CD Reviews The Fall of Berlin and Anna Karenina

The Fall of Berlin (2002) ** 1/2

DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH

Marco Polo 8.223897

23 tracks - 75:30

On its website, the Marco Polo label explains that one of its primary objectives is "to bring to listeners unknown compositions by well-known composers." With this CD, the company fulfills its goal amply, supplying not just one, but two forgotten scores from Shostakovich: The Fall of Berlin and The Unforgettable Year 1919.

Newly re-recorded by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, these vigorous and frequently bombastic compositions first appeared during the last years of Stalin's reign, when Mosfilms, the Soviet Union's official movie studio, was producing pictures which sought -- as Swiss conductor Adriano explains in this collection's liner notes -- "to impress and instruct the masses like written history and, as was usual, to present historical truth in a forged or re-invented form, to serve propaganda purposes." Glorifying Russia and its mustached leader, these "artistic documentaries" exemplified the ideals of Soviet Realism, creating easy-to-digest odes to communism, shying away from criticism and difficult intellectual ideas. Unfortunately, Shostakovich's music -- for these pictures, at least -- adheres to these principles just as rigidly. That is, the pieces  -- marches, fanfares, pastorales and dance songs -- use bright colors, blunt transitions and springing rhythms to achieve a nearly constant mood of well-being and confidence. In fact, this material has little if any of the counter-revolutionary sentiment that musicologists have ascribed to Shostakovich.

Nevertheless, though these scores may be guilty of celebrating one of the 20th century's worst murderers (a la "Springtime for Stalin"), their beauty occasionally transcends their subject. For instance, on "The flooding of the underground station," which appears on the Berlin opus, the MSO's strings section whips about with Wagnerian fury until winds and drums rush in violently like a horde of Cossacks on horseback. And "Intermezzo," a track from The Unforgettable Year, features a swirling, elegiac pool of strings, while "The Assault on the Red Hill" distantly echoes the softer passages of Rachmaninov's second symphony.

For Shostakovich completists and unreconstructed Soviets, this collection will provide plenty of pleasure. And it may edify the rest of us, as it proves that totalitarian art doesn't always have to be gray and flavorless. But then the music in Triumph of the Will is often pretty, too.  -- Stephen Armstrong
 
 
 
 
 
 

Anna Karenina: The Audio Musical ** 1/2

RALPH CHICOREL

LML Music LML CD-165

Disc One: 30 tracks - 54:20 Disc Two: 42 tracks - 70:00

Anna Karenina...For me, the name still conjures up visions of the Divine Garbo emerging from a mysterious cloud of locomotive steam in M-G-M's glossy 1935 film adaptation. Indelible images of the "Swedish Sphinx" in sublime close-up are intermingled with memories of the equally stunning Vivien Leigh in the acclaimed 1948 British version of this immortal classic.

Count Leo Tolstoy's deliciously tortured heroine is now the star of Anna Karenina: The Audio Musical, a project billed as "A New Journey Into Melody and Harmony" with music and lyrics by Ralph Chicorel, who also executive produced this lavishly packaged two-disc set. For sheer gumption alone, Chicorel and his collaborators should be applauded for undertaking such an ambitious enterprise. If only thinking big were enough to sustain such an elaborate and challenging venture.

Rather than a considered, dramatically satisfying exploration of Tolstoy's themes, this audio musical offers a fleeting Cliffs Notes treatment of the story that seems reluctant to mine any real emotional depths. The Disneyesque approach undercuts the dramatic potency of the source material and many of the selections seem rather rushed and incomplete. For example, two of Anna's early solo turns, "It's A Terrible Omen" and "Forgive Him," begin promisingly but aren't given a chance to fully develop and ingratiate themselves with the listener before abruptly concluding. As a result, leading lady Lorna Dallas has precious little to work with in terms of building a compelling central characterization.
 
On the plus side, there are strong voices in the cast, including William Michals as Karenin, Ron Spivak as Levin and especially the booming baritone of Brian Noonan (who was equally impressive in Chicorel's recording of Great Expectations). Disc Two includes Paul Stolarsky's effective, commanding narration interspersed between the musical numbers and instrumentals. The orchestrations are appropriately lush thanks to Eric Segnitz and Broadway's favorite musical director Alex Rybeck.

With ticket prices for even regional musical productions soaring into the outer stratosphere, the concept of an affordable audio alternative is an extremely attractive proposition. The crotchety headmaster in me wants to order Ralph Chicorel and his talented team back into the rehearsal hall and lock them in until they've completely mastered this exciting genre. Until their next attempt, I'll be spending quality time with my dog eared copy of Tolstoy's text and a couple of captivating Kareninas named Greta and Vivien.  -- Mark Griffin
 
 

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