Prokofiev: 7 Symphonies; Lieutenant KijA©

Thick, plush, devoid of contrasts, devoid of accents, devoid of excitement

Where's the intensity? Where are the ironic twists, the contrasts, the sharpness and acerbicness that are hallmarks of Prokofiev's compositional style? Where is the epic buildup that is the 5th, the War and Peace of Russian symphonies? Seiji Ozawa leads--slogs--the Berlin Philharmonic through some of the smoothest, velvetiest Prokofiev ever recorded. There isn't a hair-raising moment on this disc. But it's not-a-hair-out-of-place perfect. I'd rather have some ratty excitement myself.

Whether it's a charmless "Classical"--lifeless and slow--or an un-otherworldly 3rd or weak and unmuscular 5th or a 7th that lacks all irony and cheerful cynicism, Seiji just misses the boat here. You have to give him credit: at least he misses it consistently. Al the symphonies sound alike, and they all sound like Ozawa when he conducts. He prefers balance and harmony, and that can be good. But Prokofiev deliberately wrote dissonant, even grating sections for expressive purposes, and they are just missing here as even mysterious moments like the slow movement of the 5th are whittled down to plush, lifeless run-throughs. None of the solo passages for winds--and Prokofiev was brilliant at writing very spirited solo passages for winds--have any character here. This is Prokofiev that's nearly Muzak--an amazing feat, really.

While he didn't have the magnificent orchestra that is the Berlin Philharmonic to work with, Gennady Rozhdestvensky and the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra runs rings around Seiji in terms of expression and passion. Other fine recordings are Ormandy in a fine "Classical" (Sony) and 5th (RCA, but good luck finding it except in Japan). Tennstedt for a fine 5th and 7th, Ormandy for a fine 6th (hard to find that too), and Leinsdorf in 2, 3, 5, and 6. As for this set, take a pass, no matter how cheap.
August 21, 2008

A good, inexpensive recording of Prokofiev's symphonies

Karajan's recording of Prokofiev's 1st and 5th symphonies has long been one of my favorite discs so I decided to take the plunge and get the complete set. Unfortunately Karajan never recorded them all so I got the Ozawa who does a pretty good job although his 5th is nowhere near as good as Karajan's but then again whose is?
As for the other symphonies I enjoyed them all except the 2nd. The 3rd symphony which is based on music derived from Prokofiev's opera The Fiery Angel (which was never staged during his lifetime) is much better than the opera itself which I thought to be a little static. The 4th symphony was derived from Prokofiev's ballet The Prodigal Son. It's nice but I thought it inferior to the ballet which is one of my all-time favorites. The 6th symphony seems to have a lot of admirers and it's good but I don't see what all the hoopla is about. The real undiscovered gem on these discs is Prokofiev's 7th. I was expecting it to be dull since it was composed towards the end of Prokofiev's life when the Soviet government was forcing it's composers to work in a more conservative style but Prokofiev rose above all that and created a real work of art. It's a shame it's not better known. April 26, 2008

The Berlin Phil. isn't enough--where's the spirit of Prokofiev?

I hope Seiji Ozawa is happy that there's one place in the world, [...] where his Prokofiev symphony cycle fills people with joy. Most critics were quite disappointed in his approach, which veers erratically between the genteel, the bland, and the explosive. You can hear all three styles in the opening movement of Sym. #1, which jolts from one mode to the next. Ozawa seems at a loss to find eihter the wit or the classical elegance of this beloved student work.

The companion symphony on CD 1 is Sym. #6, which typifies the strength of the whole set--outstanding playing from the Berlin Phil.--as well as Ozawa's besetting weakness: he can't find a consistent style for the work. As a result, he tends to fall back on generalized music-making. You can't tell which sections are meant to be elegaic, mysterious, witty, satiric, or romantic.

Ozawa does well when the music is lyrical, brisk, or lightweight. He softens the brutality of the machine-driven idiom of Sym. #2 and #3, which spares our nerves; I am grateful for that, and for the Berliners' fearless execution. The Third emerges as a sonic blockbuster with great impact--I was genuinely thrilled by Ozawa's reading.


By general consensus the masterpiece among Prokofiev's symphonies is the Fifth, which has had some great performances over the years, including Karajan's famous 1968 account with the Berliners. Ozawa's agreeable, suave conducting isn't in the same league, but his performance is better recorded, and for sheer impact it can stand with the best. If only he could have found more bite and elan in the music.

In sum, I can see why critics were decidedly mixed about this set and why the new one from Gergiev is likely to eclipse Ozawa totally.

July 14, 2006

Stunningly good set

This really is an untterly fantastic box set. I am just learning Prokofiev's symphonic cycle with these, and I would certainly enjoy hearing something better than this!

The sound is exquisite, the orchestra is utterly tops, the music (other than the 1st and 5th of course) is a bit inaccessible for the neophyte (although I did love my mother's old LP of the 4th as a kid) but is glistening here so brightly it's undeniable.

Recommended. October 21, 2005

Prokofiev Symphonies

Ozawa conducts Prokofiev complete symphonies in Berlin. You can't get any better than that! In true Ozawa fashion, you can hear just about every line, every staff, every note. He is such a perfectionist that if you haven't seen him conduct live, you don't know what orchestral perfectionisim is. Get the scores and follow along and you will see what I mean. August 9, 2005

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