Many connoisseurs will fondly recall the admirable recordings of
Tchaikovsky's ballets that
André Previn made in the 1970s for EMI, and be glad to see that his version of Swan Lake with the
London Symphony Orchestra is available as a double-disc package in the Classics for Pleasure series. As with
Previn's renditions of Sleeping Beauty and the Nutcracker from the same period, this fine recording of the complete Swan Lake is valuable for its lucid interpretation, sterling playing, vital rhythms, and glorious sound, all characteristics of the conductor's finest recordings with this orchestra.
Tchaikovsky's dance music is conveyed with dynamic energy, rich sonorities, elegant expression, and ecstatic climaxes, so the true brilliance of the score is readily apparent; newcomers and listeners who only know famous excerpts or the various suites will be impressed with the wealth of melodies and inventive musical ideas to be discovered in the full work. EMI's 1976 recording was analog, but it was produced with the finest engineering of the time, so this ADD reissue has all the clarity and bright colors of the original LPs with virtually no traces of hiss and absolutely no distortion in the transfer.