Best Recording of Scheherazade

I have always enjoyed the version conducted by Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on the RCA Victor "Living Stereo" Series. Worth checking out.

Regards, Rich

I second Rich's comments on the Reiner recording.

Another vote for Fritz Reiner.

Make that four!

My only recording is by this progressive rock band.
Artist: Renaissance
Album Title: Scheherazade & Other Stories
Date of Release: 1975

The performance I like best is Beecham's with the RPO (EMI).
The best "recording" (but a poor performance IMO) is on Telarc -- can't remember the rest.
Cheers

Many great ones available which are better than versions at your library, for CD I recommend:

Gergiev / Phillips
Newest serious contender, very energetic version with great sound

Mackerras / Telarc
This probably best sound of any tremendous dynamic range and lush soundscape, also includes great version "capriccio espagnol"

Beecham / EMI GROTC
Remaster of classic account reveals new insights, magical account

Kondrashin / Phillips 50 Great Recordings
Another remaster of classic account making it even better

Reiner / RCA Living Stereo
Another very good version close to the best.

Another worthy contender would be Serebrier/London Philharmonic Orchestra from Reference Recordings. Give it a shot.

Ken

Megasam's list is excellent - While I can't add anything meaningful to the list, I would highly encourage you to own Beecham's. It is a thing of beauty. Reiner & Kondrashin are equally excellent and, interpretively speaking fall between Beechams and Gergiev's account which are quite dissimilar.

Second the Reference Recording

Try the Rostropovich conducting Paris Orchestra. EMI
picture:http://patachonf.free.fr/musique/rimski-korsakov/scheherazade.php?p=r
A Japanese music magazine rated it the highest in CD format. I can see why.
The recording engineer was Paul Vavasseur, caught every changing color and expressions from the orthestra. By the way, the also phenomenal Beecham - Symphonie Fantastique was recorded by him.

....with Serebrier. I like the pace better than others and the sound is killer!

By far my favorite is the circa 1979 DG recording by Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Seiji Ozawa. They get the timing right and dynamically make the music swing in just the right places when it needs to. Plus there is no better, longer, more impactive horn climax (the shipwreck)of any recording. Also, Silverstein's violin is patient. The Orchestra never rushes the tempo nor is it too drawn out and languid. Just right. I also saw the performance from the second row center in Symphony Hall that season and got completely caught up in the music, even though it was Friday afternoon and all the ladies groups were there to see and be seen.

To give some alternatives to the Beecham and Kondrashin which are excellent:

On LP:
Monteux, London Symphony, on London Records STS-15158
Previn, Vienna Philharmonic, on Philips 7337-231

On CD:
Haitink, London Symphony, on Philips 420-898-2
Mackerras, London Symphony, on Telarc CD-80208

If I were to narrow my own list of 5 down to one must have account it would be difficult since they each have thier own strong points, but my choice is:

*** Beecham / EMI (Great Recorings of the Century) ***

Beecham is a master of painting tonal colors best at capturing the magic and mystery of this enchanting tale, there is a hint of jasmine in the air as you are carried away by tale of "1001 Nights" The storm/shipwreck sequence has impressive power and savage fury which is hard to match.

The only slight negative is this is 1958 recording and the orchestral climaxes are a bit strained/ragged, better now with new ART remaster but noticeable compared to modern recording. There is also excellent version of Borodin's "polovtsian dances" included but again same issues with sound quality. This is minor point and doesn't keep me from playing this set again and again.

By comparison the Mackerras/Telarc has fabulous lush modern Telarc sound that is quite impressive demonstration class, but does not capture the magic mood as effectively as Beecham.

That's funny, I clicked on to vote for Reiner. Those were Chicago's best years, in many respects.

Just recently saw this glowing review for 1964 Stokowski/Cala version, worth reading:
http://www.musicweb.uk.net/classrev/2004/Feb04/Rimsky_Sheherezade.htm

1st choice LSO/Charles Mackerras and while it's probably nowhere the "best", I enjoy Ormandy with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

without any doubt or hesitation Sergiu Celibadache with the Munich Philharmonic. Second would be Karajan.

I have an RCA Red Seal Shaded DOg vinyl copy that is my favorite. I think the conductor was Fritz Reiner.

I also like This a lot.

"and while it's probably nowhere the "best", I enjoy Ormandy with the Philadelphia Orchestra"

Me too Classical1, I think it is that large string section. Agree on the Reiner/CSO.

The ayes have it---can't go wrong with Beecham and Reiner, but also try Stokowski/London Symphony(not his performance with the Royal Philharmonic)or Ansermet/Suisse Romande Orchestra.

it wasn't a recording, but a couple of years back i hear valery gergiev and the mariinsky orchestra do an amazing performance of sheherezade at carnegie hall. it was awesome and unlike any recorded version you've ever heard.

Tubegroover,

is that the one with Anshel Brushilow playing the solo violin part?

Yes Tostadosunidos, that's the one recorded in 1962.

Brushilow turned out to be quite the conductor himself (he could play, obviously!) but never had the career he deserved.
Dallas politics are to blame for that.

How's that Tostadosunidos?

It's my understanding (just "the rumor," I guess) that he didn't fit the mold of what they were looking for off the podium as it were. I heard the last straw was when he stood up for the players who refused to take their best instruments out for a performance in inclement weather.

All I know is that he had quite an ear and musical mind. I thought his performance of "Pictures at an Exhibition" with a student group (North Texas State U.) beat the pants off of the DSO with Eduardo Mata which I had heard some weeks prior.
I think it's a shame he never caught on with one of the big US orchestras. It's their loss IMO.

Back on track, he plays a nice Scheherazade as concert master on the Ormandy recording.

I love this magnificent work and have heard just about every recording of it; while so many are worthy, I would single out the following as being exceptional:

Beecham, RPO
Silvestri, Bournemouth
Kondrashin, Concertgebouw
Reiner, Chicago
Golovanov, Bolshoi
Ormandy, Philadelphia
Stokowski, Philadelphia, Philharmonia, London
Morton Gould, Orchestra

I like Ernest Ansermet in this music, but both of the orchestras in his two recordings are not up to the level of the aforementioned favorites; the Paris performance has an edge over the Suisse Romande.

Hearing it " Live " must have been incredible. No one mentioned Peter Cetera's version, with backing vocals by Madonna, lol. Enjoy ! MrD.

The sound a live classical orchestra makes is indeed awesome.  No stereo system playing any recording, analog or digital,  comes even close.

Depending, of course, where you happened to be seated. I remember the old Acoustic Research catalogs from the 1970's, where they would show pictures of some recital hall with AR speakers (usually 12 or so speakers) providing the sound for the venue.  

Rich 

JVC has remastered the Fritz Reiner - Chicago Symphony version in to XRCD format.  It is the best I have heard.

I love the Beecham.  Not the best SQ, but a beautiful recording.

Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony (Decca 410 253-2)is a DDD digital recording from 1984 and sounds fantastic.  When I listen to this performance, I not only look for interpretation, I also listen for microphone technique and how it affects sonic image, sound staging and instrument location. Decca, at one time, used to close mic everything.....and it used to be horrible. But this time, Decca got it very right...even in the early days of digital. They must have used a good binaural mic. Even through a good pair of Sennheiser HD800s and a great amp and DAC, you get a holographic 3D mental/sonic image of instrument location. It’s hard enough to do this with loudspeakers!! I also have the Gergiev version which is a jumbled mess of close miked instruments with a reasonable interpretation.
The Reiner version, von Karajan version, etc...are pre or early Dolby days and the tape hiss robs the recording of realism. And isn’t realism what we’re after?

Nice to hear the von Karajan is liked. I appreciate his effort as well, though,as noted,many other fine albums exist. 

Just watched a video of Lief Segerstam directing it! Impressive! Horn soloist, flute, clarinet, oboe, violinist! WOW!  Is this Finnish performance the only one with shouting?

I love Stokowski LSO version. Bee human and Reiner also great.

The 1958 Beecham is quite special  for the reasons given above notably tonal color and a most magical performance, it is a must have for those that love this piece.

As several have said, LSO /Sir Charles Mackerras on Telarc.To me , Masur /NYP is fine also .
And Beecham never made a bad recording .