Rimsky-Korsakov was a master orchestrator (he wrote a great book on orchestration that is still in print today) and that is what Kondrashin puts on display here. The Arabian undertones, the epic tales being told, the interplay between the princess and the sultan, all of these essential qualities jump out of the music and carry you into that exotic fantasy of 1001 Arabian nights.

The recording, from 1979, is quite impressive. As if this riveting performance of Scheherazade was not enough, this cd also includes a great live performance of Alexander Borodin's Symphony No. 2.

Jean-Yves Duperron