Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio Espagnol, Russian Easter Overture, Le Coq d'Or Suite; Borodin Polovtsian Dances.

Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio Espagnol, Russian Easter Overture, Le Coq d'Or Suite; Borodin Polovtsian Dances. Antal Dorati, London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Mercury SACD 475 6194.

Much of the material here dates from the earliest days of stereo, but because it's a Mercury Living Presence recording, you'd hardly know it. Dorati was flourishing with recordings with the LSO in the mid fifties and sixties, and this one, taken from two separate vinyl albums, one from 1956 and the other from 1959, is no different. They all sparkle, sonically and interpretatively.

Things start out with the Capriccio Espagnol, given a rousing and characterful treatment by Dorati. It does not eclipse my favored recording with Kiril Kondrashin on a remastered JVC, itself an ancient 1958 production, but it comes close. The suite from Le Coq d'Or, however, is peerless--vibrant, colorful, alive with musical nuance and detail; I loved every part of it. It's followed by the Russian Easter Overture, also well done, if sounding to my ears a tad rushed in spots. The disc concludes with Borodin's "Polovtsian Dances" from Prince Igor, and if it weren't for Sir Thomas Beecham's classic recording (EMI), Dorati would take top honors.

The sound is much as we expect from this source, having been recorded with three microphones across the front of the stage, here reproduced in SACD three-channel, or if you have a regular CD player in two-channel stereo. I admit there is a certain small degree of boxed-in closeness about the sound, as though a tad too much noise reduction had been applied to the lower treble, but it doesn't interfere with the highest treble, which shimmers and glistens convincingly. Then there is the deep bass in the Coq d'Or that is every bit as deep and impressive as anything made today. If you don't already own this recording or this music, the hybrid SACD seems a good place to start.