Russlan And Ludmilla (Overture) / Orchestra Of Mariinsky Theatre

Russlan And Ludmilla (Overture) - Milkhail Ivanovich Glinka
Orchestra Of Mariinsky Theatre - Director Valery Gergiev

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  Music

[wilmdude71]

yes it is indeed a toothpick...I just saw him tonight in New York conducting Mahler without it but he is well known to use the toothpick when he feels the need for a baton, most times he just uses his hands...doesn't really matter what he uses he knows how bring out the best in an orchestra.

[Hasting Chen]

As long as the players are together, I am happy with the speed. After all, what's this piece after all without excitement?

[steve parsons]

Hard to know the provenance of the metronome marking in the early editions. Glinka's score was lost. The marking itself is a bit ambiguous because the 135 wouldn't have appeared on the typical metronome of the time. Often times Metronome markings were added after the fact, particularly Glinka's publishers (and often without the composers permission as a favour to metronome makers). Russian composers of the period often directed players to ignore the metronome markings in specific parts.

[mafiashadow]

Valery Gergiev looks like Nicholson in the shining...

[starwarsfanboy]

by John Finnemore! :D

[Bill Harpum]

The final accelerando is very exciting indeed. BUSO is playing this, and we take it far slower than preferred. This piece is absolutely nothing without excitement. Indeed, the ethos here is not "the faster the better", but more, "the faster we go, the more exciting it gets".

[MrPaulvL]

It is supposed to be very fast indeed, for d=135 is what Glinka wrote in the score. And not 'the faster the better'! So no complaints to Glinka but to these conductors, who play it much faster than intended. At the tempo the composer had in mind it is still music and not a race against the clock.

[PigPenguin91]

I know it's supposed to be fast, and I'm not saying I don't like it very very fast. I'm just saying at some point it gets so fast that you can't even enjoy the notes, because they're all so fast and blurred together. This is a great recording, but I'd enjoy it even more just a smidge slower.

[GreenBaldrick]

It's SUPPOSED to be very very very fast. And the faster the better. Some Russian orchestras play this even faster than in this video (try Mravinsky - the best version of the Overture so far). All complaints must be submitted to Glinka.