# Favorite Recording of Borodin's 2nd Symphony?



## haziz (Sep 15, 2017)

What is your favorite recording of Borodin's second symphony? 

Feel free to elaborate on why a particular recording appeals or does not.

Thanks.


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

Carlos Kleiber with the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orch. As with another symphony in B minor (Schubert's Unfinished) I find he makes the piece come alive as I haven't heard it before, not by imposing himself and "doing something with it" but simply by getting the orchestra to play what's written at white heat.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

Loris Tjenevorian, conductor originally on RCA around 40 years ago. Don’t know if it is still in the catalog


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## RobertJTh (Sep 19, 2021)

Ashkenazy, RPO









To me, the way the gorgeous 3rd movement is handled determines the quality of the performance. The other movements more or less "play themselves". And Ashkenazy gives it the full romantic treatment, it's everything you can wish for.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Triplets said:


> Loris Tjenevorian, conductor originally on RCA around 40 years ago. Don't know if it is still in the catalog


Agreed. Whatever happened to Tjeknavorian anyway? He was really a sensation there for several years. Dynamite Borodin, Khachaturian and others, then poof! he's gone.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Martinon/LondonSO is very good.


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## Knorf (Jan 16, 2020)

I find Kondrashin/Royal Concertgebouw extremely satisfying. But I haven't really undertaken an extensive comparison.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

I find the disc from Philips with: the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Valery Gergiev an absolute must.
Very enjoyable disc.


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## geralmar (Feb 15, 2013)

Jean Martinon, London Symphony Orchestra (1960). Remains my favorite-- especially for "hell-for-leather" first movement. 

Dimitri Mitropoulos, New York Philharmonic (1955, monophonic). "Rugged" performance. Last thing I want is a "refined" Borodin 2.

Desire Defauw, Chicago Symphony (1947). Worth a listen if only because of the puzzling reorchestrations-- possibly by CSO conductor Frederick Stock-- in the final movement.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

geralmar said:


> Jean Martinon, London Symphony Orchestra (1960). Remains my favorite-- especially for "hell-for-leather" first movement.
> 
> Dimitri Mitropoulos, New York Philharmonic (1955, monophonic). "Rugged" performance. Last thing I want is a "refined" Borodin 2.
> 
> Desire Defauw, Chicago Symphony (1947). Worth a listen if only because of the puzzling reorchestrations-- possibly by CSO conductor Frederick Stock-- in the final movement.


Excellent choices - esp Martinon and Mitropoulos...


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## HerbertNorman (Jan 9, 2020)

Martinon / LSO is in my top three , along with Georg Solti conducting the LSO and my number three is the recording Rogerx is hinting at , the RPO recording with Gergiev conducting


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

HerbertNorman said:


> Martinon / LSO is in my top three , along with Georg Solti conducting the LSO and my number three is the recording Rogerx is hinting at , the RPO recording with Gergiev conducting


I've not heard the Solti/LSO - sounds interesting. Didn't know it existed.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

Yes, Martinon is the one. Great all round.


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## progmatist (Apr 3, 2021)

Simon Rattle and Berliner Philharmoniker. On a DVD also featuring Mussorgsky's Pictures.


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## Rach Man (Aug 2, 2016)

Heck148 said:


> I've not heard the Solti/LSO - sounds interesting. Didn't know it existed.


I don't think that Solti recorded Borodin 2. He conducts the LSO on two pieces on the same CD that Martinon conducts the LSO performing Borodin 2.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Rach Man said:


> I don't think that Solti recorded Borodin 2. He conducts the LSO on two pieces on the same CD that Martinon conducts the LSO performing Borodin 2.


I have that cd....the Polovtsian Dances are good, but Ozawa//CSO is my top choice...


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## Fredrikalansson (Jan 29, 2019)

I first heard the Borodin 2 on an old DG vinyl with Kurt Sanderling conducting the (I think) Dresden State Orchestra. It's still the one I hear in the back of my mind 50+ years later. Otherwise, Kondrashin, but I'm now intrigued to hear the Martinon.


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## geralmar (Feb 15, 2013)

Actually, I think it's harder to find a "weak" recording of the symphony than a decent one. I remember sluggish (and ancient) recordings by Ernest Ansermet and Othmar Maga; but really, if the first movement is exciting the remaining movements will likely maintain the momentum.


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

I've always had a soft spot for Rafael Kubelik and the Vienna Philharmonic on EMI , which I remember all the way from the LP stone age before CDs even existed . I have it now on an EMI CD which also contains other famoys Russian orchestral favorites conducted by Constantin Silvestri . 
The V.P.O. is not an orchestra we associate with Russian music, but they play the Borodin 2nd wonderfully under Kubelik .


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

superhorn said:


> I've always had a soft spot for Rafael Kubelik and the Vienna Philharmonic on EMI , which I remember all the way from the LP stone age before CDs even existed .
> The V.P.O. is not an orchestra we associate with Russian music, but they play the Borodin 2nd wonderfully under Kubelik .


I had that Kubelik/VPO Borodin #2 - I always liked it, never found it on CD....had a good Polovtsian Dances on that same disc, IIRC...


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

I’m not an expert on the recorded Borodin #2, but presently my favorite recording is the Rozhdestvensky with the Royal Stockholm Orchestra (available at Presto Music). The Ashkenzay is good also. Would have liked the Kondrashin because of the Concertgebouw ambiance, but it is a live performance and someone coughs right at the quiet opening of the Andante so that’s a no-go for me. (Besides it’s hard to find right now other than being on YouTube).


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