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Prokofiev: Symphonies 5 & 6

Sakari Oramo Format: Audio CD
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 6 ratings
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Track Listings

1 Andante
2 Allegro Marcato
3 Adagio
4 Allegro Giocoso
5 Allegro Moderato
6 Largo
7 Vivace

Editorial Reviews

This new release features Finnish RSO under the baton of Sakari Oramo with Symphonies 5 and 6 by Sergei Prokofiev. Sakari Oramo served as chief conductor of the Finnish RSO from 2003 to 2012. In February 2012, he made his debut with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

Product details

  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.59 x 4.92 x 0.47 inches; 3.32 ounces
  • Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Ondine
  • Original Release Date ‏ : ‎ 2012
  • Date First Available ‏ : ‎ July 19, 2012
  • Label ‏ : ‎ Ondine
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B008DWG0LK
  • Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 6 ratings

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
6 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Terrence Harrington
5.0 out of 5 stars Best Sixth Ever
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2014
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Best Prokofiev Sixth i have ever heard.Clear as a bell great recording and the developement of the 1st mvt does not slow and bog down like so many other versions.the piano figures prom in both and here you really hear it.The 5th is almost as good but kudos still go 2 Szell on that one.a must have 6th.
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Huntley Dent
5.0 out of 5 stars Oramo proves thrills and new insights into two twin symphonies - fascinating
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2013
There are no other CDs pairing the Prokofiev Fifth and sixth (if my informant is correct) because the two together last around 86-88 min. I hope that Oramo didn't speed tings up for commercial reasons, since his timing is exceptionally brisk at 80 min. I agree with the lead reviewer that the result is light by comparison with classic readings of the Fifth in particular, where Mravinsky, Karajan, and Bernstein, to name three great predecessors, search for weight and depth.

The negative reception of this CD accuses Oramo of falsifying the score's emotional gravity, giving us Prokofiev Lite. That's not how it struck me. This score inhabits the same world as the composer's Romeo and Juliet ballet, which dramatizes ardent young love. In Oramo's hands, the Fifth Sym. mirrors that youthful energy, and the brisk chirpiness of some sections feels buoyant, not "lite." The first movement announces the conductor's intent, not just by the fast pacing but by balancing the sound from the top down, where Bernsteien in particular lays a strong bass foundation. Critics were dismissive of an Adagio without sorrow, much less tragedy, but Oramo gives us romantic urgency, and the echoes of Romeo and Juliet in the Balcony Scene stand out. Throughout the phrasing is supple and varied; nothing is hasty or ordinary. The finale is gracefully begun, the chugging rhythm of the main section slowed down a bit to bring out the droll side of the music rather than sheer excitement.

The Sixth Sym. is much less often recorded than the Fifth, although a minority opinion holds that it is the composer's masterpiece. When it appeared in 1947 and billed as an elegy for Russia's suffering in WW II, the Soviet authorities weren't fooled. Prokofiev's idiom is biting and sarcastic as much as sorrowing. e ran afoul or Party condemnation in 1948, as did Shostakovich when his Ninth Sym. equally displeased officials who wanted socialist-realist bombast at the end of a titanic struggle. There are dark, powerful readings of the sixth by Mravinsky and Rostropovich, which I much prefer to shallower readings of the kind that Ozawa produced; he tries too hard to match this work with its jollier, extroverted predecessor.

Oramo leads a knowing, assured reading that is among the best in recent years. Unexpectedly, it's more dramatic and convincing than Gergiev's in his complete cycle with the Kirov Orch. The Finnish Radio Orch. sounds startlingly good; you'd mistake them for a top-flight Russian ensemble, and the recorded sound from Ondine is of demonstration quality in its impact and vividness. Prokofiev expended his greatest imagination in the first movement and its varying moods, much in the same vein as the Fifth. We seem well on our way to a quirky masterpiece, but the Largo is conventional by comparison despite its powerful orchestration and eloquent main theme. It's been described as a threnody, but Oramo has no interest in mourning the day, giving us a jumpy, intense reading that completely held my interest.

The lyrical second theme presents a nice contrast but feels second-hand; it could be a discard form an early version of the Fifth. The Vivace finale is even more a steal from the Fifth, although wit is replaced with a cruder brand of bumptiousness. Oramo's fast tempo makes the best of material that isn't top drawer, as he does also for the second movement.

In all, these are two highly original and at times riveting performances that cast familiar music in a new light (the Fifth) and easily overcome the built-in weaknesses of music that strives to be great and almost gets there (the Sixth). My estimation of Oramo's talents has taken quite a leap.
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Precession
5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughful and expressive performances of two great war symphonies
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2012
The Russian conductor Nikolai Malko made very good recordings with the Philharmonia in the earliest days of stereo of Prokofiev's Symphonies 1 and 7. He never recorded either of the symphonies on this CD but these are performances very much in that tradition of presenting Prokofiev in an unexaggerated, in some way lighter, style than many. The result is to increase rather than underrepresent their power. There has been mixed critical reception of these performances, with Classicsonline being exceptionally negative, but my reaction is similar to that of the Observer critic who speaks of the 'rare power and authority' of the performances. The orchestra is a very good one - in some ways the performance is similar to that conducted by Erik Tuxen which will have been many older music-lovers' introduction to the fifth symphony - the Finnish Radio Orchestra here is fully on a par with the Danish RSO in the fifties, and the first trumpet here is a more attractive player
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Top reviews from other countries

equals added value
5.0 out of 5 stars Doing Two Masterpieces Full Justice
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 18, 2013
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What an excellent recording this is. For those familiar with the Ondine label the near demonstration sound engineering won't come as a surprise or the virtuosity of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra: the depth of talent in Finnish classical music continues to amaze.

That leaves us with Sakari Oramo's take on these two mighty symphonies. The fact that they both fit onto one CD should give a clue, given that the most weighty and ponderous takes on these two works would take it beyond ninety minutes as Oramo takes less than eighty.

This may appear most marked in the Fifth with Oramo running through the slow movements quite quickly. In the case of the third movement this really helps because, as lovely as it all sounds, it can drag and the symphonic thread be lost. The two quicker movements are taken at a less vigorous pace than some, providing a lighter elegance in the finale. The overall effect is to present a well-argued symphonic construction rather than allowing space to enjoy the bigger climaxes and the most lyrical wallows.

This reduces some of the drama but takes out some of the unnecessary bombast at the end of the first movement. Overall it isn't the last word in this piece but it is a lighter and very coherent view. For those who have enjoyed the weightier Karajan or Weller's excellent versions this one might come as a shock but there's definitely a place for both.

The Sixth is far less popular than the Fifth: its pessimism and honesty are remarkable but hardly crowds pleasing. If you have a strong stomach and can face the uncompromising bleakness then you'll find yourself presented with one of the greatest symphonies of the twentieth century; thematically memorable, starkly scored with three remarkably eloquent and coherent movements.

The dissonance here is not simply for effect, it always serves the dramatic purpose: not something you could say for some of the earlier symphonies - every note counts.

The opening movement sets out with stark brass chords before introducing the contrasts and conflicts that continue throughout the work. The second carries flashes of sharp pain but also much melancholic nostalgia that doesn't belong in a Soviet paradise.

No matter how many time is hear it the shift from the light scherzando opening of the finale through its drift between irreconcilable distant keys and its inevitable final chords of rage and pain is quite extraordinary; here is a composer being starkly honest from beginning to last and making his case crystal clear. All the more startling given the Soviet censorship of the time: it's as if he was passed caring what they thought.

Weller's version, for example, lasts nearly forty five minutes but Oramo takes only thirty eight, only marginally slower than Ashkenazy's no nonsense approach. Frankly, it doesn't matter which you choose it is a shattering experience whoever controls the baton. Oramo's pace loses none of the drama and intensity despite the quicker tempo. If anything, it is increased here.

Served too by the superb sound engineering and high class orchestra this recording is worth having for the Sixth on its own. The Fifth has been well served elsewhere but this is an interpretation not to be missed. For lovers of Prokofiev's finest symphonies this is essential listening.
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B. Pimley
4.0 out of 5 stars Prokofief at his best
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 2, 2013
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Bought this for the 5th Symphony probably among the best and most original symphonies ever written with great tunes, rhythms and exciting percussive effects particularly in the Finale. The 6th not as immediately appealing. Not heard it before, found it interesting but not inspiring like the 5th, hence 4 stars. Excellent performances and recording.
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