Sleeping Beauty = Dornroeschen = La Belle Au Bois Dormant • The Seasons = Die Jahreszeiten = Les Saisons

Released in 1988, this recording represents a foundational entry in the Naxos catalog, a label that gained global prominence for its mission to make classical music accessible through high-quality, budget-friendly recordings. The Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Ondrej Lenárd, was a staple of the label's early expansion, providing a disciplined and reliable interpretation of these iconic ballet suites by Tchaikovsky and Glazunov. The production reflects the label's focus on capturing core repertoire for a growing audience of CD collectors during the format's formative years.

The disc features excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty alongside Glazunov’s The Seasons, two staples of late 19th-century Russian romanticism. Musically, these works demand a balance of technical precision and narrative sweep. The design aesthetic is characteristic of Naxos's early minimalist covers, prioritizing clear identification of the composers and performers to appeal to the listener seeking clarity and utility. It remains a notable artifact from a time when the CD format began to democratize access to expansive orchestral libraries.