1973 saw two recordings of a ballet that up until then was unknown in the western world: Prokofiev’s ballet Romeo and Juliet. It had been recorded several times in the Sovjet Union, including by the composer himself in 1938. In 1973 both Maazel with the Cleveland Orchestra and André Previn with the London Symphony recorded the work. I can imagine the shock to the record companies when they found out they had competition.
Prokofiev got the commission from the Kirov theatre. Even though he proposed a Shakespeare work himself, he managed to anger literary lovers to no end when he wanted to change the ending. He let Romeo rescue Juliet at the last moment, because he claimed it was more danceable.
The premiere in 1938 was in Brno, Czechoslovakia, because the work was not approved by the authorities. It was deemed too modern. That premiere was performed without the composer in attendance, because he was not allowed to leave the Sovjet Union.