Ernest Ansermet – Prokofiev: “Classical” Symphony & Glinka: Kamarinskaïa “Fantasy”, & Borodin: In The Steppes Of Central Asia (180g LP)

Label: Speakers Corner / Decca SXL 2292 – 180 Gram Vinyl!

Thankfully musical genres have been spared from being described with new buzz words such as “Kleinkust” which could be translated as “Small Arts”. But music in small forms – maybe set down on just a few pages of manuscript paper – certainly exists. Prokofiev’s miniature, the Symphonie classique, combines several superlatives as regards both its musical notes and form: it is only 15 minutes long, contains a wealth of melodic ideas, and is the most performed of all Prokofiev’s symphonies.

This four-movement composition employs traditional forms such as the sonata form in the outer movements and the pre-Classical dances menuet and gavotte. The work’s carefree esprit, serenade-like humor, and courtly elegance is delightful throughout and culminates in a high-spirited sturm und drang Finale.

On the B side is Glinka’s Kamarinskaya Fantasia, only eight minutes long but captivating with its extremely closely-knit compositional style, and his Overture to A Life for the Czar – a showpiece whose leitmotifs are truly forward-looking. Alongside these classical-romantic musical gems, Borodin’s In The Steppes of Central Asia acts as an ideal programmatic amalgamation of the Orient and the Occident, and fits perfectly into this choice of repertoire.

Recorded February and March 1961 in Victoria Hall, Geneva

Roy Wallace – Recording engineer
Michael Bremner – Producer

Remastered at Air Studios, London by Tony Hawkins and Ray Staff