Customer Rating: 
Summary: Loving the classics
Comment: "Swan Lake" has great meaning for me. I used to rent LPs and would play them in the basement of Fine Arts on the University of Georgia campus. This was in the '50s. There is nothing as soothing as "Swan Lake."
Customer Rating:
Summary: Ravel Bolero
Comment: Superb concept--ten version of Bolero by ten groups one after the other. Four symphonic orchestras mingled with six others all coming on withy the same powerful insistence of the composition. Excellent, exciting.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Inspiring Swan Lake
Comment: The Philadelphia Orchestra did such a splendid job with this Tchaikovsky classic. There are very few COMPLETE ballets around here and I am glad I purchased this.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great rendition, minor flaws
Comment: I quite thoroughly enjoyed this rendition of Swan Lake. I've listened to one other version by Dutoit before this one, and I have to say that Sawallisch's version is, on the whole, much better. The major difference is that I didn't get bored by the third act; Sawallisch managed to make it interesting but picking up some of the tempos.
Some complaints: the orchestra doesn't get as loud and triumphant as I'd like it in parts, the violin solo in No.12-V: Pas D'action isn't the best, and I can't really hear the tam-tam in the last track. Besides that, everything is superb.
One final note: The CD does actually contain the Black Swan Pas de Deux, but as Tchaikovsky originally wrote it. If you read the sleeve, it says under No.5 (tracks 11 to 14), "Four short formal dances for the Prince and a ballerina. They became known as the 'Black Swan' pas de deux after Petipa's production transposed it to Act 3." Apparently, about 20 years after the original Swan Lake (and a few years after Tchaikovsky's death) some guy called Riccardo Drigo made drastic changes to Tchaikovsky's original score. One of the changes he made was the aforementioned Black Swan Pas de Deux, deleting parts and adding his own orchestrations. In my opinion, I'd rather listen to Tchaikovsky's original music as he intended rather than some unknown's variations. Thankfully, Sawallisch had the Philadelphia Orchestra play the complete, original Swan Lake as Tchaikovsky composed it.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: The best rendition
Comment: I enjoyed this cd because all the other "complete versions" had parts missing. To my big surprise, this also has a big cut in it concerning the music for the black swan. I was, to say the least, a bit taken aback because of this, but comparing the time on these discs, this version surpasses any other in length so I guess I'm satisfied as well as miffed. This rendition is clear, crisp, and moves at a the correct pace a very good recording. You can't beat it for the price that its being sold for.
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