Mussorgsky arr: Ravel: Pictures At An Exhibition/Orchestre de la Suisse Romande/Ansermet—Esoteric Mastering vinyl reissue [2025]

One of the joys of the vinyl Renaissance, especially during the past ten years, when it heated up to a fever pitch, is getting to know hitherto unknown conductors and performers from the Golden Age of Recording, especially those of Decca, EMI, Mercury, and RCA Living Stereo.

As an orchestral player and conductor, I’ve always had favourites that I was passionate about, so recordings by Reiner, Previn, et al., stood pride of place in my collection. More often than not, their recordings were the benchmarks, with special mention to the Reiner/Shaded Dog Pictures at an Exhibition. Recorded in 1958 and still top dog today (the Ansermet Pictures was also recorded in 1958 and released in mono; the stereo version was released in 1960).

Recordings by Mercury more often than not promoted the Eastman Rochester Orchestra and the head of the Eastman School of Music, Howard Hanson. Mostly unknown to me, his Mercury recordings have been a wonderful voyage of discovery. To this, the Decca recordings of Ernest Ansermet (1883–1969), the Swiss conductor of the Geneva-based Orchestre De La Suisse Romande.

Ernest Ansermet.

There was pretty unhealthy orchestral prejudice on my part hindering my Ansermet discovery prior to the past ten years. Specifically, the perceived standards of the Orchestre De La Suisse Romande.

It’s true, as a group, they don’t have the finesse, power, and crackerjack ensemble of Berlin, Vienna, and Chicago, but as I have been discovering with all the wonderful Deccas (originals and reissues), the orchestra produced some very fine performances, and Ansermet hired some excellent solo players (trumpet and horn, chief among them). And as their recorded excellence has come into my focus, the orchestra had a few secret weapons, namely Ansermet, one of the great conductors of the 20th century (watch my video about Ansermet, here), crack Decca engineer Roy Wallace, and their home, Victoria Hall, blessed with both great beauty and superb acoustics.

It’s no secret if you are a regular at the magazine and the channel that I’m an ESOTERIC fanboy. This is based on the great Japanese company’s consistent reissues, chosen with great care and remastered to almost impossibly high standards. Both on vinyl and SA/CD. In fact, every vinyl release except one has made the Audiophilia Dream List.

This new release may or may not make the Dream List, but it is a continuation of ESOTERIC’s mastering excellence. Yes, like all ESOTERIC vinyl releases, there is a digital step, but I think we can put the “D word” to bed now and enjoy these great reissues, remastered with great care. I can’t hear anything digital about any of their vinyl reissues.

As usual, the pressing is flawless, quiet on quality vinyl with a gorgeous cover and OBI. Yes, $100, but if the repertoire fits, you can guarantee a world-class recording.

Just as we have here. Another example of outstanding results by the ESOTERIC team.

I’m not sure this version would be as warm as a Roy Wallace original pressing (I’ve not heard one—they go for up to CAD 500 on Discogs), but it makes up for it with incredible clarity. Nothing goes amiss, every inflection, every balance, every nuance, every solo instrument. Nothing.

All the audiophile highlights you expect after Reiner, The Power of the Orchestra, and the MoFi Philly Muti (my top three in the Pictures stakes) are there: bass drum in “Gnomus”, plaintive sax in “The Old Castle”, brass blend at the opening, hall reverb at the end of “The Great Gate of Kiev”, etc. If you are an audiophile and fan of good orchestral playing, outstanding interpretation on a super pressing, then you may buy the ESOTERIC with confidence.

The pressing perspective is up front and personal—it’s quite a rush, and when the playing matches Chicago, the Royal Phil (The Power of the Orchestra) and Philly like during “The Great Gate” (truly splendid), it can be thrilling. The famous opening “Promenade”, so beautifully orchestrated by Ravel from Mussorgsky’s masterpiece, is loud and proud, played with great confidence by the brass section, solo trumpet in particular. And interpretation and execution are as good as anyone’s in the opening “Promenade”, “Gate”, “Limoges," and “Catacombs”. Superb!

I could use more warmth and depth to both the string sound and hall ambiance in "Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuÿle," and there are numerous trumpet ensemble gaffes; the trombones have a habit of going slightly sharp when pushed, and the “Bydlo” tuba solo (played on a Euphonium) is not top quality.

Other than those few quibbles, a very fine release worthy of inclusion into the high-performance Pictures at an Exhibition stakes.

In addition, an interesting work by Liszt, The Huns (correctly Hunnenschlacht (The Battle of the Huns), S.105 written in 1857. An excellent piece from the father of the symphonic poem. A very worthy filler played with verve and gusto and receiving the same Roy Wallace benediction.

Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
Conducted by Ernest Ansermet
Product ID: ESLD-10009
Released in Spring 2025

Record provided by ESOTERIC distributor, American Sound. Visit their website for more information.