Stravinsky: Petrouchka; Le Sacre de printemps

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Boulez's DG remakes for these landmark ballets score over his previous CBS versions on sonic and executional grounds. The Cleveland Orchestra's chilly proficiency and regimented perfection, though, seems achieved at the expense of atmosphere and character, as exemplified in Chailly's Sacre with the same orchestra on London, or the composer-led Columbia Symphony Pétrouchka. --Jed Distler

Tracks:

Le Sacre Du Printemps
Le Roi Des Etoiles - Cantata For Choir & Orchestra
Petrushka

Album Details

Collection Du Millenaire.

Customer Reviews:

I completely agree with the David Camphor.......2007-04-05

It is almost 1:00 AM and I am downloading to iTunes my own LP-to-CD recording of this GREAT performance of the Rite of Spring and Zvezdoliki ("King of the Stars") and I decided, once again, to see if it had been released on CD yet. To my great delight, it is now out and available. In my limited survey, no other performance of Le Sacre measured up to this great one with Tilson Thomas. My collection includes Valery Gergiev, Pierre Boulez, Simon Rattle, Antal Dorati, and Charles Dutoit -- all acquired in a futile attempt to find a substitute for this performance. I'm so pleased this is now available.

Bravo!!! MTT/BSO & DG.......2007-01-23

I have this recording on tape and vinyl. I was forever looking for it on CD. It did appear briefly in the digital format, but soon went OOP. So Bravo to DG to reissue this gem. Definitely a Collection Du Millenaire! The star of this offering is the MTT/BSO Rite of Spring. MTT was 27 when he recorded this. If you have Stravinsky's own effort from 1962 with the Columbia Symphony, take a listen. See how close MTT comes to how the great man would have wanted his score rendered. MTT had worked with Stravinsky in LA before his move to BSO at the age of 24. So he knew the composer and it would seem had a sound understanding of this most complex orchestral score. A Rite in wrong hands is often a disaster, but this one? WOW!!! It was recorded in 1972, a year after Stravinsky's death. Perhaps, a personal tribute from MTT? It surely would have made Stravinsky proud. The conducting is superb, the playing electrifying and the capture by DG engineers is fantastic. This formidable performance pulls you right into the music and the savage sacrificial tale. You cannot press stop till the final note. Like Tchaikovsky's 1st symphony performance from MTT/BSO this Rite is another gem from the same era. Mr. Hurwitz & Co. take note! This is a 10/10 reference performance! BRAVO!!! MTT/BSO & DG.

Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps/L'Oiseau de feu/Jeu de cartes/Petrouchka/Pulcinella

Average customer rating:

Abbado's Stravinsky from his LSO period is very fine
Phenomenal Firebird
Practically Perfect
Wonderful
Great Interpretations of Stravinsky From Abbado

Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps/L'Oiseau de feu/Jeu de cartes/Petrouchka/Pulcinella

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms/Symphony in 3 Movements
Stravinsky: Three Greek Ballets (Apollo, Agon, Orpheus)
Debussy: Orchestral Music
Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky: Petrouchka/ Le Sacre du Printemps
Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta; Hungarian Sketches

ASIN: B000001GYI
Release Date: 1997-07-15

Tracks:

L'Adoration de la terre: Introduction
L'Adoration de la terre: Les Augures printaniers - Danses des adolescents
L'Adoration de la terre: Jeu du rapt - Game of Abduction
L'Adoration de la terre: Rondes printanieres - Spring Round Dances
L'Adoration de la terre: Jeux des cites rivales - Games of the Rival Tribes
L'Adoration de la terre: Danse de la terre - Dance of the Earth /Le Sacrifice - The Sacrifice
Le Sacrifice: Introduction
Le Sacrifice: Cercles mysterieux des adolescentes - Mystical Circles of the Young Girls
Le Sacrifice: Glorification de l'Elue - Glorification of the Chosen Victim
Le Sacrifice: Action rituelle des ancetres - Ritual of the Elders
Le Sacrifice: Danse sacrale (L'Elue) - Sacrificial Dance (The Chosen Victim)
L'Oiseau De Feu: Introduction
L'Oiseau De Feu: Variation de l'Oiseau de feu - Variation of the Firebird
L'Oiseau De Feu: Ronde des Princesses - The Princesses' Round
L'Oiseau De Feu: Danse infernale du roi Kachtchei - Infernal Dance of King Kahchei
L'Oiseau De Feu: Berceuse - Lullaby
L'Oiseau De Feu: Final - Finale
Jeu de cartes: Premiere donne
Jeu de cartes: Deuxieme donne
Jeu de cartes: Troisieme donne

Tracks:

Petrouchka: Fete populaire de la semaine grasse - The Shrovetide Fair
Petrouchka: Danse russe - Russian Dance
Petrouchka: CHez Petrouchka - Petruschka's Room
Petrouchka: CHez la Maure - The Moor's Room
Petrouchka: Valse: La Ballerine et le Maure - Waltz: The Ballerina and the Moor
Petrouchka: Fete populaire de la semaine grasse - The Shrovetide Fair (towards evening)
Petrouchka: Danse des nounous - Dance of the Nursemaids
Petrouchka: L'ours et un paysan - The Bear and the Peasant
Petrouchka: Un marchand fetard avec deux tziganes - The Jovial Merchant with Two Gypsy Girls
Petrouchka: Danse des cochers et des palefreniers - Dance of the Coachmen and Grooms
Petrouchka: The Masqueraders
Petrouchka: La rixe: Le Maure et Petrouchka - The Fight: The Moor and Petrushka
Petrouchka: Mort de Petrouchka - Death of Petrushka
Petrouchka: La police et le charlatan - The Police and the Showman
Petrouchka: Apparition du double de Petrouchka - Apparation of Petrushka
Pulcinella: Ouverture: Allegro mederato
Pulcinella: Serenata: Larghetto
Pulcinella: Scherzino: Allegro
Flaminio, Act III, Checca's Canzona: Poco piu vivo
Pulcinella: Allegro
Pulcinella: Andantino
Pulcinella: Allegro
Pulcinella: Allegretto
Pulcinella: Allegretto assai
Pulcinella: Allegro
Pulcinella: Largo (Trio), Allegro, Presto
Pulcinella: Allegro - alla breve
Pulcinella: Tarantella
Pulcinella: Andantino
Pulcinella: Allegro
Pulcinella: Gavotta con due variazioni
Pulcinella: Vivo
Pulcinella: Tempo di minuetto
Pulcinella: Allegro assai

Amazon.com

This is an excellent Stravinsky collection on all counts. Claudio Abbado's recordings with the London Symphony Orchestra represent the high-water mark of his career, and DG captured the partnership in generally fine sound. This recording of the complete Pulcinella, with the songs included, set an entirely new standard for the work, and its excellence has worn very well in the couple of decades since its initial release. The performance of Jeu de Cartes (Card Game) also should win many new friends for this entertaining late work. As to the Big Three ballets, all of them were among the most recommendable versions when they first came out, and they still are. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Abbado's Stravinsky from his LSO period is very fine.......2006-09-22

Abbado thrived in London in the Seventies and early Eighties with the LSO, and their collaboration produced some of his most vigorous performances. These Stravinsky ballets are among them. (I can't agree with David Hurwitz that Abbado never got better--he became an unparalleled maestro in his last years with the berlin Phil.) DG's bargain two-fer features dynamic, in-your-face sonics, especially in Le Sacre. Admittdly, there are passing moments when Abbado, as was his wont, turns a bit tame and cautious, but the overall impression is of a brash, propulsive Le Sacre. The Firebird Suite is the only item, however, that's seriously underplayed.

Petrushka gets another vivid recording and lots of commitment from the LSo; it also finds Abbado at his most involved. But the main attraction here isn't the most familiar works but Abbado's complete Pulcinella and the Balanchine-commissioned Jeu de Carte (Hurwitz mistakenly calls it a late work. with Stravinsky, late means the 1950-71, not 1937, when this ballet was premiered). Abbado's approach is classical and balanced, but there's a good deal of inner life, which Stravinsky's 'white' ballet music desperately needs if it's to connect with a concert audience.

I especially like the Pulcinella, which is an oddly difficult work to bring off. Abbado plays it lightly, with refined textures and attacks that aren't as dry and sharp as we usually expect, articularly from the composer himself. Purists may find Abbado too mellifluous, but he's never rough and vulgar. He's lucky in his prestige vocalists (Berganza, Shirley-Quirk, and Davies), who struggle just a bit in songs that often defeat lessert singers.

All in all, there's stiff competition in these pieces, but Abbado gives ue the best omnium gatherum of all five.

Phenomenal Firebird.......2006-09-14

This is a great Firebird. Abbado, among many othe things to dmire, has the strings playing sul ponto in the last section rght before the french horn solo. He gets all these overtones from the violins: it sounds like a some ghostkt chorus on top of the orchestra. Amazing performance

Practically Perfect.......2006-03-15

This recording of The Firebird makes me weep every time I hear it...there is a beautifully sophisticated, subtle touch to this recording that ignites the spirit of inpsiration without going crazy; it is still art in it's fullest, noblest sense. The skilled Abbado lets Stravinsky work his magic. Practically perfect.

Wonderful.......2005-03-18

I love these CDs because they have the most important Stravinsky ballets, complete, all on 2 CDs, and they are all great performances. Also, this recording is with the LSO, an amazing orchestra that has both overwhelming power and overwhelming beauty, under the baton of the great Claudio Abbado. Sound quality is very good. Highly recommended.

Great Interpretations of Stravinsky From Abbado.......2002-03-27

This magnificient two CD set contains some of Abbado's finest recordings with the London Symphony Orchestra. His great interpretations of Stravinsky's scores can easily hold their own against those from the likes of Bernstein, Boulez, Haitink, and more recent interpreters such as Gergiev. His "Le Scare du printemps" is one of the most dramatic recordings I've heard, replete with tense, vibrant playing from the London Symphony Orchestra. It is a visceral, emotionally raw account pulsating with energy. Equally noteworthy is his splendid interpretation of "L'Oiseau de feu", which is a brisk, dramatic performance. Both "Jeu de cartes" and the entire score of "Pulcinella" are very pleasant surprises too. My only slight criticism is Abbado's interpretation of "Petrouchka" which doesn't sound as dramatic as Haitink's with the London Philharmonic. The sound quality on these image bit digitally remastered CDs is absolutely stunning; it sounds as good as contemporary recordings.

Stravinsky: Petrouchka; Le Sacre de printemps

Average customer rating:

Great Petrushka, Sad Sacre
80 YEARS ON
underrated
crisp and clean...
Very good. But for GREAT, to back to 1969!

Stravinsky: Petrouchka; Le Sacre de printemps

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

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ASIN: B000001GGJ
Release Date: 1992-10-13

Tracks:

Petrouchka: First Tableau: The Shrovetide Fair - Legerdemain Scene - Russian Dance
Petrouchka: Second Tableau: Petrushka's Room
Petrouchka: Third Tableau: The Moor's Room - Dance Of The Ballerina - Waltz: The Ballerina And The Moor - Petrushka
Petrouchka: Fourth Tableau: The Shrovetide Fair - Dance Of The Nursemaids - The Peasant And The Bear-The Jovial Merchant With Two Gypsy Girls - Dance Of The Coachmen And Grooms - The Masqueraders-The Fight: The Moor And Petrushka-Death Of Petrushka
Le Sacre du printemps: Partie 1
Le Sacre du printemps: Partie 2

Amazon.com

Boulez's DG remakes for these landmark ballets score over his previous CBS versions on sonic and executional grounds. The Cleveland Orchestra's chilly proficiency and regimented perfection, though, seems achieved at the expense of atmosphere and character, as exemplified in Chailly's Sacre with the same orchestra on London, or the composer-led Columbia Symphony Pétrouchka. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Great Petrushka, Sad Sacre.......2007-06-06

This is the recording I "grew up" with. The Petrushka is amazing -- Cleveland's style seems perfectly suited to it.

The Rite is decent, but for whatever reason there are a number of strange mistakes. To name a few I open my Dover score (I use this as a reference since it's so widely available) --

Page 9 - measure 2 -- trumpeter plays two a-flats
Page 13 - system 2 - measure 5 -- a clarinet enters a bar early
Page 88 - measure 1 -- a bass clarinet changes a beat early
Page 92 - last measure forward -- Eb clarinet plays 32nd notes instead of sextuplets.

Such "no brainers" are maddening with an orchestra and conductor of this talent. I haven't checked if this is a studio recording -- if it is, it baffles me how such simple mistakes could get through to the final cut.

However, it is refreshing to hear a wind and string dominated performance again. In my opinion most conductors let the "rawness" of the piece allow the heavy brass to obliterate the delicately crafted orchestral balance, leaving extremely important material covered (see the Michael Tilson Thomas recording with San Francisco). The strings here are almost impeccable, and if I were teaching an orchestration class on strings I would probably use this recording. Unfortunately the horns are wimpy throughout and are decimated by the other brass and even in some cases the winds. For instance, an exceedingly lovely detail is missed in the Dance of the Earth (last dance of the first half), where the horns build ever higher triplet hemiolas -- you can barely hear them at all (granted this is a problem with most recordings -- the conductor often lets the trumpets and drums play too loud, again probably for "power" or whatever).

I don't know why, but I find the mistakes in the Stravinsky/Columbia recording much easier to swallow, since the balance is so much better. I think it may have something to do with potential as well -- Boulez had a chance to make a canonical recording rivaling his 1969 rendition. He succeeded with Petrushka, but not with Le Sacre.

80 YEARS ON.......2006-08-15

Both Petrushka and the Rite date from 1911, and these performances of them were recorded in 1991. By that date Boulez himself was not in the springtime of his youth, and it may well be, as some comment seems to suggest, that his readings are less incisive than in earlier days. Myself, I am not even fully convinced that this is the case, and even if it is the compensations seem to me more than to make up for it. These readings are less strident than some, and there is no sense of straining to obtain effects of contrast. Petrushka's cry, for one thing, is relatively euphonious here, and the Rite in general is probably not quite as dramatic as my wonderful performance, extraordinarily well recorded on a Mercury LP about 50 years ago, by Dorati with the Minneapolis orchestra. On the other hand, Boulez at this stage of his career seems concerned more than before with beauty of orchestral tone, and I say without hesitation that this is the most beautiful Petrushka that I have ever heard in my own lengthening life.

In any case, even if the new approach is less forceful than previously, I detect no loss whatsoever of underlying strength. Boulez has always seemed to me ideally suited as a conductor of Stravinsky. His dynamics may be less `terraced' here than he would once have made them, but the clarity of texture that he obtains is as absolute as ever, and his strength of line and rock-steady firmness of rhythm mark him out as they always did. Above all what is bound to strike you in this performance is the sheer quality of it all. Listening to sound as magnificent as this, I was astonished that it had been achieved so long ago as 1991. Szell had turned the Cleveland Orchestra into a mighty playing-machine, so bring on the right maestro to mould and direct the virtuosity of every section of the band, give them all world-beating engineering, and the end product is an outright orgy of acoustical perfection and beauty. What an amazing bunch of orchestrators the Russian masters were! Stravinsky was a pupil of Rimsky himself, and the master might have envied his pupil if he had heard what we can all, in the third millennium, hear on this disc.

Occasionally everything seems to go right, just as all too often nothing seems to, and here, on top of the outstanding performance and recording, we have a first class liner-essay by Professor Richard Taruskin. I personally wonder whether, even in 1911, the Rite of Spring was as much of a shock to its hearers as Taruskin lets on - he himself admits that what caused the misbehaviour during the Paris premiere was more Nijinsky's choreography than Stravinsky's harmonies. However he has been given adequate space to set out his erudition and his insights, and he has the appropriate material to fill the space with. These days I find it hard to suppose that Stravinsky in general, and these two works in particular, are capable of shocking any but the least experienced music-lovers. To them, and to those who have been around the matter longer, I say that if the word that you would have used to characterise Stravinsky was not `beautiful' it will be after you have got to know this disc. He is my own favourite Russian composer of them all, but I'm not sure I had quite understood what he amounts to in all ways until I had heard what I have heard on this occasion.

underrated.......2006-05-22

This is my favorite Stravinsky disc, along with Boulez' and Dorati's Firebird.

I never liked Stravinsky's own recordings that much, in Petrouchka he's very rude, he underplays the gentle passages very much and in Le Sacre he's too fast in some parts and therefore not powerfull enough.

I've listened to many records and I must say I quite like a lot of recordings of Le Sacre, but there aren't that many good Petrouchkas.
The only one I almost like as much as Boulez' is Dorati's and Boulez' earlier one for Sony

Boulez might seem a bit unexiting at first glance, but his version is very accurate, precise, sharp and constant moving...his natural phrasing makes his version much more fluid, forward moving, where others stop the music at times, wanting to add too much contrasts in tempi at certain parts.

As a whole Boulez' recording moves along a lot quicker than others, because of his seamless moulding of every single fragmented part...surprising because in some passages he's actually slower than many.

The recording is detailed, spacious and quite refined and maybe that's the reason why many people think it lacks excitement.
Considering only the old records people mention as their favorites, with more direct and louder sound, this doesn't come as a surprise to me.
Yes I would've liked a Mercury Living Presence sound with this Boulez recording, with that sound I'm almost certain many would adore Boulez' Petroushka!

crisp and clean..........2005-06-21

...that's the Cleveland way. It's definitely note perfect, but perhaps unfulfilling and uninspiring in some sections of both pieces. The recording quality is superb (as Grammophon usually is), and like I said before, all the notes are there, but it's missing that extra "umph" that Stavinsky's music calls for. Also, this is the 1911 version of Petrouchka, NOT the 1947 version as labeled on Amazon.com. Don't be mislead by that.

Very good. But for GREAT, to back to 1969!.......2005-05-08

When George Szell was appointed Music Director of the Cleveland Orchestra in 1946, he sculpted an ensemble that even 35 years after his death remains the most technically proficient orchestra in the history of recorded classical music. Quite simply, this orchestra is so tight and precise that it is easy to forget that one is hearing 100-plus musicians!

However, much of the 20th century repertoire was beyond his intellectual purview. No greater evidence of this is the dreadful Szell/Cleveland Orchestra recording of Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra.

Enter Pierre Boulez, who seems to understand contemporary music at a cellular level.

Therefore, when a conductor like Boulez is leading an ensemble like the Cleveland Orchestra, the listener will experience such music in a way seemingly impossible with any other orchestra/conductor pairing. Clearly, these musicians love playing for Boulez.

As for this second recording with Boulez and the Cleveland Orchestra, it is as one might expect. That is to say, it is very good. Clean, well, conceived, with excellent balance, and for the most part, intelligently paced.

However, it can never be regarded as the definitive recording because of perhaps the most vivid and electrifying recording ever of this work, created in Severance Hall with the Cleveland Orchestra and Boulez in 1969.

The only criticism one might have is that the sound quality is obviously not up to the standards of this DGG digital recording. But the playing on the 1969 CBS recording so precise, so clean, so alive, that even the hardest of hardcore audiophiles, if he or she loves this work, will be taken completely beyond the sound, and into the music.

If I had only one recording of this 20th century masterpiece, it would be with this orchestra and this conductor. But not this recording.

Seek out the 1969 CBS recording, for which a five-star rating is inadequte. Once you hear THAT stunning performance, you will never be satisfied with anything less.

Stravinsky: The Firebird; Rite of Spring; Petrouchka; Scherzo fantastique

Average customer rating:

In my opinion...
yeah right!
Outstanding "Rite", Good Firebird, Disappointing Petrushka
SORPRENDENTE

Stravinsky: The Firebird; Rite of Spring; Petrouchka; Scherzo fantastique

Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000006CRW
Release Date: 1998-03-17

Tracks:

Petrouchka - Tableau 1: The Shrovetide Fair
Petrouchka - Tableau 1: The Magic Trick
Petrouchka - Tableau 1: Russian Dance
Petrouchka - Tableau 2: Pouchka's Room
Petrouchka - Tableau 3: The Moor's Room
Petrouchka - Tableau 3: Dance of the Ballerina
Petrouchka - Tableau 3: Waltz (The Ballerina and the Moor)
Petrouchka - Tableau 4: The Shrovetide Fair (evening)
Petrouchka - Tableau 4: Dance of the Coachmen and the Grooms
Petrouchka - Tableau 4: The Mummers
Feu D'artifice Op. 4: Fireworks
The Rite of Spring - Adoration Of The Earth: Introduction
The Rite of Spring - Adoration Of The Earth: The Augurs of Spring
The Rite of Spring - Adoration Of The Earth: Ritual of Abduction
The Rite of Spring - Adoration Of The Earth: Spring Rounds
The Rite of Spring - Adoration Of The Earth: Ritual of the Two Rival Tribes
The Rite of Spring - Adoration Of The Earth: Procession of the Sage
The Rite of Spring - Adoration Of The Earth: The Kiss of the Earth
The Rite of Spring - Adoration Of The Earth: The Dancing Out of the Earth
The Rite Of Spring - The Sacrifice: Introduction
The Rite Of Spring - The Sacrifice: Mystic Circles of the Young Girls
The Rite Of Spring - The Sacrifice: Glorification of the Chosen One
The Rite Of Spring - The Sacrifice: Evocation of the Ancestors
The Rite Of Spring - The Sacrifice: Ritual Action of the Ancestors
The Rite Of Spring - The Sacrifice: Sacrifical Dance

Tracks:

The Firebird: Introduction
The Firebird: Kashchei's Enchanted Garden
The Firebird: Appearance of the Firebird
The Firebird: Dance of the Firebird
The Firebird: Ivan Tsarevich captures the Firebird
The Firebird: Supplication of the Firebird
The Firebird: Appearance of the Thirteen Enchanted Princesses
The Firebird: The Princesses' Game with the Golden Apples
The Firebird: Sudden Appearance of Ivan Tsarevich
The Firebird: The Princesses' Round Dance
The Firebird: Daybreak, Ivan Tsarevich enters Kashchei's Palace
The Firebird: Magic Carillon, Capture of Ivan Tsarevich
The Firebird: Arrival of Kashchei the Immortal
The Firebird: Appearence of the Firebird
The Firebird: Dance of Kashchei's Retinue
The Firebird: Infernal Dance
The Firebird: Lullaby (Firebird)
The Firebird: Kashchei's Death
The Firebird: Disappearence of the Palace and Dissolution of Kashchei's Enchantments, General Thanksgiving
Scherzo Fantastique, Op. 3: Pour Grand Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

In my opinion..........2006-02-12

These three well-received ballets by Russian-born Igor Stravinsky are something that (almost) everyone should hear. Each has its own lovable spark that has generated inspirations for later composers like Kodaly, Walton, and Poulenc. Petrushka is lively and hauntingly majestic at high levels with its instrumental solos and expressive settings. The Firebird is dark, bold, and deeply mythological, with a first-rate musical flow that lasts for about forty minutes. The Rite of Spring (Le Sacre du Printemps), as everyone well knows, is violently wicked and heavily evocative, and the orchestra does much more work than the ballet dancers. These three gems are at their highest marks when well-known conductors (such as Rattle, Salonen, Craft, and Gergiev) take these works and turn them into powerful forces of nature that travel into our ears and stimulate our brains with encouragement and surprise. With this 2 disc set, with Eliahu Inbal and the Philharmonia, I must say that it doesn't fail in performance or musicality. But it isn't perfect, however.

First off, with Le Sacre du Printemps, the introduction is more organic than usual, which gives a creepier and more sophisticated look of what's to come in the later segments. "The Augurs of Spring" and "Ritual of Abduction" disappoint. The pace is dragged and there isn't much energy to produce a full effect of what Stravinsky intended. "Ritual of the Two Rival Tribes" and "Procession of the Sage" will make you forget about the slowness of the recent two segments with its cackling willpower. The moaning tubas and the menacing trumpets are in good quality here. "The Dancing out of the Earth" is flawed because the solo trumpet is overpowered by the low woodwinds and fast strings. The second half of Sacre is by practical definition of the words Profound and Unforgettable. "Introduction" and "Mystic Circles of the Young Girls" will give you goose-bumps for sure. "Glorification of the Chosen One" is nearly faultless; its vigor isn't brought down by slower tempi, and the brass and strings are in top form. "Ritual Action of the Ancestors" is, as usual, devilish, and the loud "Sacrificial Dance" will make your skin crawl.

The Firebird, in its original 1910 manuscript, does not lack the charm when taken seriously by the conductor. From "Introduction" to "Supplication of the Firebird," the darkness of the first ten minutes of this piece has been given a slow swiftness, and that makes it a good thing. It makes you imagine the deep forests of Russia as a symbol of fear and not wildness. The Thirteen Princesses sequences are splendid; the lightness and dynamism have the perfect volume (not that soft and not that loud). The Round Dance is a relaxing trance that is interrupted by the terrifying equally ferocious appearances of Ivan Tsarevich. "Infernal Dance" is at its best in Inbal's hands. The tempo is perfect in this kind of situation, the resonance of the brass and woodwinds are not obscured by the strings that are given secondary importance here, and the percussion incredibly delivers with its clang and bang and clunk and thud. The "Lullaby" is a tearjerker when it comes to the bassoon's buoyancy and the strings' lovely dictions. The "General Thanksgiving" is slightly marred by the somewhat quick pace, but the brass and timpani in their 7/4 time signature are played with all their might and finishes this ballet with a humongous bang.

Inbal's rendition of Petrushka may not be satisfying to those who have heard of this piece before. Tableau 1 (The Shrovetide Fair, the Magic Trick, and Russian Dance) is only mediocre because of lack of tension. Tableau 2 (Petrushka's Room) is better with clear articulation from the woodwinds and brass. Though devoid of expression, it gives off a sparkling flow with its sheer lovingness. Tableaus 3 and 4 fail in many levels. The tempi is off, the tension is heard nowhere, the finale doesn't give out a smooth ebb with its finishing touch, and the strings don't seem to follow the conductor correctly. The trumpet solo in the "Dance of the Ballerina" sounds nice, though.

With two memorable fillers, Fireworks and Scherzo Fantastique, this set is part of the love-it-or-leave-it variety. I personally love it because of its firm handling of The Firebird and Le Sacre du Printemps. There are better recordings of Petrushka that are out there, like the Neeme Jarvi version. All in all, this is a good buy. Unfortunately, Amazon didn't have the nerve to collect more stock for this item, so you should find it somewhere else. At mid-price, you won't want to miss out on this one.

yeah right!.......2000-07-27

The Rite of Spring almost sounds good if you have never heard it played by a different orchestra. This disc did not live up to my expectations. If you want an awesome recording, look up Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring, by the Plovdiv Orchestra. You will be amazed!

Outstanding "Rite", Good Firebird, Disappointing Petrushka.......2000-03-29

The Philharmonia Orchestra has long been considered the British orchestra second in quality to the London Symphony Orchestra, and, more recently, third behind Rattle's City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. The Philharmonia Orchestra's glory days were the 1960s, particularly the recordings made under the direction of Giulini.

Under the baton of conductor Eliahu Inbal, this disk of Stravinsky marks their return to the world stage as a top-notch ensemble: exciting brass, tight ensemble playing, and strong individual woodwind performances. The recording of the Rite of Spring stands out as powerful as I have heard it anywhere. The raw bestiality of Stravinsky's score comes through with a vengeance--it is easy to see why this work evoked such outrage upon its premiere. Inbal provides strong direction and lets the colorful orchestration shine. The performance is so overwhelming you will want to play it to the limit your speakers (and neighbors) can tolerate.

The recording of the 1911 score of Petrushka, however, is a bit more disappointing. While there are many excellent individual performances among the musicians in the orchestra, it appears as though the work is under rehearsed. Petrushka requires the musicians to alternately sound like a full orchestra or a small chamber ensemble; the latter passages often lack rhythmic cohesion amongst the soloists. It is also a playful piece, but that character seems to have been somewhat missed in this performance.

The Firebird is heard here in its complete version. Fans of the suite extracted from this ballet will discover (not unexpectedly) that the suite encompasses the best passages of the entire work, and that the additional music makes the complete version into a rather clumsy composition. Nonetheless, the Philharmonia Orchestra performs valiantly: the Infernal Dance is energetic and exciting, the Lullaby beautiful, and the Finale grandiose (albeit the ensemble occasionally loses its cohesion here also).

Despite some drawbacks in the Petrushka, this 2-CD set is a good buy (it also includes the shorter Fireworks and Scherzo Fantastique) and has excellent sound quality.

SORPRENDENTE.......2000-03-23

Gran interpretación de Inbal en La consagración de la primavera, un manejo rítmico ejemplar, sumado a una concepción salvaje de la obra, hacen de ésta versión una de las mejores opciones para Le sacre. Además de que Inbal destaca en forma impresionante durante toda la obra, especialmente en el sacrificio, los instrumentos de percusión.

Tracks:

Le Sacre Du Printemps (The Rite Of Spring) Part One: The Fertility Of The Earth: Introduction
Le Sacre Du Printemps (The Rite Of Spring) Part One: The Fertility Of The Earth: Dance Of The Youths And Maidens
Le Sacre Du Printemps (The Rite Of Spring) Part One: The Fertility Of The Earth: Dance Of Abduction
Le Sacre Du Printemps (The Rite Of Spring) Part One: The Fertility Of The Earth: Spring Rounds
Le Sacre Du Printemps (The Rite Of Spring) Part One: The Fertility Of The Earth: Games Of The Rival Towns
Le Sacre Du Printemps (The Rite Of Spring) Part One: The Fertility Of The Earth: Entrance Of The Celebrant; The Kiss To The Earth; Dance To The Earth
Le Sacre Du Printemps (The Rite Of Spring) Part Two: The Sacrifice: Introduction (The Pagan Night)
Le Sacre Du Printemps (The Rite Of Spring) Part Two: The Sacrifice: Mystic Circle Of The Adolescents
Le Sacre Du Printemps (The Rite Of Spring) Part Two: The Sacrifice: Dance To The Glorified One
Le Sacre Du Printemps (The Rite Of Spring) Part Two: The Sacrifice: Evocation Of Ancestors
Le Sacre Du Printemps (The Rite Of Spring) Part Two: The Sacrifice: Ritual Performance Of The Ancestors
Le Sacre Du Printemps (The Rite Of Spring) Part Two: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance
Suite From Petrouchka: Scene I: The Shrove-Tide Fair
Suite From Petrouchka: Scenne II: Petrouchka's Room
Suite From Petrouchka: Scene IV:Grand Carnival
The Firebird, Suite (New Augmentated Version, 1945): Introduction And Dance Of The Firebird
The Firebird, Suite (New Augmentated Version, 1945): Adagio
The Firebird, Suite (New Augmentated Version, 1945): Scherzo
The Firebird, Suite (New Augmentated Version, 1945): Rondo
The Firebird, Suite (New Augmentated Version, 1945): Infernal Dance
The Firebird, Suite (New Augmentated Version, 1945): Lullaby
The Firebird, Suite (New Augmentated Version, 1945): Final Hymn

Tracks:

Scenes de Ballet: Introduction
Scenes de Ballet: Corps de Ballet Dances
Scenes de Ballet: Variations Of The Ballerina
Scenes de Ballet: Pantomime
Scenes de Ballet: Pas de Deux
Scenes de Ballet: Pantomime
Scenes de Ballet: Variation Of The Dancer
Scenes de Ballet: Variation Of The Ballerina
Scenes de Ballet: Pantomime
Scenes de Ballet: Corps de Ballet Dances
Scenes de Ballet: Apotheosis
Pastorale For Violin And Wind Quintet
Norwegian Moods: Intrada
Norwegian Moods: Song
Norwegian Moods: Wedding Dance
Norwegian Moods: Cotege
Fireworks
Ebony Concerto: Niderati
Ebony Concerto: Andante
Ebony Concerto: Moderato
Symphony No. 3: Overture - Allegro
Symphony No. 3: Andante
Symphony No. 3: Con Moto
Circus Polka

Customer Reviews:

A Catastrophe! One of the worst historical transfers ever!.......2001-12-26

These old recordings did not sound as bad on my 78 sets, and are heard better on Lys 271-273, where they are transferred in genuine mono. On this Pearl transfer by Lennick, the bass is grotesquely boomy, there are poor highs, and gobs of fake stereophonic echo, making the sound rumbly, indistinct, and ugly. The performances are very fine, better in some cases than the stereo versions mostly conducted by Stravinsky (with a lot of help from Robert Craft.) However, few collectors who are conscious of good technique in transferring old records would approve of *this* edition.

There's something you should know before buying this........2001-01-08

This music was recorded between 1940 and 1946. It says so on the cover, but it's illegible in the tiny little picture Amazon gives you. The recordings are monaural and very noisy. They sound very much like they were recorded in 1940. So while the CD has historical and educational value, it's not much of a pleasure to listen to. The CBS Masterworks "Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky" series is a much better deal.

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