01. - 03. Suite from The Miraculous Mandarin, op.19 [20'09]
04. - 06. Piano Concerto No.3 in E major, Sz.119* [23'49]
Igor Stravinsky:
07. - 15. L'oiseau de feu. Complete Ballet [48'45]
Sergei Prokofiev:
16. Romeo and Juliet. Suite No.2, op.64 - I. Montagues and Capulets [4'55]
Yefim Bronfman- piano*, London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Valery Cergiev
LSO Live LSO5078 (recorded October 2015; 2 CD set issued in 2016)
(digital download; flacs, booklet and cover scans)
Recording venue: New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark
Recording engineers: Bill Moss, Irene Trudel and George Wellington; Producer: Eileen Delahunty (WQXR)
Blessedly, this release is one of the few LSO Live recordings with Gergiev made away from the dismal acoustic of the London Symphony's home Barbican Hall. It was also one of the last concerts given by the orchestra with Gergiev conducting. This issue records the full concert given during their American tour and the sound is full and vivid.
The two Bartok works were new to Gergiev's discography at the time and he seeks out beauty in the The Miraculous Mandarin score making it much more approachable than in many performances. Bronfman and Gergiev are very musical in the Piano Concerto but do not offer the vibrancy found in many recordings.
Back in his comfort zone, the performance of Stravinsky's Firebird is exceptional with Gergiev masterly in overcoming the complete score's occasional longeurs.
The concert ended with an encore reveling in the full menace of the rival Montagues and Capulets.
Download from MEGA.