Glinka - Russlan and Ludmilla Overture - Mravinsky/Leningrad

Performance by Yevgeny Mravinsky conducting the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra.
Though most of my uploads are of singing, I am actually an orchestral musician. Here is a recording of one of my favorite conductor/orchestra combinations. The string playing here is second to none.

[@cameronmarr1690]

Jesus! The detail and clarity at this tempo is INCREDIBLE! Absolutely searing! Without a doubt, the best recoring of this brilliant overture I've ever heard. Hats off.

[@wdashwor]

This is just unbelievable. I've listened to a lot of orchestral recordings over a long period of time, but I've never heard this kind of white-hot intensity out of an orchestra.

[@atriele]

Best performance of this piece I have ever heard! Incredible and perfect!

[@billsullivan3920]

This is not to be too seriously. This is the top conductor in the USSR showing off his best orchestra in the USSR. However, everyone already knew that, but great fun.

[@ccsitaround]

One of the greatest overtures ever written.

[@notaire2]

How fast and brisk the tempo is! No other orchestra than Leningrad P. O. could follow the conductor so perfectly and beautifully.

[@jorgepugaJr14]

How would I explain its dynamics?

[@wdashwor]

This is the most exciting recording I've ever heard of this overture, which is one of my favorite pieces. I can easily see why Mravinsky is legendary.

[@benlaoigh]

This is scintillating playing. The overture is usually played very fast (it's marked presto in the score) but I've never heard it at quite this speed. No wonder the performance got such applause! Thanks for making it available to us all.

[@JefRoberts]

THRILLING! A superb display of orchestral playing.

[@screamer4charlotte]

This speed.....just blows me away. I'm in awe.

[@kanekokazuko7034]

素晴らしいこの躍動感‼️６０年前の運動会のときのワクワクとドキドキを思い出します🎵大好きな今日です👌🎶

[@SportzNut21]

Whoa. Do I smell smoke coming off those bows?? What an insane (but absolutely beautiful and perfect) tempo! And to think I considered Bernstein's performance as a good one... Reminds me of the recording Mravinsky and his (then) Leningraders made for DG of Tchaikovsky's 4th, and the fourth movement which he brought in under eight minutes...another smokin' performance...

[@Diletantique]

I remember listening this recording already a couple of years ago, but still the level of sheer perfection struck me.

[@j-mharari3374]

La quintessence de l'Art de Mravinsky...

[@curtisharrell]

Sounds like a veritable kamikaze of glorious sound! You can almost feel the rush if wind off the string players' bows!

[@TenorDmitry]

This is how it should be! Thank you!!

[@tinchangy]

Marvelous, comparing all the performance form youtube, this is one of the best. Very active, clean, with harmony throughout.

[@ToriLiz521]

*The tempo is insane. ;) But yes, quite fantastic indeed. The precision of the individual notes at this tempo is truly incredible.

[@Natali180474]

Невероятное исполнение! Мравинский - гений!

[@mariasarah9591]

He's a beast!

[@Fleshious]

Absolutely fantastic.

[@Giarola77]

Mravinsky rules!

[@mariasarah9591]

Yeah !!

[@masashitomita5142]

ルスランとリュドミラ序曲で４分４８秒、おまけにマエストロがムラビンスキーとくれば、聴く前からアップテンポは予想してたけど、まさかこれほど超特急とは思わなんだｗ　レニングラードすげぇ〜わ！

[@gaboraranyi5507]

O ensino musical na extinta União Soviética tinha grande tradição. De seus conservatórios saiam os melhores músicos do mundo, tanto os solistas como os músicos de orquestra.

[@LadyKeiVT]

we played this a classical recital.. holy crap we were soooo slow compared to his.. around 170 tempo.. this is.. an amazing piece i loved the intensity here.. :D.. praise to the orchestra that played this, even our teachers in the finale orchestra cant even get to this much speed...

[@nicoledes2363]

Im 1st violin playing this piece in april in my private youth orchestra. Its so fun but also obviously extremely hard!

[@TheTympanist]

Nicole Des yes but it is in the most difficult orchestra scales

[@oakroom48]

Thank you so much! If you can believe it, I have just diescovered Mravinsky and am just overwhelmed. Also, the Glinka is fabulous - thanks again! :)

[@Mach444YT]

めっちゃパンクだ!!!かっこいい!!!

[@kingsfort1]

Utterly astonishing playing.

[@poscopin]

Magnífico!!! Impresionante!!!

[@kona3184]

Thank you so much for uploading this, I'm also big fan of this anime.

[@megm001]

I'm playing this piece and it's absolutely incredible. I feel like crying.

[@3wheelmaniac]

I'm 14 years old and my homeschool orchestra played this for our concert a few months ago with only 2 months to prepare it. We played it slightly slower than this. I play first violin second chair and we had the time of our lives.

[@emisfer]

Glinka, ce génie...

[@saintagil]

Glinka's on good hands

[@Anastasia-Mak-MAk]

Masterpiece ! ! !

[@ShaotheGreat]

First song I played in senior year of high school

[@classic4ever780]

Mravinsky : l'anti-Celibidache !

[@hiroyukiohara_official]

crazy!!!! But beautifully and musically!!!

[@carmelocalvovazquez2668]

FANTASTIC!

[@codyiscool448]

I'm playing this piece! My fingers hurt!

[@buckland55]

Been trying to find out what this music is called for ages. A kind Facebook friend has just done some detective work for me, and I am hearing it in full for the first time. Can't believe the speed of this! Fantastic!

[@gordinlev]

Thanks!! I love it :)

[@ScubaShortie18]

I remember having to play this in orchestra my senior year in high school

[@GeorgeBost-euzicasa]

Awesome, I'm sold and subscribed! Cheers, George.

[@phantomphiddler5]

wow i never knew it was possible to play that fast! i guess that just goes to show that you learn something new every day :D

[@carmelocalvovazquez2668]

fantastic!

[@Muffinslayer2]

This is really fun to play, my high school is playing it this year.

[@user-hc9zo6yt9w]

amazing speed

[@soccdefender]

We just played this at All-State saturday!! I love this song. Our bass section sounded amazing on it but we for sure didn't play it this fast. lol

[@nayaruha8384]

It's very cool and good sound!!!

[@TenorDmitry]

Bravo!!

[@Mach444YT]

It's like Punk Rock!!! very*2 Cooool!!!!

[@kyletomlinson5365]

Holy crap this is so fast...

[@peaceatrebor]

I love playing this in orchestra. We are about 1/2 tempo currently!

[@docwilkey]

Enjoyed!

[@akhilg1719]

I am speeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed

[@carmelocalvovazquez2668]

La tipica musica que te hace despertar y caminar a paso ligero sin pisar el suelo mientras que todo parece mas atractivo.

[@banginghats2]

So uplifting...

[@AdamAutopsyX]

I only have a month to learn this But Im Getting It..My schools Marching will be playing this for our field show this year

[@Zillalibitina]

O.O We need to play this song in our orchestra!!!!!

[@xAznessx]

We played this last year in our orchestra....It was only slightly slower ^.^ HS Symphony Orchestra it was great xD and Fun!!!

[@MagicNinjaSox]

my conductor made us play this the first day of freshman year. i had a heart attack. its an amazing piece though.

[@violinistx100]

WOOH! go cellos

[@meggie1974]

bella!

[@penhague]

Congratulations. I wish you a lot of success

[@cozo777]

I thought my fingers were going to fall off when we played this song in orchestra....

[@loveinuc2444]

This song is a classic that I listened to for the first time. It became a trap

[@tsuaFzneiH]

Would like to see a video of Mravinsky conducting this recording. His baton must have been singed. ;-)

[@vinnybonboot]

awesome, im playin this song in my highschool orchestra =]

[@foulmemories]

I have just learn about him on Music, but I didn`t realise he was so good.

[@12594David]

We got this in our High School Orchestra, but we have four months to learn it at full speed.

[@AdirondackRuby]

good luck! at least you're only competing against yourself! god bless NYSSMA for making it easier on shy people.

[@ThePoliticalMusician]

I have the viola part to this memorized.

[@stephengould4343]

Obviously Mravinsky wishes Glinka had written the William Tell and Light Cavalry overtures :) Too fast, and perfect!

[@0305441]

Jorge puga 7 months ago How would I explain this piece to someone? How would I explain the tempo, texture and dynamics? .......err, completely mental? Mravinsky, Leningrad Phil, always epic!

[@jorgepugaJr14]

How would I explain this piece to someone? How would I explain the tempo, texture and dynamics?

[@viulu11]

And this is the way it's supposed to be done, boys and girls.:)

[@japanesecorndog]

Such a speedy recording, think of those poor violinists! :P

[@stripedman201]

Omg..... my freaking fingers would just fall completely off

[@changjiang001]

this is the pure Russian style.

[@pyroticmaniac]

lol i've got half a week to prepare the first page of violin 1 for seating auditions. at least it's basically scales :) but my GOODNESS that's faster than I anticipated!

[@Barbapippo]

Mamma mia..... Mamma mia...........

[@huguenots114]

crazy fast, YABEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[@valpal737]

our freshman orchestra has to play this for our final exam tomorrow....

[@jshaers96]

Mravinsky was pretty impassive from what I've seen. Small gestures, letting the orchestra do the work. A bit like Richard Strauss.

[@checkthisjunkout]

Holy cow! Did I miss it?

[@XTheUsedRoxX]

im playing this in my high school orchestra, its hard but i got it down :D

[@HolySushiMan]

thats pretty impressive if your middle school is playing or played this. its pretty difficult. This is more of a high school level piece

[@mydadisgamesmaster]

we have to play this at orchestra hall for concert orchestra and the first time we tried to play it close to tempo and we fell apart in about three measures. heh

[@TheTympanist]

The maximum

[@b-csundgren568]

👍

[@leahcim165]

Cello here. Jesus christ, that's fast O.O We're at maybe half speed right now...

[@united768]

I CAN HAZ FLAMING VIOLINZES? my god this song is REALLY fast. our chamber orchestra is playing this at about 1/2 the speed of this recording. that's still fast...for a song from the romantic era. O_O

[@less01]

@KermitW00T yes they go FULL SOVIET POWER!!!!!!!!!!!! HELL YEA!

[@jmcgurl1994]

I have to play the first 14 seconds of this song for a seating audition!! I play viola..

[@21Walls]

Actually it's not just the violins that have the fun stuff. All the string parts are the exact same during most of those fast runs at the beginning and end on the original score from Glinka.

[@DeadeyeGamble]

@AuroraCelest when i played this song two years ago the cello had those runs too...but maybe it was just our arrangement..

[@Barbapippo]

incredible... but, then, it's Mravinsky!

[@bluecutipy1]

this song is so freaking fast and hard lol. We played it my first year of marching band when i was a freshman in high school. lol it made me wanna quit lol