London Symphony Orchestra, Andre Previn – Tchaikovsky – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66 (1974/2021) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

André Previn leads the London Symphony Orchestra in this beautiful legacy recording of Tchaikovsky’s ballet, The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66. The score was completed in 1889, and is the second of his three ballets. The original scenario was conceived by Ivan Vsevolozhsky, and is based on Charles Perrault’s La Belle au bois dormant. The choreographer of the original production was Marius Petipa.

The premiere performance took place at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg on January 15, 1890. The work has become one of the classical repertoire’s most famous ballets.

Recorded in 1974, André Previn’s critically acclaimed performance of Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty has remained one of the most admired offerings in EMI’s catalog, and the recording has been reissued several times since that date. In making the transition from LPs to CDs, two numbers — the Pas Berrichon and the Sarabande at the end of Act III — were cut from the complete recording to allow the ballet to fit on two discs. Apart from this modest alteration, most of Sleeping Beauty is preserved and it is still remarkably fresh sounding, even after digital remastering in 1993, which apparently removed any traces of analog hiss from an already clean recording. The London Symphony Orchestra made several terrific-sounding albums with Previn at this time, and the ensemble’s energy, tone, blend, clarity, expression, and technique are all that could be desired of any world-class orchestra. With his career as a jazz pianist and composer, Previn surprised many with his recordings of the Romantic orchestral repertoire, and his great sympathy with Tchaikovsky’s music made this performance especially satisfying because he drew particularly vivid and lively playing from his musicians. While this performance may not be superior to some of the Russian competition, it is certainly among the best by any western orchestra, and in terms of elegance and polish, it is still one of the very best ever released. This classic package is highly recommended for anyone who needs a handsome version of what is arguably Tchaikovsky’s finest ballet.

Tracklist

1. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Prologue “The Christening”: No. 1a, Introduction
2. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Prologue “The Christening”: No. 1b, Marche de salon
3. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Prologue “The Christening”: No. 2, Entrance of the Fairies – Scène dansante
4. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Prologue “The Christening”: No. 3a, Pas de six. Introduction
5. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Prologue “The Christening”: No. 3b, Pas de six. Grand adage
6. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Prologue “The Christening”: No. 3c, Pas de six. Variation I “Candide”
8. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Prologue “The Christening”: No. 3e, Pas de six. Variation III “Breadcrumb”
9. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Prologue “The Christening”: No. 3f, Pas de six. Variation IV “The Singing Canary”
10. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Prologue “The Christening”: No. 3g, Pas de six. Variation V “Violante”
11. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Prologue “The Christening”: No. 3h, Pas de six. Variation VI “The Lilac Fairy”
12. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Prologue “The Christening”: No. 3i, Pas de six. Coda
13. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Prologue “The Christening”: No. 4, Finale
14. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act I “The Spell”: No. 5, Introduction. Scene
15. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act I “The Spell”: No. 6, Waltz
16. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act I “The Spell”: No. 7, Scene
17. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act I “The Spell”: No. 8a, Pas d’action. Rose Adagio
18. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act I “The Spell”: No. 8b, Pas d’action. Dances of the Maids of Honour and Pages
19. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act I “The Spell”: No. 8c, Pas d’action. Aurora’s Variation
20. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act I “The Spell”: No. 8d, Pas d’action, Coda
21. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act I “The Spell”: No. 9, Finale
22. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 1: No. 10, Entr’acte and Scene
23. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 1: No. 11, Blind Man’s Buff
24. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 1: No. 12a, Scene
25. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 1: No. 12b, Dance of the Duchesses
26. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 1: No. 12c, Dance of the Baronesses
27. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 1: No. 12d, Dance of the Countesses
28. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 1: No. 12e, Dance of the Marchionesses
29. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 1: No. 13a, Scene
30. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 1: No. 13b, Dance
31. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 1: No. 14, Scene
32. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 1: No. 15a, Pas d’action. Scene of Aurora and Désiré
33. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 1: No. 15b, Pas d’action. Aurora’s Variation
34. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 1: No. 15c, Pas d’action. Coda
35. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 1: No. 16, Scene
36. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 1: No. 17, Panorama
37. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 1: No. 18, Entr’acte
38. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 2: No. 19, Scene
39. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 2: No. 20, Finale
40. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 2: No. 21, March
41. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 2: No. 22, Polonaise
42. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 2: No. 23a, Pas de quatre. Allegro non tanto
43. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 2: No. 23b, Pas de quatre. Variation I “The Gold Fairy”
44. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 2: No. 23c, Pas de quatre. Variation II “The Silver Fairy”
45. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 2: No. 23d, Pas de quatre. Variation III “The Sapphire Fairy”
46. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 2: No. 23e, Pas de quatre. Variation IV “The Diamond Fairy”
47. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 2: No. 23f, Pas de quatre. Coda
48. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 2: No. 24, Pas de caractère. Puss-in-Boots and the White Cat
49. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 2: No. 25a, Pas de quatre. Adagio
52. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act II “The Vision”, Scene 2: No. 25d, Coda
53. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act III “The Wedding”: No. 26a, Pas de caractère. Little Red Riding-Hood and the Wolf
54. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act III “The Wedding”: No. 26b, Pas de caractère. Cinderella and Prince Fortuné
55. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act III “The Wedding”: No. 27, Pas berrichon. Tom Thumb, His Brothers, and the Ogre
56. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act III “The Wedding”: No. 28a, Pas de deux. Entrance
57. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act III “The Wedding”: No. 28b, Pas de deux. Adagio
58. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act III “The Wedding”: No. 28c, Pas de deux. Variation I “Prince Désiré”
59. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act III “The Wedding”: No. 28d, Pas de deux. Variation II “Aurora”
60. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act III “The Wedding”: No. 28e, Pas de deux. Coda
61. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act III “The Wedding”: No. 29, Sarabande
62. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act III “The Wedding”: No. 30a, Finale. Allegro brillante – Tempo di mazurka
63. London Symphony Orchestra – The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, Act III “The Wedding”: No. 30b, Apotheosis