Efrem Kurtz & Philharmonia Orchestra - Tchaikovsky Swan Lake Suite From The Ballet

Tchaikovsky Swan Lake Suite From The Ballet is performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra and conducted by the well-known Efrem Kurtz. Kurtz was a familiar name with the Philharmonia to the record collector of the 1950s and the violinist on this recording; Yehudi Menuhin was in his prime. Menuhin's presence on the recording can be explained by a long tradition of celebrated violinists performing the solo violin parts of Swan Lake, from Leopold Auer at the first production to Mischa Elman for Diaghilev and contemporary with this recording, Campoli for Fistoulari. In the original review of this recording in The Gramophone of December 1958, W.S.M. remarked: "The sound of the orchestra is extremely well defined all the way through, and the tunes are enunciated in a most dapper fashion; Kurtz really understands the style of the music..." and found Menuhin's solo violin contributions "make you sit up and listen hard, to his phrasing and expression..." and concluded that compared with rival versions, this record was "more stylish and more attractively played. Don't try to dance to it, but do listen to it." Mastered from the original Master Tapes from the Abbey Road Studios this extended resolution CD (XRCD24) from JVC brings the listener higher fidelity and improved audio quality by enhancing the process of mastering and manufacturing compact discs. This XRCD24 is compatible with all CD players.