Symphonies / Petite Suite / etc

"Essentially this set offers us the three Borodin symphonies plus all in superlative sound. Lovely music in poetically accented readings at bargain price."
(MusicWeb May 2009)

Borodin wrote two-and-a-half symphonies. Just as his unfinished opera Prince Igor his final half symphony could be (re)constructed from Borodin's notes left behind after his death. We also must be grateful to Glazunov, who wrote down complete episodes from memory after just one hearing.

Borodin's small output was caused by his also having a full time and pioneering career in chemistry. His music might be described as typically second half nineteenth-century Russian. His teacher Balakirev's influence is often audible though Borodin certainly has a voice of his own too.

This set contains Borodin's full-blooded orchestral music with often incredibly skilful instrumentation. In addition to the 2,5 symphonies - with some minor 'corrections' by the conductor - there is the Petite suite (another orchestration by Glazunov), the Romance and At the Homes of Other Folk for voice and orchestra.

With Larissa Dyadkova, mezzo-soprano, and Tord Wallström, baritone. The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra is conducted by Gennady Rozhdestvensky.