As a sampler of Russian music at its most accessible and vibrant, this disc may serve as an excellent introduction for beginners, though it offers nothing new for experienced Russophiles. The performances are particularly brilliant in
Khachaturian's wildly energetic Sabre Dance, Glière's menacing and frenetic Russian Sailor's Dance, and Rimsky-Korsakov's greatest hit The Flight of the Bumble Bee, all entertaining showpieces of brief duration but high intensity. The more substantial works with developed themes and subtler orchestration are the overtures, which give some depth to this collection. Glinka's overtures to Ruslan and Ludmila and A Life for the Tsar represent the budding of Russian nationalism -- albeit cast in a German form -- and are delightful works of early romanticism. The orchestral fantasy Kamarinskaya is a potpourri of Russian themes treated in a lighthearted and unpretentious manner. Borodin's overture to his opera Prince Igor (completed by Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazunov) and Rimsky-Korsakov's own Russian Easter Overture are perhaps the most serious pieces and invite attentive listening for their skillful elaboration of nationalist themes. The Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, directed by
Anthony Bramall, presents this showcase of Russian favorites with verve and appealing color, and the performances are vividly captured on this well-recorded disc from 1988.