Barenboim's reading of Scheherazade emphasizes the sultry, languorous character of the music. Samuel Magad (the leader) sees eye to eye with the conductor in his portrayal of Scheherazade herself, at once provocatively voluptuous. The first movement paints the sea on a broad canvas, so the performance lacks something in thrust, while at the opening of the second movement (after Scheherazade's gently caressing introduction) the long bassoon solo is very indulgent, even echoing the main phrase, and with hesitant nudges of the kind Beecham brought off more spontaneously. The following oboe is less mannered, although the phrasing is still a trifle torpid. The violins steal in affectionately, but it is only at the entry of the woodwind as a group that the hint of lethargy evaporates.
The opening of ''The Young Prince and Princess'' is warmly sensuous, but when the pace quickens the clarinet solo (3'44'') is again affectionately mannered. Played thus it might come off effectively at a concert, but on repeated listening at home would surely, in the end, seem too self-conscious. The finale has no lack of excitement and the well-balanced recording, made in the rich ambience of Orchestra Hall, Chicago, certainly provides plenty of amplitude for Barenboim's sentient approach. Nevertheless, the performance has nothing like the vitality and spontaneity of Yuasa's account (see below).
The colourful Suite from Tsar Saltan is much more successful, with the rich orchestral colours (especially the carolling horns) relished by players and conductor alike, and here the wide-ranging recording with its sumptuous bass produces even more glowing orchestral sounds. Although the pacing is leisurely, it is attractively so and the marine pictorialism of ''The Tsarina in a barrel at sea'' is very evocative, and at the end of this section the evanescent sound-painting reminds the listener a little of Wagner's Forest Murmurs from Siegfried.
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