There are two outstanding complete recordings of Prokofiev's greatest ballet score available on CD: by Previn on EMI and Maazel on Decca; both derive from analogue masters. A third almost equally fine, directed by Ozawa and recorded in Boston, has the advantage of a high quality DG digital recording. The present very authentic Russian set has an advantage over all three in including, as an Appendix, three additional numbers, not printed in the published score, but only in the piano score and orchestrated by the conductor, Algis Zuraitis.
The Bolshoi recording was made by Melodiya in 1982 and is analogue, but has been skilfully remastered: the sound is vivid and full, if at times a little blatant at fortissimo level, but the Russian style of brass playing contributes much to this effect. Otherwise the playing of the Bolshoi orchestra, who obviously have this music in their bones, is vividly sympathetic and has enjoyable vigour and spontaneity and no lack of delicacy when called for. Moreover, the Classics for Pleasure documentation, while in small (bold) print, provides an impressive essay by Stuart Campbell about Prokofiev's major ballets to set Romeo and Juliet in context, before giving an analysis of its themes and the way Prokofiev uses them. In addition we are offered a narrative synopsis directly related to the 55 separate cues on the pair of CDs. This seems to me to add up to a bargain!'