Very good, but not outstanding
Valery Gergiev and the World Orchestra for Peace - a first-rate ensemble composed of principals and prominent musicians from a great number of countries - have given us a stellar DVD recording of Mahler's fourth and fifth symphonies (see my review), and the present concert, recorded live in fine video and good, if not always transparent, audio at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi in January 2011 therefore raises high expectations. I must admit that I am not exceedingly happy with the program selections. Rossini's "Guillaume Tell" overture and Prokofiev's little tongue-in-cheek "Classical" Symphony are, musically speaking, relative lightweights and orchestral showpieces. They are played with great panache and gusto, likewise the encore, Johann Strauss' "Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka", and smiles abound among the musicians and the conductor. These works, however, are not particularly memorable, and the focus is therefore on Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony, the concert's high point. It is very well...
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