Prokofiev: Symphony No. 4
São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop
for once, Prokofiev's Sovietised Fourth does not sound a bombastic and coarsened version of the original; rather, one hears striking and even disturbing echoes of several of his Soviet works...Polished...
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 4
São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop
Purchase product
for once, Prokofiev's Sovietised Fourth does not sound a bombastic and coarsened version of the original; rather, one hears striking and even disturbing echoes of several of his Soviet works...Polished...
About
Prokofiev’s imposing Fourth Symphony and his final ballet for Sergey Diagilev, The Prodigal Son, share common roots but are entirely distinctive in character. The vivid depictions in the ballet’s moral tale include sensual temptations, drunken debauchery, robbery and remorse. The 1947 revision of the Fourth Symphony, lengthened and enriched in orchestration by the addition of a piccolo clarinet, piano and harp, makes extended use of themes from The Prodigal Son as well as unused material. Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony with Marin Alsop and the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra (8573029) was described as “an outstanding achievement” by BBC Music Magazine.
Contents and tracklist
- Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo
- Marin Alsop
- Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo
- Marin Alsop
- Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo
- Marin Alsop
- Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo
- Marin Alsop
Awards and reviews
December 2013
for once, Prokofiev's Sovietised Fourth does not sound a bombastic and coarsened version of the original; rather, one hears striking and even disturbing echoes of several of his Soviet works...Polished playing and ensemble.
November 2013
if you usually find the composer too raw, Alsop's integrated, lyrical view of these works could be just the ticket.
18th December 2013
[Alsop] brings out the lyricism prevalent in the score [of the Symphony], but also rises to the drama of the work’s climaxes. The very ending of the symphony is quite powerful and Alsop does not disappoint here...the São Paulo Symphony plays its heart out for Alsop.
24th October 2013
Alsop illuminates instrumental timbres that Prokofiev often mingles in unconventional alliances...His brand of lyricism, too, is shaped smoothly and with supple, subtle inflections. Together with the energy the São Paulo orchestra has at its disposal, all these traits contribute to interpretations that radiate a genuine Prokofiev spirit.
The Independent on Sunday 6th October 2013
Alsop’s players spin a convincing yarn, with long lines pushing far beyond the safety of the family home, and they bring the whole to an exhilarating reconciliation.
