I was working at Tower Classical Records when this was released. It was the first time any of us had heard of Jarvi, but we knew this recording was special in every way. It was on our in-store playlist for a couple of years, and whenever we put it on customers came to the front desk to see what was playing. Tower had a killer sound system and audiophiles in particular gobbled it up, especially when the quick march in the first movement gave our sub-woofers a workout. I've still got the original LP.
This is a phenomenal piece, full of wonderfully expressive, anguished passages, and tremendously inventive and beautiful melodies... and even some delightful neo-classicism. Like many works from roughly 1910 -1980, the local concert hall organizers and radio hosts hear one spikey chord and they dismiss it. They don't know what they're missing.
The music critic of The Herald (Glasgow, Scotland), Michael Tumelty reviewed the Chandos CD set of Prokofiev symphonies when it was re-released, and he said something like (relying on my memory here): "All you young 'uns who doubted us oldies when we said we staggered out of the concert hall, stunned by Neeme Järvi's Prokofiev, need to listen to this set".
@@neilford99 And, as I recall, a big fan of Strauss's Alpine Symphony! I loved his reviews: they just seemed so full of common sense and enthusiasm, not least for "Jimmy" MacMillan, in the promotion of whose music MT played a small role.
So grateful for the Järvi'/SNO Prokofiev and Dvořák recordings on Chandos! They were my reference recordings for the orchestra! These were what introduced me to the SNO and led me to ultimately record 40 albums of classic film music with the RSNO, starting in 1995!
For me, it’s the Ormandy stereo account. There’s a part in the first movement where the horns do this cool, resonating Doppler Effect sort of thing that Philly nails.
This is an amazing recording which turned me on to Prok. 6 in a big way. Not only is this the reference recording, I think it helped convince some connoisseurs that a) this is actually Prokofiev’s best symphony and b) Prokofiev shouldn’t be dismissed as a subpar symphonist. Boy I boy do I love Jarvi(s).
It was a golden era for the orchestra. Bryden Thomson who succeded Jarvi was be very variable. The worst ever Beethoven 5th you could image, but exciting with Martinu and Nielson.
What an unexpected and welcome new post, Dave. The Järvi Prokofiev cycle is a desert island essential, on par with the Blomstedt/Dresden Beethoven. You nailed that. Worth mentioning, though, is that Prokofiev's 6th is one of two Soviet "war symphonies" (Shostakovich's 8th is the other) which brought down the wrath of Stalin and inaugurated a new era of cultural repression towards any art deemed unacceptable, indigestible, i.e., "structuralist." SP never really recovered from the suppression of this work; Shostakovich still had 20 good years on him. I sincerely appreciate your posting about this particular symphony, though, and not only because Prokofiev is one of only a handful of composers I revere unconditionally--hardly a lightweight but a pragmatist, which is not the same thing. It's because although I admire this symphony deeply, I find it deeply disturbing to listen to; psychologically, it is a dreadnought, and I can almost see why the authorities pounced on it. I rarely listen to it anymore. But I may just do so again thanks to this post.
True. Prokofiev was buried the same day as Stalin. Few attended for obvious reasons, but Shostakovich was there. There's a story goes round that Sergei found Shakespeare's ending of Romeo & Juliet unbearable and planned a happy resolution to his ballet. Stalin liked his Shakespeare red in tooth & Claw. He told the composer to put it back and he did.
I never really got into the Jarvi recording until Dave's videos. There was an old Mravinsky / Leningrad disk that I listened to over-and-over. I've always thought the 6th to be a masterpiece. Now I am on-board with Jarvi and the (R)SNO. Having heard the SNO many times in late eighties, whenever Jarvi came to guest conduct, it was an experience. Some of the Shostakovich concerts I'm told were stunning. Scotland was very proud of the SNO and these famous recordings.
Not long after Jarvi's Prokofiev 6 was released in 1985,, I heard him conduct it with the Minnesota Orchestra. It was terrific. It should be performed more.
As a work this symphony is hard to criticise in itself & is one of my serious heavyweight favourites of orchestral drama. Really good performances of this can be as devastating as Mahler's 6th or 9th. The symphony was also written around the same time as Vaughan Williams' similarly themed 6th - symphonic cousins separated by the iron curtain perhaps?Although some other recordings are good, Jarvi's is unique & still the best interpretation on disc by far.
Oops! I like the Martinon 6. It was on affordable vinyl wayback 70s when i was a starving student. I played it to death trying to get fellow students to see how great Prokie really was. Also, symphs 3 & 4 contain some of the most tender music in their slow movements i have ever heard in my long life. For me Prokofiev is a serious composer of symphony.
It isn't the Ashkenzy Cleveland that came out a few years after that (1992 or 93?) It did seem to get lost in the shuffle so maybe that is why it isn't in contention?
Absolute, certifiable reference version. I got it on lp first and it sounded splendid (such a lovely, quiet pressing) knocked me sideways. As mention was made of the 3rd does it have a reference (for me I truly appreciated its greatness in Muti's Philadephia version - fantastic)?
Absolutely love the 6th, overall I prefer it to the more popular 5th. Heard a rare live performance a couple of years ago at the RAM/London, The students clearly loved playing this score as it was a triumph. 😊
