What's The Best Nutcracker Suite CD Version Available ?

I am looking to pick up "Nutcracker Suite" on CD and was curious what is the best sounding version available ? I was thinking of the Disney "Fantasia" Soundtrack but am looking for the top notch in sound quality so does anyone here have the Disney or is there something that is beter than that one ? Thanks For any input

 

Not the Nutcracker Suite but the entire ballet is on an 81+ minute CD on Phillips 462 114-2. It features a scintillating performance by Valery Gergiev conducting the Kirov Orchestra. All the music Tchaikovsky wrote for the ballet is great and it's refreshing and neat to how hear the familiar pieces of the Suite fit in the the work as a whole.
It is one of the best sounding of my classical CD's, and one of the best bargains in my entire collection as I picked it up brand new at a garage sale for a couple of bucks. The vendor works at a radio station so he, I'm sure, got it for nothing.

 

That it was....but if you're lazy, Smitty(like me)find a copy of the Ormandy/Philadelphia Orchestra version on CBS Masterworks. Nice sound, not sure if it was ever remastered, though...


ED

 

For what it's worth, here's the older thread to which Steve refers: http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9226

I second jbohdan's recommendation for Gergiev's recording of the entire ballet. A brilliantly-performed, fine-sounding disc, done on tube equipment.

 

Yeah, I guess I should have checked first. Just a little Lazy like Ed suggested I guess .

 

I'll second that. I have the original 1984 CD issue, and it sounds wonderful. No need to remaster at all.

Another great one is the 1960s Nutcracker by von Karajan on Deutsche Grammophon. Highly recommended!

Arne

 

Don't get me wrong - it has nothing to do with nationalism, but there is an old rule that every classical music collector knows: all classical russian music is performed best by russians. And Gergiev's versions are ALWAYS the ones to get.

 

...and Richard Strauss' lieder must always be sung by a German soprano. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf yes, Jessye Norman and Leontyne Price no. Ja, ja. Sorry, but I do believe there are always exceptions from that rule. Take Dvorak's New World Symphony. The George Szell reading is the best there is, and that's a Hungarian conductor leading an American orchestra playing music composed by a Czech.

Just my EUR 0,015.

Arne

 

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9226

The version Steve suggested (Anatal Dorati on Mercury Living Presence) and Michael Tilson Thomas with Philharmonia Orchestra version are the best I've heard (and I have almost 20 versions). The Dorati has a TON of audible edits but is an energetic and dynamic performance. I really like it a lot. The Tilson Thomas on CBS Masterworks is just as good but is really hard to find.

One version I bought is horrible (at least I hate it). It's the Philips CD of Antal Dorati again (but with the Concertgebouw Orchestra). The performance is really unbalanced and way too fast. Horrible mix on the CD too.

 

Totally agree - spot on assessment - buy it!!!!