Kats/Novosibirsk PO: Scheherazade Op. 35 (rec. 1982) - Melodiya C10 19191-007

Jacket EX / LP EX / Russian pressing

This superb and rare LP from Melodiya (C10 19191-007, Soviet pressing, red/silver label, stereo) features conductor Arnold Katz and the superb Novosibirsk Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra in a high-octane performance of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade Op. 35, set down in 1982 with sumptuous recorded sound to match. The highly charismatic soloist heard throughout is Concertmaster Mikhail Turich, who is himself a very fine conductor.

At ArchivMusic’s website one can find this following biographical sketch of the orchestra:

The Russian cultural scene, although largely unnoticed in the West, offers an almost inexhaustible potential in terms of first-class musicians and valuable interpretations. Now, for the first time, audite presents an orchestra unknown in the West but nonetheless highly renowned: the Novosibirsk Academic Symphony Orchestra (NASO). Could it be due to this region’s geographic remoteness and exoticness, or to the negative connotation of Siberia, that Russian musical culture ends with the Ural Mountains as far as the culturally interested West is concerned? Despite numerous concert tours and major successes in the West, this Siberian orchestra has remained largely unknown up until the present day. This is completely unjustified, for the NASO need not fear comparison with the best-known European orchestras. Founded as long ago as 1956 in Novosibirsk as the result of a government decision to enliven Siberian cultural life, the Orchestra is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Arnold Kats was then appointed Music Director and has occupied this position uninterruptedly ever since. The Orchestra developed very rapidly into a renowned ensemble under his direction; at first, alongside Novosibirsk, its concert activities were limited to cities in the eastern provinces of the former Soviet Union. Later on, concert organisers in the western Russian provinces discovered the Orchestra as well. Following successful performances in Moscow and Leningrad, the Orchestra undertook its first concert tour in the allied country of Bulgaria. Already in 1978, the Orchestra was permitted to undertake its first concert tour in the West – in Italy. Since then, numerous tours have regularly taken the orchestra to the great concert halls of the West European capitals and to Japan. “

Incidentally, the striking cover art reproduces a sketch by V. Serov – “Scheherazade” – for the ballet. There are liner notes on the reverse side of the jacket – in Russian and English – by T. Shir, while the jacket design was executed by L. Arkhipova.

CONDITION:

The gradations of condition I use are as follows: MINT, Near-Mint, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor.

The condition of the jacket is EXCELLENT. There is minor edgewear, but that is all. There are no seamsplits, bends, owners’ markings or other defects, and the album remains solid, bright, and highly attractive – overall, a fine collector's copy.

The condition of the LP itself is EXCELLENT. Although the surfaces are not absolutely silent, really this is a fine copy and the playback is quite superb. Those requiring CD silent surfaces are kindly advised to look elsewhere. Overall, this rates as an excellent collector's copy.