intoxicating perfume of Rimsky’s orchestration by having Sheherazade accompanied by a qanun rather than the usual harp in her recitatives. Oslo concertmaster Elise Båtnes is a sweet-toned storyteller, though, bringing great delicacy to her solos. Petrenko is more relaxed in ‘The Tale of the Kalender Prince’, allowing his woodwind soloists time to express their co-narrations, even if the bassoon and clarinet sound a little veiled in a recording that doesn’t always allow bags of detail to emerge, although the Oslo Concert Hall isn’t as reverberant as the Borusan’s Istanbul venue.

The other two Rimsky works were performed by the orchestra in concert just before these sessions took place in May 2019. The Capriccio espagnol is immaculate, if lacking some Mediterranean earthiness, although I loved the poise of the flautist in the ‘Scena e canto gitano’ (track 4, 1'22"), which made it sound like a forerunner of the Ballerina in Stravinsky’s Petrushka. That pearly flute also shines in the Russian Easter Festival Overture, where the recording’s big-boned sound produces plenty of power and permits all the percussion glitter required in the joyful finale.

-- Mark Pullinger

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Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (18 March 1844 – 21 June 1908) was a prominent Russian composer and a key figure in the development of Russian classical music. He was a member of the group of composers known as "The Five" which dedicated to creating a distinctively Russian sound. Rimsky-Korsakov is best known for his orchestral works, including Scheherazade, Capriccio Espagnol, and Russian Easter Overture. His compositions often feature vibrant orchestration, exotic themes, and rich harmonic textures. He also contributed to the development of Russian opera, with notable works such as The Snow Maiden and Sadko.

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Vasily Petrenko (born 7 July 1976) is a Russian-British conductor. He was educated at the St Petersburg Capella Boys Music School and the St Petersburg Conservatoire where he participated in masterclasses with Ilya Musin, Mariss Jansons and Yuri Temirkanov, among others. Petrenko began his career as Resident Conductor (1994–1997) of St Petersburg’s Mikhailovsky. Since then he has worked with the most prestigious orchestras in Europe, Asia and North America. He served as Chief Conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic for fifteen years (2006-21), and is currently Music Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

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