Out Of Print! Only a few copies left! Great Sounding Classical Title from EMI! 180g Audiophile Vinyl Cut from the Original EMI Stereo Analogue Master Tapes at Abbey Road Studios! Efrem Kurtz, an imposing figure on the podium, who, with a graceful baton-less technique drew exceptionally lyrical playing out of the orchestras he conducted and was in great demand for his native Russian repertoire. He recorded highlights from all three Tchaikovsky ballets for EMI in the late 1950s and they are all available again on LP from HIQ: Swan Lake is on HIQLP049 and The Nutcracker is on HIQLP051.
...the disc confirms the suspicion that Efrem Kurtz is probably the finest conductor of ballet music in the world, certainly the supreme exponent of Tchaikovskys ballets...A winner of a record. - Gramophone, September 1960
In the review of the stereo LP in The Gramophone of November 1960, W.S.M. confirmed his initial thoughts:
It is an extremely enjoyable cross-cut of Sleeping Beauty, performed magnificently under a conductor who understands Tchaikovskys ballet music completely. Yehudi Menuhin contributes only one solo, but that [is] a most distinguished one. The stereo is perhaps rather warmer and vivid than the very acceptable mono... Cut at Abbey Road Studios from the original stereo analogue master tapes with the Neumann VMS82 lathe fed an analogue pre-cut signal from a specially adapted Studer A80 tape deck with additional advance playback head, making the cut a totally analogue process.
Pressed on 180g vinyl to audiophile standards using the original EMI presses by The Vinyl Factory in Hayes, England.
Features: • Hi-Q Records Supercuts 180g Vinyl
• Cut at Abbey Road Studios from the original EMI stereo analogue master tapes
• Superior Audiophile Pressing
• Features original album artwork
• Made in England
Musicians: Efrem Kurtz, conductor
Philharmonia Orchestra
Yehudi Menuhin, violin solo
Selections:
Side 1: Band 1 - Introduction
Prologue
(2) Scene Dansante - Entrance Of The Fairies
(3) Pas De Six - The Fairies Present Their Gifts: Intrada; Variation IV; Variation V
Act 1: Band 2: (6) Valse
Band 3: (8) Pas D'Action - Rose Adagio
Aurora's Variation
Side 2:
Act III: Band 1: (22) Polonaise
Band 2: (23) Pas De Trois - Florestan And His Sisters: Intrada; Variation 1; Variation II; Coda
Band 3: (25) Pas De Deux - Blue Birds: Intrada; Variation 1; Variation II; Coda
Band 4: (26) Pas De Caractere - Red Riding Hood And The Wolf
Band 5: (28) Pas De Deux - Princess Aurora And Prince Florimund: Intrada; Adagio; Variation II; Coda (The 3 Ivans) Band 6: (30) Finale Et Apotheose
The numbers in brackets are those in the original score.