Haitink's Philips recording of Scheherazade dominated the LP catalogue in the 1970s and it remains a refreshingly satisfying account in its cleanly remastered CD format. It is lacking something in sumptuousness by today's standards, but not weight, nor bite, and the violin solos of Rodney Friend remain as subtle and appealing as ever: his was not only an enticing Scheherazade, but an intelligent one too! Haitink secures plenty of drama: the brass fanfares of the second movement are arrestingly powerful, and after a gently sensuous account of the slow movement the finale is as vital and sparkling as anyone could wish for.
When one turns to Fremaux, a notably successful recording conductor, one finds an altogether more sumptuous effect, but rather less energy and drama. After a heavy opening, rich in brass, the first movement is spacious and the central movements are more concerned with Rimsky's warmly luminous colourings than with a high adrenalin flow, although the finale has a proper degree of rhythmic energy and spectacle. The recording, made in St Jude's Church, Hampstead, has all the resonant glow one could ask for and the focus is never muddied. Fremaux's geniality is endearing throughout and though his version is relaxed, it does not lack spontaneity, even if it has not the freshness of Haitink's.
Among older versions I turned also to Monteux's famous LSO recording (1959, and sounding amazingly undated, apart from a touch of thinness on top). Certainly the adrenalin runs free here, and not at the expense of colour either, while the climax of the finale is riveting. This is now offered on Decca's bargain Weekend label ((CD) 421 400-2DC) and with its bonus of Ansermet's performances of Sadko and the May Night Overture, is excellent value.
The new full-price Collins CD has no coupling at all. Philips offer David Lloyd-Jones's pioneering 1971 recording of Mussorgsky's original score of A night on the Bare Mountain, not a very coherent piece, but thrillingly presented and extremely vivid as a recording. Among modern versions, Litton's (Virgin Classics) can be counted with the best—dramatic and poetic with seductive violin solos from David Nolan. The violin soloist in the Fremaux version is unnamed, but he, too, plays seductively and is realistically balanced, as are the orchestra overall. Beecham's 1957 performance on EMI, recorded in London's Kingsway Hall remains special. He captured the music's languor and drama in equal measure and the recording is a miracle of the early stereo era. He offers the Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor as a thrilling bonus. However, it is now time this issue was transferred to the mid-price Studio label.'