Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps [Enhanced]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This is like no other Rite of Spring you're likely to be familiar with, not even the piano four-hands version it's based on. The pianist and Teldec's engineers have done some arcane digital overdubbing, synchronizing, and overrecording so that Say's two hands sound like many more pounding away at the keyboard. A prepared piano and percussive effects are added to further simulate the orchestra. And Say grunts and groans a lot. Still, piano versions of complex orchestral scores are more suited for study purposes and for clarifying elements that get lost when clothed in instrumental colors. Most people will be satisfied with the many fine orchestral recordings, including those by Dorati, Boulez, Markevitch, and Stravinsky. Despite the disc's synthetic quality, which will make it off-limits for many, it's undeniably exciting, full of raw power and interesting effects. The meager 31 minutes of playing time is justified by Say's claim that no appropriate disc mate could be found. (Someone should tell him about "Stop" buttons--nobody's forced to listen straight through.) As an "enhanced CD," it can be put into the CD drive of your computer, and you'll see a brief MTV-type video of Say doing snippets of Bach, Gershwin, and the Stravinsky in a cell-like room while the camera nervously jumps about. --Dan Davis

Tracks:

Petrouchka: Scene I - The Shrovetide Fair - Vivace - Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Magic Trick - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Russian Dance - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Scene II - Petrouchka's Cell - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Scene III - The Moor's Cell - L'istesso tempo - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Dance Of The Ballerina - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Waltz - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Scene IV - The Fair - Toward Evening - Tempo Giusto - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Wet Nurses' Dance - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Peasant With Bear - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Gypsies And A Rake Vendor - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Dance Of The Coachmen - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Masqueraders - Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Scuffle -Moor And Petrouchka- - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Death Of Petrouchka - Boston Symphony Orchestra
Appearance Of Petrouchka's Ghost - Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Rite Of Spring: The Rite Of Spring -- Part I - The Adoration Of The Earth - Introduction - Seiji Ozawa
The Rite Of Spring: Harbingers of Spring - Seiji Ozawa
The Rite Of Spring: Mock Abduction - Seiji Ozawa
The Rite Of Spring: Spring Khorovod - Seiji Ozawa
The Rite Of Spring: Games Of The Rival Tribes - Seiji Ozawa
The Rite Of Spring: Procession Of The Wise Elder - Seiji Ozawa
The Rite Of Spring: Adoration Of the Earth ; Dance Of The Earth - Seiji Ozawa
The Rite Of Spring: Part II - The Sacrifice - Introduction - Seiji Ozawa
The Rite Of Spring: Mystic Circles Of The Young Girls - Seiji Ozawa
Glorification Of The Chosen Victim - Seiji Ozawa
The Rite Of Spring: Summoning Of The Ancestors - Seiji Ozawa
The Rite Of Spring: Ritual Of The Ancestors - Seiji Ozawa
The Rite Of Spring: Sacrificial Dance - Seiji Ozawa
Fireworks: Fireworks, Op. 4 -Fantasy For Orchestra - Seiji Ozawa

Amazon.com

The Boston Symphony was at the peak of its powers when it engaged the 34-year-old Seiji Ozawa for this 1969 recording of Petrushka, in which the orchestra's then 24-year-old assistant conductor, Michael Tilson Thomas, played the extensive solo piano part. Ozawa, in those years, was capable of striking sparks with any orchestra he faced, and there is a palpable sense of excitement to the Petrushka he uncorks here. The accounts of The Rite of Spring and Fireworks, recorded in 1968 with the Chicago Symphony, are equally dynamic and colorful. BMG's long-awaited 24/96 remastering unleashes the breathtakingly open sound of the original tapes for the first time on CD, and may require a volume cut to preserve peace with the neighbors. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

An Odd Release But A Bargain Price for Excellent Performances.......2006-01-14

One wonders why this pairing of Seiji Ozawa and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with Michael Tilson Thomas and the Boston Symphony Orchestra all under the spell of Stravinsky was issued. Not that the performances individually need reinforcement because they don't. Perhaps it is the long relationship between Tilson Thomas and Ozawa or their similar approaches to this repertoire that was the driver. Whatever the reason, here are recordings that are a treat.

Tilson Thomas elects the 1947 version of Petrushka and offers a clear-headed, rhythmically sound, exciting performance. The warm Boston sound is intact and enhances his overall mood of the work. Ozawa and the Chicago forces give an all stops out performance of 'Le Sacre du printemps', a performance that is about as visceral and pagan as any on record. And the bonus of the brief but effective 'Feu D'artifice' fantasy is given a robust reading.

There are many recordings of 'Le Sacre du printemps' in the recorded repertoire: obviously every conductor wants to imprint his mark on this masterpiece. The sonics are all-important when the work is recorded and in the case of this recording the sonics are excellent. But there may soon be a startling surprise for lovers of this mighty, historically important music. This week Esa-Pekka Salonen gave a resplendent, detailed, emotionally charged performance that was recorded live by DGG in the Disney Hall. And if the technicians are able to cope with the amazingly live clarity of the acoustics of this grand architectural triumph, the recording may be the gold standard immediately upon release. Salonen has previously and successfully recorded the work with the Philharmonia Orchestra in 1990. The growth in stature in the intervening years has never been more obvious that this current state of Salonen's Stravinsky. Watch for it! Grady Harp, January 06

Great reading of these 2 works.......2005-12-07

Both the Rite of Spring and Petrouska are very well rendered in this recording... Ozawa's reading is insightful and very clear... The recording quality is great... Highly recommend this recording...

Best or not, you'll really love this Rite of Spring.......2004-06-29

Being among my top favorite pieces in the 20th century (after all, this piece turned the view of classical music upside down), I have tested myself listening to various versions by different performers. As far as much as I listened, my top two will have to be Leonard Bernstein with the New York Philharmonic (the most brashing, bashin, mind-crushin'!!!) and this equally thrilling performance with Ozawa leading the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Officially, this is a major highlight throughout Ozawa's conducting legacy, still a very young man with seemly imperishable vigor and force very equilavent to his teacher Lenny. The Boston Symphony is an excellent orchestra to work with (the woodwinds and brass especially); otherwize the Chicago Symphony could have been the only other choice.

In my perspective, I had to admit that, just by focusing on the level of being barbaric and noxious, it slightly lacks that to Lenny, but on the other hand, it's brilliant controlled nail-biting high tempo can cover that.

Definitely worth buying!!! GO FOR IT!!!!!

Totally convincing.......2004-06-16

I have three recordings of "The Rite of Spring". I've known it in every detail since 1972 when I was 17 and I know the score inside out. This is the only performance (recorded or live) that I've ever heard that raised the hairs on the back of my neck, made me grip the seat and break out into a cold sweat, and ultimately made me understand what "The Rite" is all about. The recording does full justice to the performance. This is a "must have" for anyone who wants to understand the point of the work.

The best Rite of Spring.......2004-03-28

Ozawa's account of Stravinsky's most famous ballet is nothing short of astounding. The conductor has the Chicago Symphony playing with total attention. What is so amazing about this recording is that the orchestra is completely controlled and balanced. Although one may prefer a more spontaneous sounding Rite, one would be hard pressed to find a recording with more energy, polish, and power.

Ozawa's Petrouchka (with Michael Tilson Thomas at the piano) is equally amazing. The beauty of phrasing and emotion Ozawa instills into the players of the Boston Symphony orchestra is chilling. Indeed, when this recording was made, Ozawa had just taken the reigns or the orchestra (however, over the years, his energy and intensity has lessened) and they play for their new music director with total conviction.

Fireworks, a short symphonic sketch by the young Stravinsky, shows the influences of his teachers, especially Paul Dukas in the orchestration. Although not a seminal work, the opus 4 is delightful.

Tracks:

Also Sprach Zarathustra (Sunrise) - R. Strauss
Mars (The Planets) - Holst
Overture 1812 - Tchaikovsky
Entry Of The Gladiadtors - Fucik
Sabre Dance - Khachaturian
Procession Of The Sardar - Ippolitov Ivanov
Night On Bald Mountain - Mussorgsky
Anvil Chor (II Trovatore) - Verdi
The Thunderer March - Sousa
Thunder & Lightening Polka - J. Strauss
Prelude To Act III : Lohengrin - Wagner
The Ride Of The Valkryies - Wagner
Montagues & Capulets (Romeo & Juliet Ballet Suite) - Prokofiev
The Storm: Symphony No. 6 In F Major, 'Pastorale' - Beethoven
Rondeau - Edward Carroll
Overture: Fireworks Music - Handel
March To The Scaffold: Symphonie Fantastique - Berlioz
LesToreadors - Bizet
William Tell Overture: Finale - Rossini
Revolutionary Study - Abbey Simon
Fanfare For The Common Man - Copland
Sym No. 1 'Titan' IV Sturmisch Bewegt (Excerpt) - Mahler
Augurs Of Spring From Rite Of Spring - Stravinsky
Russian Dance From Petrouchka - Stravinsky
The Great Gate At Kiev From Pictures At An Exhibition - Mussorgsky

Customer Reviews:

Good selection.......2005-10-02

I bought this CD to use in my classroom as listening examples. I'm not just a super big fan of some of the performances, but they are all good and for the price you can't beat it. That's why I gave it 5 stars. It's worth more than it costs by far.

thunderous applause.......2005-08-31

This is a who's-who of great pieces of music you have heard all of your life, and never knew the names and stories! I listened to it over and over in the car and had my own concert! A friend borrowed it to add music to his Home Movies and it was perfect!

Good Music at a Great Price.......2004-03-06

I bought this CD mostly for "Entry of the Gladiators," which everyone will recognize as classic circus music. The performance on this CD (by Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops) is the best available version of Entry of the Gladiators. The rest of the CD offers mostly excerpts of classical music.

You will like this!.......2004-02-19

I had purchased an abundance of the "Favorites" collection and some were better than others.

This CD is at the top of them all. They may be short, but not that short. Wondrous music.

I can almost guarantee that you will like this music.
Well worth the price!

Good for the novice.......2002-06-08

The recordings on this disc are pretty good. However, the editors selected only the *loud* parts, as indicated by the title. I was pretty disappointed to find that the pieces are, in many cases, edited to reflect the most famous themes, etc, instead of including the whole work. In general, I would recommend this to the classical music novice, or someone who wants to expand their knowledge of classical music in general. Those who already are familiar with these pieces will probably feel gypped.

Walt Disney's Fantasia: Remastered Original Soundtrack Edition

Average customer rating:

Mickey mouse on cover, elevator music for 70 year olds
Optical soundtrack recording limitations
Review of soundtrack Fantasia issues
Fantasia
low-fi fantasia

Walt Disney's Fantasia: Remastered Original Soundtrack Edition

Manufacturer: Disney
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Fantasia (60th Anniversary Special Edition)
Fantasia 2000: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack
Fantasia
Fantasia 2000
Classic Disney: 60 Years of Musical Magic

ASIN: B000001M4K
Release Date: 2001-07-31

Tracks:

Toccata And Fugue In D Minor - (by Bach)
The Nutcracker Suite Op.71A: Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy
The Nutcracker Suite Op.71A: Chinese Dance
The Nutcracker Suite Op.71A: Dance Of The Reed Flutes
The Nutcracker Suite Op.71A: Arabian Dance
The Nutcracker Suite Op.71A: Russian Dance
The Nutcracker Suite Op.71A: Waltz Of The Flowers
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Rite Of Spring

Tracks:

Symphony No.6 ('Pastoral') Op.68: I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Symphony No.6 ('Pastoral') Op.68: II. Andante Molto Mosso
Symphony No.6 ('Pastoral') Op.68: III. Allegro/IV. Allegro/V. Allegretto
Dance Of The Hours (From The Opera 'La Gioconda')
A Night On Bald Mountain
Ave Maria Op.52 No.6

Amazon.com essential recording

It's hard to believe now that Walt Disney's bold 1940 impressionistic experiment in wedding then-state-of-the-art animation with classical music was a rather resounding failure upon its release. The cliché proves the rule: Fantasia was decades ahead of its time (Disney even launched a "psychedelic"-themed rerelease campaign in the late '60s). It's even harder to fathom that then-Disney management spent over a million dollars in the early '80s replacing the muscular Leopold Stokowski score with a digitally recorded clone, then another undisclosed fortune to digitize Leo and put him back alongside Mickey at the conductor's podium in the '90s! This much-traveled Stokowski score will gain no points for subtlety (a symphonic Shaq attack is more like it), but it was Walt's first--and only!--choice and has never sounded better. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Mickey mouse on cover, elevator music for 70 year olds.......2007-06-04

I bought it a couple of years ago looking at the cover but was extremely disappointed when my 18-month old insisted on "Mickey" today and I chucked it into my DVD player. Our baby started crying aloud suggesting "what is this rap?" Disney folks ought to know better not try and market elevator music for 70-year olds to little toddlers regardless of how fantasia the cover looks like!

Optical soundtrack recording limitations.......2007-03-05

The soundtrack recordings for "Fantasia" were provided
to the theaters of 1940 as optical tracks on the side
of the film being shown. Such recordings cannot be
compared to the magnetic tape recordings made after WWII
(using captured or "liberated" German machines at first),
to say nothing of the current digital technology.

An analog optical soundtrack on motion picture film was
bad enough, but the film itself was nitrate, notorious
for disintegrating over a relatively short period of time,
as well as for its flammability. The prints in
circulation wore out until "the sound had gotten so bad,
theaters were refusing to book the film" according to a
Disney spokesman quoted in the New York Times of March
11, 1982.

Stokowski knew what a difference stereo recording made,
compared to mono, because almost a decade earlier, he and
the Philadelphia Orchestra participated (without the
players' knowledge) in a series of experimental high
fidelity and stereo disc recordings made by Bell
Telephone Labs. At the time, Bell Labs and Western
Electric tried to interest several manufacturers of
phonographs in the new technology, but the Great
Depression was underway, and the idea of marketing
phonographs with two stylii and two loudspeakers was
deemed unfeasible. (The Bell system had 33-1/3 rpm
discs with two parallel grooves, requiring two stylii
for playback.)

The Fantasound process, as I understand it, required a
theater to install a single loudspeaker behind the screen
and three loudspeakers along each of the two side walls,
resembling somewhat today's "surround sound." But the
idea was not to produce true stereo sound, but rather
the "ping-pong" stereo concept, with the sounds from the
loudspeakers following the cartoon characters as they
moved back and forth across the screen.

I sometimes wonder if the original recordings were made
with discs, not on soundtrack film -- in which case they
might still exist somewhere in the Disney archives. The
many thousands of original cartoon animation cels used to
create the film images were not treated as archival
material, such as the original Technicolor negatives
of "Gone With The Wind" which were stored in underground
Kansas caves, where the temperature remained steady for
decade after decade. Instead, the cels were either
destroyed or individually distributed to interested
parties. All told, it's remarkable that the film and
soundtrack have survived almost seventy years in the
shape they're in.

Stokowski was not thrilled with the end product
of "Fantasia" because, reportedly, Disney engineers
played with his recording, snipping off beats to match
the animation and enhancing crescendos. Stravinsky --
the only composer represented who was still living at
the time -- also was appalled at Stokowski's rearrangement
of his work (which Stravinsky sold to Disney for $5,000
because he needed the money at the time), to say nothing
of the dinosaurs prancing about to his ballet. The 1940
audiences were either outraged (the purists), puzzled or
bored (the general public), or snickering that Disney
had "lost it" (the film industry). But some of us loved it.

Yet "Fantasia," like "The Rite of Spring," proved far
more durable than its critics could imagine. At the
time, I was familiar with the music of Beethoven's Sixth
Symphony, Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker", Bach's "Ave Maria,"
and even Ponchielli's "Dance of the Hours," but "The Rite
of Spring," and "The Sorceror's Apprentice," and "Night on
Bald Mountain" as well as Bach's "Toccata and Fugue" were
revelations for me. I didn't know then that Stokowski
tinkered with those scores, but now I have a large number
of various performances of all of them in my recording
collection. My "Fantasia" recordings were issued on LPs
in the 1970s and are treasured as historic artifacts.

In effect, that is what this two-CD album is. It's a
mistake to listen to it as performances comparable to
modern digital recordings. Enjoy them for what they are
- historical efforts to popularize classical music.

Richard Q. Hofacker, Jr., Basking Ridge, NJ

Review of soundtrack Fantasia issues.......2007-02-16

Thanks to the other reviewers for honest opinions on sound quality of this product issue. The FANTASIA soundtrack deserved better, and fortunitely, I once bought a 2-volume cassette edition of Fantasia, remastered original soundtrack edition, purchased at Tomorrowland souvenir shop at Disneyland back in 1990. Still have it, in great condition box set, and even the new boom boxes sold in todays market, feature cassette and cd play. Muchos grac!

Fantasia.......2007-01-10

I am satisfied that the CD is of the original production of Fantasia, which I feel is superior to the current DVD. I hope that a DVD version of the original version will be made available at some time. The sound quality leaves a little to be desired, however.

low-fi fantasia.......2007-01-10

I was disapointed with the low-fi recording. I realize the soundtrack is from the 1940's, but I assumed it has been re-mastered. Rather muddy sound.

Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; The Firebird Suite (1919)

Average customer rating:

Three Le Sacres from Bernstein
WOW.
Commonplace "Rite"... and a TERRIFIC "Firebird"

Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; The Firebird Suite (1919)

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition; Night on Bald Mountain
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The Rite of Spring in Full Score
Stravinsky: Rite Of Spring, Fireworks, Petrouchka / Ozawa, Tilson Thomas, Chicago Symphony
Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 9

ASIN: B0001ENYLM
Release Date: 2004-02-24

Tracks:

Introduction. Lento - London Symphony Orchestra
The Spring Divinations - Dances Of The Young Girls - London Symphony Orchestra
Mock Abduction - London Symphony Orchestra
Spring Round Dances - London Symphony Orchestra
Games Of The Rival Tribes - London Symphony Orchestra
Procession Of The Wise Elder - London Symphony Orchestra
Dance Of The Earth - London Symphony Orchestra
Introduction. Largo - London Symphony Orchestra
Mystical Circles Of The Young Girls - London Symphony Orchestra
Glorification Of The Chosen Victim - London Symphony Orchestra
Summoning Of The Ancestors - London Symphony Orchestra
Ritual Of The Ancestors - London Symphony Orchestra
Sacrificial Dance (The Chosen Victim) - London Symphony Orchestra
Introduction - Leonard Bernstein
The Firebird And Its Dance - Leonard Bernstein
Variation Of The Firebird - Leonard Bernstein
The Princesses' Round - Leonard Bernstein
Infernal Dance Of King Kashchei - Leonard Bernstein
Lullaby - Leonard Bernstein
Finale - Leonard Bernstein
I. Adoration Of Veles And Ala - Leonard Bernstein
II. The Enemy God And The Dance Of The Black Spirits - Leonard Bernstein
III. Night - Leonard Bernstein
IV. The Glorious Departure Of Lolli And The Procession Of The Sun - Leonard Bernstein

Amazon.com

Considering that Stravinsky's Rite of Spring has been around for nearly a century, it's surprising that even today, conductors literally get lost while attempting to beat through it--and that goes for some of the biggest names. Difficult as the piece is, conductors have no excuse for major lapses, now that this recording is available for study. Bernstein not only keeps complete control of the complex rhythms and constantly-switching meters throughout the work but he also interprets it with fire and sweep and emotional versatility. The Firebird is equally breathtaking. It's priceless, too, for the fabulous horn solo played by the New York Philharmonic's legendary James Chambers. --Gwendolyn Freed

Customer Reviews:

Three Le Sacres from Bernstein.......2005-10-01

In the Royal Edition of Bernstein's recordings with the NY Phil., there was a hair-raising Le Sacre dating from 1958 in vivid sound with lots of impact and incredibly virtuosic playing. This was followed by a surround-sound remake with the London Sym. in 1972 as the fflagship for Columbia's attempt to promote "quadraphoonic sound," which never cuaght on.

The first recording occasioned a "wow" from Stravinsky in one of his memoirs (no doubt in part being ironic). The second recordingt is just as splashy and extroverted, although I prefer the 1958 version as the more flexible and less blatant. Both are wonderful and show off Bernstein's exuberance at its best.

This is the second reading from 1972, now in stereo, the 1958 being out of print. The Israel Phil. version made for DG in the Eighties--I don't have the exact date since I threw away the CD--is a parody of the young Bernstein by the old one, and the orchestra is far from being able to master the score.

WOW........2005-09-13

This recording really is something. Considering how old this rendition is, the depth at which bernstein controls the LSO is remarkable. There are moments when he lets the LSO loose, like letting the animals come out of their cages. He knows exactly how and exactly when to create, what I can only describe as "chaos". Bernstein's love for this arresting piece shines through the second half.
I only complain of the sound quality and the firebird. It is NOT A GOOD FIREBIRD.

BUY IT

Commonplace "Rite"... and a TERRIFIC "Firebird".......2005-07-26

It's a pity for me for this album to put the 70s recording Lenny did with the LSO on Stravinsky's revolutionary "Rite of Spring" instead of the performance he did with the NYPO about a decade earlier.
The 60s recording (which sadly may be only available in the "Royal Edition" series) remains on of my favorite performance of the "Rite" (along with the "Fast and the Furious" Ozawa's with the CSO on RCA), because it has more brashness in the music, more savagery, more tension. His interpretation is far more extraordinary compared to this recording in this album. The extra "ornaments" Lenny added to further exxagerate the wildness and primitiveness in the 60s recording has competely disappeared in this performance, making a more commonplace, even tamed, performance. Same goes with the 80s performance on DG with the Isreal Phil.

Lenny's performance "Firebird" Suite, on the other hand... is an electrifying 5 Star performance... THE main attraction of the album, not the 70s "Rite". This recording was done in the 60s with the NYPO, so there is more youthness and vigor in the performance. While the sound quality is not at its best, the performace is as hot as it can get. You will especially love the climax of the "Infernal Dance" and the "Finale". The only other recording I equally love is Claudio Abbado's performance with the LSO on DG, powerful in its own way... and more crystal-clear).

Proikofiev's "Scythian Suite" (the Bonus tracks) is another plus in this album. The "Dance of the Dark Spirits" is especially thrilling, as Lenny actually takes the tempo a bit faster compared to most other performances, including Abbado on DG and Jarvi on Chandos.

P.S. - Do you notice the "Jaws" theme hidden under the movment?

Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky: Petrouchka/ Le Sacre du Printemps

Average customer rating:

Najinsky who?!
Hermann and Stravinsky
Powerful rendition
From the Master
WOW!

Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky: Petrouchka/ Le Sacre du Printemps

Manufacturer: Sony
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Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000026GJ
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Petrushka - Tableau I: The Shrove -Tide Fair: Beginning
Petrushka - Tableau I: The Shrove-Tide Fair: The Crowds
Petrushka - Tableau I: The Shrove-Tide Fair: The Charlatan's Booth
Petrushka - Tableau I: The Shrove-Tide Fair: Russian Dance
Petrushka: Tableau II: Petrushka's Room
Petrushka - Tableau III: The Moor's Room: Beginning
Petrushka - Tableau III: The Moor's Room: Dance Of The Ballerina
Petrushka - Tableau III: The Moor's Room: Waltz (Ballerina and Moor)
Petrushka - Tableau IV: The Shrove - Tide Fair (Near Evening): Beginning
Petrushka - Tableau IV: The Shrove - Tide Fair (Near Evening): Dance Of The Nursemaids
Petrushka - Tableau IV: The Shrove-Tide Fair (Near Evening): Dance Of The Peasant And The Bear
Petrushka - Tableau IV: The Shrove-Tide Fair (Near Evening): Petrushka - Dance Of The Gypsy Girls
Petrushka - Tableau IV: The Shrove -Tide Fair (Near Evening): Dance Of The Coachmen and Grooms
Petrushka - Tableau IV: The Shrove - Tide Fair (Near Evening): The Masqueraders
Petrushka - Tableau IV: The Shrove-Tide Fair (Near Evening): Conclusion (Petrushka's Death)
Le Sacre Du Printemps - The Rite Of Spring - Part I: The Adoration Of The Earth: Introduction
Le Sacre Du Printemps - The Rite Of Spring - Part I. The Adoration Of the Earth: Dances of the Young Girls
Le Sacre Du Printemps - The Rite Of Spring - Part I: The Adoration Of The Earth: Mock Abduction
Le Sacre Du Printemps - The Rite Of Spring - Part I: The Adoration Of The Earth: Spring Round Dance
Le Sacre Du Printemps - The Rite Of Spring - Part I: The Adoration Of The Earth: Games of the Rival Tribes
Le Sacre Du Printemps - The Rite Of Spring - Part I: The Adoration Of The Earth: Procession Of The Wise Elder
Le Sacre Du Printemps - The Rite Of Spring: Adoration Of The Earth (The Wise Elder)
Le Sacre Du Printemps - The Rite Of Spring - Part I: The Adoration Of The Earth: Dance Of The Earth
Le Sacre Du Printemps -The Rite Of Spring - Part II: The Sacrifice: Introduction
Le Sacre Du Printemps - The Rite Of Spring - Part II: The Sacrifice: Mystical Circles Of The Young Girls
Le Sacre Du Printemps - The Rite Of Spring _ Part II: The Sacrifice: Glorification Of The Chosen Victim
Le Sacre Du Printemps - The Rite Of Spring - Part II: The Sacrifice: Summoning Of The Ancients
Le Sacre Du Printemps - The Rite Of Spring - Part II: The Sacrifice: Ritual Of The Ancients
Le Sacre Du Printemps - The Rite Of Spring - Part II: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance

Amazon.com

Whatever the limitations of Stravinsky's baton technique, no one else on disc conjures the same bustling excitement at the outset of Petrouchka. Overlapping, polyrhythmic textures in Petrouchka and in Le Sacre du Printemps come off with Mozartian lucidity, Mendelssonian lightness, and, well, Stravinsky-esque rhythmic exactitude (notwithstanding a few hesitant entrances). The clarity partly stems from the composer's use of his leaner revised scores, helped by close-up, analytical mike work by CBS. There are, of course, slicker, more sonically opulent versions of these 20th century landmarks. And then there are Stravinsky's. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Najinsky who?!.......2007-03-09

Nobody does Mr. S like Mr. S. These albums that came out on Columbia are still the ultimate. Why would anyone else bother to try to match the master? This guy was a freaking genius, for goodness sake. You other guys get a life.

Hermann and Stravinsky.......2006-10-10

I hadn't listened to Le Sacre du Printemps in a couple of decades. This recording was like hearing it for the first time.

With nothing to add to the other reviews, I just want to note that when I got to "Harbingers of Spring (Dances of the Young Girls and Boys)," I was struck by the similarity between parts of it and Bernard Hermann's soundtrack for Psycho. One more example of how mid-century US film and and television scoring was influenced by late-19th and early 20th century composers (listen to Debussy's Images in this context).

Powerful rendition.......2004-10-08

This version of the Rite of Spring, is quite simply one of the best versions out there. Stravinsky summons the raw, primitive power, and emotional intensity of this work, and gives it a fresh, almost light touch, very different from other versions of this work. The Petruska is also very good, but Stravinsky tends to take everything at a slightly too quick pace.
(Note for Robert Lewis: very few people interested in classical music would be ignorant enough to attempt to nap to the Rite of Spring, one of the most violent works ever written.)

From the Master.......2004-03-29

I had the great good fortune to attend a concert of Stravinsky's music partially conducted by Stravinsky himself in Beverly Hills, CA. I don't remember the exact year, but it would have been in the late '60s. In other words, just a few years before his passing.
He shared conducting duties with his long-time associate, Robert Craft.

Because of his obvious age and frailty, it was expected he would sort of ceremoniously conduct one or perhaps two of his shorter works, leaving the bulk of the concert to Craft. Imagine my, and the audience's astonishment when we saw in the program that Maestro Stravinsky would be the conductor for several works, culminating in the concluding work on the program, "Le Sacre du printemps".

When the time came for "Le Sacre", the maestro, assisted and with some difficulty, made his way to the podium, at which he, not surprisingly, sat. He gazed at the score for a long moment. Slowly, his gaze rose from the score to his orchestra, which he observed for a few seconds, which seemed like hours. The audience grew silent with expectation. Slowly, deliberately, he raised his baton. And it began. What followed for the next 30 plus minutes was one of the most electrifying, galvanizing, and thrilling performances of anything I have ever seen or heard in my life, before or since.

After the concert I made it a point to chat with several friends of mine who were in the orchetra. I suggested that the orchestra must have been well prepared by Robert Craft so that Maestro Stravinsky would be better able to conserve his energy. To a man (and woman) they assured me that absolutely the opposite was the case. The portions of the concert, including "Le Sacre" that Stravinsky was to conduct were rehearsed, in total, by Stravinsky himself. In addition, Stravinsky attended the rehearsals for the balance of the program and had no problem contributing whatever he felt was necessary to the procedings. They also found him to be extremely alert and utterly charming.

How can I recommend anyone else's performance of "Le Sacre du printemps"? There is only one, and this is it.

WOW!.......2004-03-01

I would like to inform "Mr. Robert Lewis" that when writing a review for a classical album you must critique the performance on just that: the performance, not the music itself; the interpretation of the music.

Tracks:

Overture To 'Tannhauser'
Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
Hungarian Dance No.7
The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
Csardas Music
The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
Tzigane
Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
Caprice No.24
The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
The Violin Muted
Clair De Lune
The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
The Pizzicato Violin
Pizzicato Polka
In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
Hungarian Dance No.4
Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
Bolero
Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
Elfenreigen

Tracks:

Introduction To The Viola
Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
Cypresses (No.9)
The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
The 'Period' Viola In Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
Elfentanz, Op.39
Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
The Protecting Veil (Opening)
A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
Flamenco
Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
Symphony No.9 (Finale)
Introduction To The Double-Bass
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
Elegy No.1 In D Major
The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
Capriccio Di Bravura
Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
Sa'Dawi
Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
Chamber Music No.II
The Piccolo - Aptly Named
La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
A Variety Of Techniques
Chamber Music No.II
Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
Naelden, Naelden
The Bachian Oboe
Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
The Swan Of Tuonela
The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
Bolero
The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
...And Quite Low.
Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
Introduction To The Saxophone
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
Bolero
The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
Sax-O-Phun
The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
Bolero
The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
Symphony No.3 (Opening)
The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
The Ceremonial Trumpet
Fanfare For The Common Man
Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
Billy The Kid
The Trumpet As Character Actor
Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
The Birth Of The Trombone
Aenmerckt Nu Hier
The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
Canzon 12 In Double Echo
The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
Hosannah
The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
The Trombone As Caricaturist
Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
The Horn And The Hunt
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
Walter Music (Minuet 1)
The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
Den Hoboecken Dans
Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
Gymnopedie No.2
The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
The Birth Of The Bongo
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
Taking Advantage Of Tunability
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
Ravel And The Xylophone
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
Introducing The Vibraphone
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
Folk Dances
The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
Introducing The Tubular Bells
Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
Carmen Suite (Introduction)
But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Introducing The Celeste
The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
Petrushka (Russian Dance)
The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
Mahler's Sleighbells
Symphony No.4 (Opening)
A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Nocturnes
Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
The Oboe As Duck
Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
A Thunderstorm In A Million
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
Octet In F (Mvt 3)
The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
Canzon 28
Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
Images (Gigues)
A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

Tracks:

A Night on the Bare Mountain - Original Version
Suite
Introduction
The Harbingers of Spring, Dance of the Adolescents
Mock Abduction
Spring Rounds
Games of the Rival Tribes
Procession of the Sage
The Sage
Dance of the Earth
Introduction
Mystical Circle of the Adolescents
Glorification of the Chosen One
Evocation of the Ancestors
Ritual of the Ancestors
Sacrificial Dance (The Chosen One)

Album Description

This is Esa-Pekka SalonenÂ's debut live recording from the Walt Disney Concert Hall and his first recording as the principal conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic on DG. The central piece, StravinskyÂ's Le Sacre du printemps was conducted by Salonen on the inaugural night of the Hall in 2003, a masterpiece that becomes something of a miracle within the outstanding acoustics of the Walt Disney Hall. This recording captures the energy, beauty and musical power of this extraordinary collaboration.

To capture the full sound experience of this concert, DG delivers this recording on a hybrid SACD. This release is certain to be a superior musical experience if not the new reference recording of this classical music milestone. Other pieces on this release are MussorgskyÂ's Night on Bald Mountain and BartÃ³kÂ's Miraculous Mandarin SuiteÂ—works that benefit greatly from the superb acoustics at the Walt Disney Concert Hall as well as the highest possible recording sound quality.

Customer Reviews:

excellent, all the way around.......2007-06-03

These are fast, exciting, and superbly executed performances. They're also not lightweight, as there's plenty of brass and percussion in all of them. It's ridiculous to argue that the 1947 version of "Le Sacre" should be dismissed because it's easier to play. It's not easier to play. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding Stravinsky's revision, the 1947 version is a legitimate alternative to the orginal. The vast majority of listeners would never know the difference. Simply put, the '47 version is slightly leaner, with textures clarified a bit. Yes, there is some minor reduction in the orchestration. But one could just easily argue that the original version is over-orchestrated. Again, the differences are just not that noticeable. Personally, I prefer the revised version for the cleaner textures that the permit the rhythms to be more sharply etched - just slightly so. Either way, this is a great performance - one that comes closer to Stravinsky's incredibly fast metronome markings than most.

I also prefer the original version of "Night On Bare Mountain" to the well known Rimsky version. Here's a case where a later revision - Rimsky's complete rewrite of the original - truly makes the piece a completely different work. As unfamiliar as the original version is, it's clearly better. And yes, the Abbado recording may be just slightly better - but with emphasis placed on "slightly". This one is plenty exciting, and just as well detailed as the Abbado.

For me, the benchmark for any performance of Bartok's "Miraculous Mandarin" is the fast chase sequence (located at the end, in the truncated "suite" version). This one is very fast, and very exciting. You can also hear ALL of the numerous, short (and sometimes, ringing) strokes of the tam-tam; the large orchestral gong. That adds lots of color, as well as an Asiatic tinge to the chase. If you're interested in any or all of these works, you'd be hard-pressed to do better.

Beyond Interesting..........2007-04-13

This disc contains three of my favorite pieces of music, all extremely well played and in excellently recorded sound. That said, two of the pieces--The Rite and The Night--come in forms not usually heard. While one piece, in my personal judgement, suffers a bit (you can't really accuse Mussorgsky of pulling Stokowski's punches, since Mussorgsky wrote the piece, but that's what it feels like...) this disc makes for fun and adventurous listening.

Maestro Salonen is the man. Let's get that out up front. If he's not the greatest working conductor today then he's damn close.

Salonen and his forces get the job done here. So much is made of the fact that this thing was recorded at Disney's new music hall that one fears this music and the muscians who do such an excellent job playing it might get overlooked. That would be a shame.

While I slightly prefer Ivan Fischer's Mandarin, the one found here is great as well. Usually on discs with programs like this you expect at least one lemon. In this case, I had expected that the Bartok would suffer.

I was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong.

This Rite of Spring stands with Stravinsky's own recording on CBS as one of my favorites. Yes, as other people have noted, this is the revised version. Still, this recording has all the thunder and emotion you could want from this piece.

I've already kind of shared my opinion on the Mussorgsky. Stokowski was a much better arranger than Mussorgsky was a composer. Still, the spark of life that Stoki drew out inhabits the original--and either way, listening for those differences keeps you on the edge of your seat.

This is fun music. This is a great disc. You should not hesitate to get a copy.

I give this disc my full recommendation.

Worth adding if you already own other versions of Sacre.......2007-04-13

Like some other reviewers, I was expecting to fall in love with Salonen's work (given how strong a performance he recently recorded of three major works by Hindemith, and the care he took with those, albeit recorded in a different concert hall with the LA Philharmonic). This version of Le Sacre does have its moments, but I find Gergiev's performance more compelling (notwithstanding the sometimes recessed sound of the eight French horns), and surely more dramatic. Sonically, there's enough bass drum content in this recording to probably inspire some low rider to tool around town in a lowered Chevy playing this CD loud enough to crack his own ribs, a result that's highly desirable in his value system. But the bass drum is more dramatic and even harrowing in Gergiev's recording, which is somewhat inexplicable yet nonetheless true. In any event, the hype over this recording is somewhat overstated: it is hardly revolutionary.

I also regret to report that Salonen's performance of the original version of Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain" does not compare to the premiere recording by Claudio Abbado, which still comes across as definitive interpretationally, in regard to balance, and with respect to sonic clarity. This is something of a surprise, given how little competition Salonen has to deal with in bringing this work to the public's attention. My complaint throughout most of my listening was "where are the details? everything sounds muddy compared to Abbado!" Maybe the engineers are still figuring out how to get clarity recording in this new hall -- they certainly haven't achieved it as yet.

The Bartok work is well-recorded, and although I own several other versions, this might end up being my go-to interpretation for the work: it is at least tied with the other top contenders (Abbado's on DG, and the Complete Bartok Edition version as well).

Speed performance.......2007-02-08

Good sound, but the fastest paced "Rite" I have ever heard. It loses the dramatic effect for me when a piece of music is played at such breakneck speed. Impressive musicians to keep up this speed of tempo.

Buy it for Mussorgsky.......2007-01-28

The hype surrounding this recording is somewhat unwarranted. The Walt Disney Concert Hall provides acoustics that are superior to those of any other venue, and this recording captures that sound wonderfully. The deep booming bass and superb dynamic contrasts are the uniquely pleasurable aspects of this recording. But great sound doesn't equal great performance. I've always been somewhat disappointed in the way Esa-Pekka conducts early 20th century music from Eastern Europe. Salonen always imbues these pieces with a kind of Boulezian gloss that obscures the primitivism that defines the music of Stravinsky, Bartok, and others of the "countryside to concert hall" school. What we're left with are perfectly performed versions of the Rite and the Miraculous Mandarin that lack the excitement and force found in other recordings. Despite the less than stellar sound, I'd take Dorati's version of the complete Miraculous Mandarin any day over this version. And we don't have to sacrifce sound for a great performance of the Rite, thanks to Valery Gergiev's magnificent recording that evokes all of the necessary primitivism in one of the most exciting performances on record. The Mussorgsky piece might be worth the price of admission, due to the relative obscurity of this version. But depending on how interested you are in hearing the original version of the piece, the price tag may still be too steep. I should add that since I've never heard another performance of this version, I can't honestly determine whether this is an excellent performance or just an average one. But if you're buying this for the Rite or the Miraculous Mandarin, I'd say look elsewhere. You can find better versions for less.

Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring / Alexander Scriabin: The Poem of Ecstasy - Valery Gergiev / Kirov Orchestra

Average customer rating:

A major boo boo in the Scriabin
The Pinnacle
A wild ride, and a sonic spectacular
Exiting, but flawed.
Hold me back!

Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring / Alexander Scriabin: The Poem of Ecstasy - Valery Gergiev / Kirov Orchestra
Alexander Scriabin , Igor Stravinsky , Valery Gergiev , and Kirov Orchestra
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird (Complete Ballet, 1910) / Alexander Scriabin: Prometheus - The Poem of Fire - Valery Gergiev / Kirov Orchestra, St. Petersburg / Alexander Toradze
Tchaikovsky: Symphonies 4,5 & 6
Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 4, 5, 6 "Pathetique"
Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 9
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98 - Carlos Kleiber / Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

ASIN: B00005NIF6
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Tracks:

The Rite Of Spring, Part I: The Adoration Of The Earth: Intro
The Rite Of Spring, Part I: The Adoration Of The Earth: Augurs Of Spring - Dances Of The Young...
The Rite Of Spring, Part I: The Adoration Of The Earth: Ritual Of Abduction
The Rite Of Spring, Part I: The Adoration Of The Earth: Spring Rounds
The Rite Of Spring, Part I: The Adoration Of The Earth: Ritual Of The Rival Tribes
The Rite Of Spring, Part I: The Adoration Of The Earth: Procession Of The Sage
The Rite Of Spring, Part I: The Adoration Of The Earth: The Sage
The Rite Of Spring, Part I: The Adoration Of The Earth: Dance Of The Earth
The Rite Of Spring, Part II: The Sacrifice: Intro
The Rite Of Spring, Part II: The Sacrifice: Mystic Circles Of The Young Girls
The Rite Of Spring, Part II: The Sacrifice: Glorification Of The Chosen One
The Rite Of Spring, Part II: The Sacrifice: Evocation Of The Ancestors
The Rite Of Spring, Part II: The Sacrifice: Ritual Action Of The Ancestors
The Rite Of Spring, Part II: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance: The Chosen One
The Poem Of Ecstasy, Op.54

Amazon.com

Gergiev's is a Rite of Spring with a difference. He stresses the primitive barbarism of Stravinsky's groundbreaking score--the strange wheezings of the winds, the wild yawps of the tubas, and the deep rumblings of the bass drum. It's a Rite that stands out at a time when so many internationalized western orchestras give the piece an overlay of sophisticated polish that can rob it of the shock factor that drove the audience at the Paris premiere to riot. There are also numerous personal touches that can be controversial, such as the pause before the final chord, which may bother some but which work in the context of the interpretation. Gergiev's Rite faces strong competition from recorded versions by Markevitch, Dorati, Monteux, and Stravinsky himself, but it's definitely among the top choices. The Scriabin's less compelling, though still fascinating. Gergiev's approach tends to sound sectional, as the overall line is subordinated to momentary thrills. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

A major boo boo in the Scriabin.......2007-01-30

I have been visiting the review page for this CD for some time waiting to see if someone noticed the same mistake I did. Gowdie's review has got it right. The error immediately ruined the experience of the entire Poem Of Ecstacy for me. The lilting strings (E to D#)which cry amongst the harp is to me one of those magic moments in all of classical music. What an awesome following to the build up and it also sets up the big finale.

Sorry, the Stavinsky may be great but, a mistake such as this warrants a three star deduction.

The Pinnacle .......2006-12-14

This is it -- if you are looking for a "perfect" 'The Rite of Spring', you owe it to yourself to buy this cd -- especially if you have a reference audio system. It will blow your socks off.

Deserves a "10" star rating.

A wild ride, and a sonic spectacular.......2006-09-21

Gergiev clearly aims to bring back the visceral impact of Le Sacre, and he is aided by extremely clear, detailed sonics that pull us directly into the texture of the orchestration. Sheerly in terms of the noises coming out of one's loudspeakers, this performance rivets the listener's attention. The impact of the bass drum, tam tam, and tuba, for example, is unprecedented. Gergiev has other cards up his sleeve. He re-invents Stravinsky's cross-rhtyhms, ever so slightly throwing off one's expectations. Sometimes this happens through minute pauses and underlinings, sometimes by raising and lowering the temperature unexpectedly. The softer passages sound nuanced and sophisticated, the barbaric ones deafeningly loud and assaultive.

The overall effect is intriguing, so I must agree with every reviewer who praises Gergiev for finding his own way. At the same time, however, there's an air of too much study, of mannered phrasing for its own sake. Every listener will have to decide for themselves, but personally, this sonic spectacular doesn't propel me forward the way Bernstein and Markevitch do in their classic recordings.

Exiting, but flawed........2006-07-19

Valery Gergiev is indeed one of the best conductors around now. He has a charisma that makes any orchestra soar. That being said, despite the power and exitment involved in this performance of "The Rite of Spring" I'm afraid there are major flaws that have to be mentioned.
In the "Dance of the Earth" section, the percussionist is lost as his entrances with the Tam-tam are out of place with the rest of the orchestra. This is no small mistake, since the Tam-tam is supposed to be unison with the rest of the orchestra. How this error was not discovered before release is something I wont fully understand. I don't fully agree with Gergiev's general concept of having the quieter parts louder than normal. It takes a lot away from the building of tension in a section. But overall, it's an exiting performance.
Alexander Scriabin's "The Poem of Ecstasy" fares well here. Passionate playing from the strings of the Kirov. But even here there's a major editing flaw. During the quiet last pages of the work, for some reason, a measure of the longing violins playing E into D# was accidentaly omited from this performance. This mistake is not too hard to make since it is a repitition of two other measures around it. I've made simular mistakes myself as a recording producer, but I've always corrected it by listening to the whole thing with a score prior to doing a final mix. It appears that this has not been done here.
Despite these major flaws that clearly get in the way (at least for me), this is a distinctive version of these two great works.
Valery Gergiev certanly makes his mark.

Hold me back!.......2006-05-08

Some [unintelligeble] years after my classical music lessons, and the vague promises to teachers and friends to keep literate thereafter, I find myself here writing a review for this mesmerizing Ossetian I've been chasing around on search engines since accidentally finding myself at a performance of his (a d