Rimsky Korsakov: Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34

Sony Music continues its Essential Masterworks series, a new range of budget-priced albums comprising great recordings from both the Sony and BMG classical catalogues, with a further 10 titles released on 22 February 2010. This new set of releases again covers a broad range of repertoire, with a focus on British artists, including the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Paul Daniel, Nicholas McGegan and Anthony Marwood.

Providing a great starting point for anyone wishing to build a classical library, this set of releases includes some of the greatest works of all time, such as Elgar’s Enigma Variations, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture and Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks and Water Music.

Most of these recordings have been unavailable for many years and will be a welcome return to the catalogue, at an extremely attractive price.

Fantasy and folklore are the subject of this 2CD collection of orchestral pieces by Rimsky-Korsakov recorded between 1953 and 1963 by the Suisse Romande Orchestra and Ernest Ansermet. We encounter Antar, disillusioned son of a slave who rises to become a Bedouin chief and dies in the arms of a fairy queen. We meet a Tsarina consigned to sea in a barrel with her son who transforms himself into a bumblebee; a witch who steals the moon; and a maiden who is immune from the power of the sun, thanks to her father, Winter, who is enemy of the sun! Antar represents Decca's first stereo recording and the booklet note includes an account of the making of this seminal document. The thrilling sound in many of the recordings is complemented by conducting of swiftness and astuteness, and above all, plenty of colour.

This Pentatone release comes from the Philips Quadraphonic Recordings archive and features two popular compositions by Russian composers. The 2nd Symphony is the most popular Symphony Rachmaninov composed. The Capricio Espagnol, became an instant success when at the first performance, an enthusiastic audience demanded that the entire piece be encored!