Prokofiev: Music for the play Hamlet, Op. 77 / Boris Godunov, Op. 70bis incidental music Waltz Suite, Op. 110

Anyone even vaguely intrigued by other renditions of the "Polonaise" from BORIS GUDUNOV (Jarvi's, say, on Chandos, or Yablonsky's on Naxos) should hunt down Alexander Frolov's version here. It's sublime, with a martial Strauss-like strut and lilt. It's not hard to imagine yourself swept away to a 19th Century Russian ballroom, enjoying the brilliant company of Alexander Pushkin and Natalya Goncharova. Frolov also includes five additional pieces from the play. The disc is rounded out by nine selections from Prokofiev's music for Hamlet (conducted by Emin Khachaturian), as well as arguably the best version of my second favorite of Prokofiev's suites--after, needless to say, "Lt.Kijé": "Waltz Suite," Op. 110 (conducted by Gennadi Rozhdestvensky). It's a melodious, wildly romantic and decidedly sentimental pastiche of some of the most haunting music from CINDERELLA, WAR AND PEACE and LERMONTOV--another reminder of how great Rozhdestvensky is. The sound throughout is clear, immediate and dynamic. Highly recommended.