Stravinsky: The Rite Of Spring/Pulcinella

1. Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring), ballet in 2 parts for orchestra
Composed by Igor Stravinsky
Performed by Seattle Symphony Orchestra with Susan Graham , Seth Krimsky , Jan Opalach , Gran Wilson
Conducted by Gerard Schwarz

2. Pulcinella, ballet with song in 1 act, for 3 vocal soloists & orchestra
Composed by Igor Stravinsky
Performed by Seattle Symphony Orchestra with Robert Bonnevie , Charles Butler , Raymond Davis , Stephen Fissel , Scott Goff , Susan Graham , Seth Krimsky , Michael Morgan , Jan Opalach , Bernard Shapiro
Conducted by Gerard Schwarz

Stravinsky: The Rite Of Spring/Pulcinella,Jan Opalach,David Taylor [bassoon],Seth Krimsky,Raymond Davis,Igor Stravinsky,Gerard Schwarz,Michael Morgan,Scott Goff,R. Scott Wilson,Robert Bonnevie,Bernard Shapiro,John DeJarnatt,Seattle Symphony Orchestra,Zartouhi Dombourian-Eby,Susan Graham,Gran Wilson,Stephen Fissel,Charles Butler,Richard Skerlong,Ilkka Talvi,Janet Baunton,Delos Records,20th/21st Century Ballet,Ballet,Classical,Classical Music

Average customer rating: Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material! Beginner or Expert Very Informative and Enjoyable Frank's view Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra

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Tracks:

1. Overture To 'Tannhauser'
2. Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
3. We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
4. Hungarian Dance No.7
5. The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
6. Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
7. But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
8. The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
9. The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
10. Csardas Music
11. The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
12. The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
13. Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
14. The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
15. Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
16. Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
17. The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
18. Tzigane
19. Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
20. Caprice No.24
21. 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.
22. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
23. Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
24. Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
25. Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
26. The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
27. The Violin Muted
28. Clair De Lune
29. The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
30. Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
31. The Pizzicato Violin
32. Pizzicato Polka
33. In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
34. Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
35. 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...
36. The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
37. 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
38. Hungarian Dance No.4
39. Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
40. The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
41. Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
42. Bolero
43. Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
44. Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
45. Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
46. Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
47. Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
48. Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
49. And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
50. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
51. The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
52. Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
53. The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
54. Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
55. Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
56. The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
57. Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
58. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
59. Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
60. The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
61. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
62. Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
63. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
64. Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
65. Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
66. To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
67. Elfenreigen

Tracks:

1. Introduction To The Viola
2. Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
3. Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
4. Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
5. Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
6. Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
7. 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.
8. Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
9. The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
10. Cypresses (No.9)
11. The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
12. Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
13. The 'Period' Viola In Bach
14. Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
15. The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
16. Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
17. Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
18. Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
19. Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
20. Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
21. In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
22. Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
23. But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
24. Elfentanz, Op.39
25. Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
26. The Protecting Veil (Opening)
27. A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
28. Flamenco
29. Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
30. Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
31. It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
32. Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
33. 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.
34. Symphony No.9 (Finale)
35. Introduction To The Double-Bass
36. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
37. But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
38. Elegy No.1 In D Major
39. 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.
40. Capriccio Di Bravura
41. 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)
42. 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....
43. Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

1. The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
2. Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
3. The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
4. Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
5. The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
6. Sa'Dawi
7. Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
8. Chamber Music No.II
9. The Piccolo - Aptly Named
10. La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
11. From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
12. Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
13. A Variety Of Techniques
14. Chamber Music No.II
15. Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
16. The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
17. From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
18. Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
19. An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
20. Naelden, Naelden
21. The Bachian Oboe
22. Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
23. Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
24. Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
25. The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
26. The Swan Of Tuonela
27. The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
28. Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
29. Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
30. Bolero
31. 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...
32. 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)
33. As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
34. Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
35. 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).
36. The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
37. The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
38. ...And Quite Low.
39. Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
40. The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
41. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
42. But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
43. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
44. Introduction To The Saxophone
45. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
46. The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
47. L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
48. The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
49. Bolero
50. The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
51. Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
52. The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
53. Sax-O-Phun
54. The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
55. Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
56. The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
57. Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
58. Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
59. And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
60. Bolero
61. The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
62. Symphony No.3 (Opening)
63. The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
64. The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
65. Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
66. The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
67. The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
68. Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
69. The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
70. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
71. The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
72. Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
73. Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
74. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
75. The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
76. Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

1. The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
2. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
3. The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
4. Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
5. The Ceremonial Trumpet
6. Fanfare For The Common Man
7. Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
8. Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
9. The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
10. Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
11. 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
12. Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
13. The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
14. Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
15. The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
16. Billy The Kid
17. The Trumpet As Character Actor
18. Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
19. The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
20. Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
21. The Birth Of The Trombone
22. Aenmerckt Nu Hier
23. The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
24. Canzon 12 In Double Echo
25. The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
26. Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
27. 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.
28. Hosannah
29. The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
30. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
31. The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
32. The Trombone As Caricaturist
33. Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
34. The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
35. The Horn And The Hunt
36. Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
37. The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
38. Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
39. The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
40. Walter Music (Minuet 1)
41. The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
42. Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
43. Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
44. The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
45. Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
46. The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
47. Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
48. The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
49. Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
50. The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
51. Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

1. Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
2. Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
3. At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
4. Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
5. Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
6. Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
7. The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
8. The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
9. Den Hoboecken Dans
10. Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
11. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
12. 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.
13. Gymnopedie No.2
14. 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...
15. 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)
16. More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
17. Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
18. 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.
19. Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
20. A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
21. Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
22. The Birth Of The Bongo
23. Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
24. From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
25. Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
26. From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
27. Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
28. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
29. But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
30. Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
31. Taking Advantage Of Tunability
32. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
33. 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.
34. Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
35. Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
36. The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
37. Ravel And The Xylophone
38. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
39. Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
40. Introducing The Vibraphone
41. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
42. The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
43. Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
44. Folk Dances
45. The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
46. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
47. Introducing The Tubular Bells
48. Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
49. A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
50. Carmen Suite (Introduction)
51. But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
52. Introducing The Celeste
53. The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
54. Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
55. Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
56. Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
57. 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
58. The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
59. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
60. The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
61. Petrushka (Russian Dance)
62. The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
63. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

1. The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
2. Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
3. A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
4. Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
5. Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
6. String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
7. The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
8. String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
9. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
10. String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
11. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
12. String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
13. The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
14. String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
15. The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
16. Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
17. Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
18. String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
19. The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
20. Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
21. Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
22. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
23. In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
24. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
25. In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
26. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
27. In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
28. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
29. Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
30. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
31. And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
32. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
33. The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
34. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
35. Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
36. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
37. A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
38. Octet In F (Mvt 3)
39. The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
40. Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
41. Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
42. Canzon 28
43. Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
44. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
45. From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
46. Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
47. Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
48. The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
49. Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
50. When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
51. Images (Gigues)
52. A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
53. Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
54. The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
55. Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
56. Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
57. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
58. 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.

The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.

Average customer rating: A Fabulous Introduction to Igor Stravinsky!!

The Essential Igor Stravinsky Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Dances | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Octets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Septets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Tone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Requiems | Forms & Genres | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Clarinet | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Brass | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Cleveland Orchestra | ( C ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Stravinsky: Works for Piano Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms/Symphony in 3 Movements Stravinsky: Three Greek Ballets (Apollo, Agon, Orpheus) Stravinsky: Rite Of Spring, Fireworks, Petrouchka / Ozawa, Tilson Thomas, Chicago Symphony Stravinsky: Symphonies of Wind Instruments, etc. ASIN: B00008NGAW Release Date: 2003-03-25

Tracks:

1. Fireworks, Op.4 - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
2. Danse Infernale De Tous Les Sujets De Kastchei - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
3. Berceuse (L'Oiseau De Feu) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
4. Reveil De Kastchei - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
5. Mort De Kastchei - Profonds Tenebres - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
6. Disparition Du Palais Et Des Sortileges De Kastchei, Animation Des Chevaliers Petrifies Allegresse Generale - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
7. Opening - Philharmonia Orchestra
8. The Shrove-tide Fair - Philharmonia Orchestra
9. The Charlatan's Booth - Philharmonia Orchestra
10. Russian Dance - Philharmonia Orchestra
11. Petrushka's Room - Philharmonia Orchestra
12. Introduction - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
13. Les Augures Printanieres (Danse Des Adolescentes) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
14. Jeu Du Rapt - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
15. Rondes Printanieres - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
16. Jeux Des Cites Rivales - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
17. Cortege Du Sage - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
18. Adoration De La Terre (Le Sage) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
19. Danse De La Terre - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
20. I. Andante - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
21. II. Napolitana - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
22. III. Espanola - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
23. IV. Balalaika - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
24. Ragtime For 11 Instruments - Toni Koves
25. Marche Royale - Columbia Chamber Ensemble
26. Petit Concert - Columbia Chamber Ensemble
27. Piano Rag Music - Igor Stravinsky
28. Sinfonia (Ouverture) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
29. Gavotta Con Due Variazioni - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
30. I. Sinfonia - London Sinfonietta
31. III. Allegro - Philippe Entremont

Tracks:

1. Part I. Exaudi Orationem Meam - London Symphony Chorus
2. IV. Capriccio - Cho-Liang Lin
3. Chant Sants Paroles - Israel Baker
4. Premiere Donne - Cleveland Orchestra
5. I. Tempo Giusto - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
6. III. Allegretto - London Symphony Orchestra
7. The Star-Spangled Banner - The Festival Singers Of Toronto
8. I. Intrada - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
9. Circus Polka (For A Young Elephant) - CBC Symphony Orchestra
10. Scherzo A La Russe - Philharmonia Orchestra
11. III. Con Moto - London Symphony Orchestra
12. I. Allegro Moderato - Benny Goodman
13. Good People, Just A Moment - Colin Tilney
14. Tango - Columbia Jazz Combo
15. Greeting Prelude (For The Eightieth Birthday Of Pierre Monteux) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
16. II. Ma Tu, Cagion Di Quella - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
17. Elegy For J.F.K. - Charles Russo
18. Fanfare For A New Theatre - Robert Nagel
19. II. Exaudi - Donald Gramm
20. III. Dies Irae - Donald Gramm
21. IV. Tuba Mirum - Donald Gramm
22. The Owl And The Pussycat - Robert Craft
23. Stravinsky In His Own Words - John McClure

Customer Reviews:

A Fabulous Introduction to Igor Stravinsky!!.......2004-05-19

Sony Music's "The Essential Igor Stravinsky" truly lives up to its title. This double-CD set includes nearly every important piece of work (either in part or in whole) by the great Russian composer. The set also presents the pieces in chronological order beginning in 1908 with "Fireworks" and ending in 1966 with his final piece, the short but simple "Owl and The Pussycat". In between, there are excerpts from Stravinsky's most famous works including the first part of "The Rite Of Spring" and highlights from the "Firebird" and "Petrushka" ballets. There are also lesser-known works included as well as his harmonically rearranged version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" (a rendition which caused a stir in the early 1940's). The entire collection concludes with a rare recorded interview with Igor Stravinsky himself in which he remembers the infamous premere of "The Rite Of Spring".
The CD booklet includes detailed liner notes as well as a written tribute by Trey Anastasio of the band Phish. The sound quality of the recordings is amazing (even on the historic 1934 recording of "Piano Rag Music"). All in all, this an excellent collection of works by the great Igor Stravinsky. In a sense, this compilation gives the composer the 'rock musician' treatment. It's a 'greatest hits' album and a career-spanning retrospective that serves as an ideal introduction to Igor's music. Even if your not a fan of Classical music, it isn't difficult to listen to the works of Stravinsky and not be stirred.
Definitely The Essential Igor Stravinsky!!!

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 All Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | 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:

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

Tracks:

1. Petrouchka: Fete populaire de la semaine grasse - The Shrovetide Fair
2. Petrouchka: Danse russe - Russian Dance
3. Petrouchka: CHez Petrouchka - Petruschka's Room
4. Petrouchka: CHez la Maure - The Moor's Room
5. Petrouchka: Valse: La Ballerine et le Maure - Waltz: The Ballerina and the Moor
6. Petrouchka: Fete populaire de la semaine grasse - The Shrovetide Fair (towards evening)
7. Petrouchka: Danse des nounous - Dance of the Nursemaids
8. Petrouchka: L'ours et un paysan - The Bear and the Peasant
9. Petrouchka: Un marchand fetard avec deux tziganes - The Jovial Merchant with Two Gypsy Girls
10. Petrouchka: Danse des cochers et des palefreniers - Dance of the Coachmen and Grooms
11. Petrouchka: The Masqueraders
12. Petrouchka: La rixe: Le Maure et Petrouchka - The Fight: The Moor and Petrushka
13. Petrouchka: Mort de Petrouchka - Death of Petrushka
14. Petrouchka: La police et le charlatan - The Police and the Showman
15. Petrouchka: Apparition du double de Petrouchka - Apparation of Petrushka
16. Pulcinella: Ouverture: Allegro mederato
17. Pulcinella: Serenata: Larghetto
18. Pulcinella: Scherzino: Allegro
19. Flaminio, Act III, Checca's Canzona: Poco piu vivo
20. Pulcinella: Allegro
21. Pulcinella: Andantino
22. Pulcinella: Allegro
23. Pulcinella: Allegretto
24. Pulcinella: Allegretto assai
25. Pulcinella: Allegro
26. Pulcinella: Largo (Trio), Allegro, Presto
27. Pulcinella: Allegro - alla breve
28. Pulcinella: Tarantella
29. Pulcinella: Andantino
30. Pulcinella: Allegro
31. Pulcinella: Gavotta con due variazioni
32. Pulcinella: Vivo
33. Pulcinella: Tempo di minuetto
34. 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.

Average customer rating: Hours and hours of fun! Prodigious performances! Ansermet & Stravinsky - A Perfect Pair

Stravinsky: Ballets; Stage Works; Orchestral Works Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Septets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Tone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Debussy, Ravel: Orchestral Works Grieg: Complete Music with Orchestra Strauss: Orchestral Works Beethoven - The Complete String Quartets / Alban Berg Quartet Sibelius: The Complete Symphonies & Tone Poems ASIN: B00005ND3M Release Date: 2002-05-14

Tracks:

1. The Firebird: Intro
2. The Firebird: Tableau 1: Kashchei's Magic Garden
3. The Firebird: Tableau 1: Appearance Of The Firebird Pursued By Prince Ivan
4. The Firebird: Tableau 1: The Firebird's Dance
5. The Firebird: Tableau 1: Prince Ivan Captures The Firebird
6. The Firebird: Tableau 1: Supplications Of The Firebird/Appearance Of The Thirteen Enchanted...
7. The Firebird: Tableau 1: The Princesses' Game With The Golden Apples
8. The Firebird: Tableau 1: Sudden Appearance Of Prince Ivan
9. The Firebird: Tableau 1: The Princesses' Round-Dance
10. The Firebird: Tableau 1: Daybreak
11. The Firebird: Tableau 1: Magic Carillon/Appearance Of Kashchei's Guardian Monsters/Capture Of...
12. The Firebird: Tableau 1: Dance Of Kashcheis Retinue Under The Firebird's Spell
13. The Firebird: Tableau 1: Infernal Dance Of All Kashchei's Subjects
14. The Firebird: Tableau 1: Lullaby (The Firebird)/Kashchei Awakes/Death Of Kashchei/Darkness
15. The Firebird: Tableau 2: Dissolution Of The Palace And Kashchei's Spells/Animation Of The...
16. The Song Of The Nightingale: Feast In The Emperor's Palace
17. The Song Of The Nightingale: The Two Nightingales
18. The Song Of The Nightingale: Illness And Recovery Of The Emperor Of China

Tracks:

1. Petrouchka: Tableau 1: The Shrovetide Fair
2. Petrouchka: Tableau 2: In Petrushka's Room
3. Petrouchka: Tableau 3: In The Moor's Room
4. Petrouchka: Tableau 4: The Shrovetide Fair, Evening
5. The Rite Of Spring: The Adoration Of The Earth: Intro
6. The Rite Of Spring: The Adoration Of The Earth: Augurs Of Spring/Dances Of The Young Girls
7. The Rite Of Spring: The Adoration Of The Earth: Ritual Of Abduction
8. The Rite Of Spring: The Adoration Of The Earth: Spring Rounds
9. The Rite Of Spring: The Adoration Of The Earth: Ritual Of The Rival Tribes
10. The Rite Of Spring: The Adoration Of The Earth: Procession Of The Sage
11. The Rite Of Spring: The Adoration Of The Earth: The Sage
12. The Rite Of Spring: The Adoration Of The Earth: Dance Of The Earth
13. The Rite Of Spring: The Sacrifice: Intro
14. The Rite Of Spring: The Sacrifice: Mystic Circles Of The Young Girls
15. The Rite Of Spring: The Sacrifice: Glorification Of The Chosen One
16. The Rite Of Spring: The Sacrifice: Evocation Of The Ancestors
17. The Rite Of Spring: The Sacrifice: Ritual Action Of The Ancestors
18. The Rite Of Spring: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance: The Chosen One

Tracks:

1. Pulcinella: Ov: Allegro Moderato
2. Pulcinella: Serenata: Larghetto 'Mentre L'Erbetta' - Carlo Franzini
3. Pulcinella: Scherzino: Allegro
4. Pulcinella: Allegro
5. Pulcinella: Andantino
6. Pulcinella: Allegro
7. Pulcinella: Ancora Poco Meno 'Contento Forse Vivere' - Marilyn Tyler
8. Pulcinella: Allegro Assai
9. Pulcinella: Allegro - Alla Breve 'Con Queste Paroline' - Boris Carmeli
10. Pulcinella: Largo 'Sento Dire No'nce Pace' - Marilyn Tyler/Carlo Franzini/Boris Carmeli
11. Pulcinella: Allegro - Alla Breve
12. Pulcinella: Tarantella
13. Pulcinella: Andantino 'Se Tu M'Ami' - Marilyn Tyler
14. Pulcinella: Allegro
15. Pulcinella: Allegro
16. Pulcinella: Gavotta Con Due Vars
17. Pulcinella: Tempo Di Minuetto 'Pupilette, Fiammette D'Amore' - Marilyn Tyler/Carlo Franzini/Boris Carmeli
18. Pulcinella: Allegro Assai
19. Apollo: Prologue: Naissance D'Apollon
20. Apollo: Var D'Apollon: Apollon Et Les Muses
21. Apollo: Pas D'Action
22. Apollo: Var De Calliope
23. Apollo: Var De Polymnie
24. Apollo: Var De Terpsichore
25. Apollo: Var D'Apollon
26. Apollo: Pas De Deux
27. Apollo: Coda: Apollon Et Les Muses
28. Apollo: Apotheose

Tracks:

1. The Fairy's Kiss: Scene 1: Prologue
2. The Fairy's Kiss: Scene 2: A Village Fete
3. The Fairy's Kiss: Scene 3: By The Mill
4. The Fairy's Kiss: Scene 4. Epilogue: Lullaby Of The Land Beyond Time And Place
5. Renard (A Burlesque Story To Be Sung And Played) - Gerald English/John Mitchinson/Peter Glossop/Joseph Rouleau/John Leach

Tracks:

1. The Soldier's Tale: Marche Du Soldat - Michael Schwalbe/Hans Fryba/Leon Hoogstoal/Henri Helaerts/Paolo Longinotti/Pierre Aubapan...
2. The Soldier's Tale: Musique Pour Scene 1 - Michael Schwalbe/Hans Fryba/Leon Hoogstoal/Henri Helaerts/Paolo Longinotti/Pierre Aubapan...
3. The Soldier's Tale: Musique Pour Scene 2 - Michael Schwalbe/Hans Fryba/Leon Hoogstoal/Henri Helaerts/Paolo Longinotti/Pierre Aubapan...
4. The Soldier's Tale: Marche Royale - Michael Schwalbe/Hans Fryba/Leon Hoogstoal/Henri Helaerts/Paolo Longinotti/Pierre Aubapan...
5. The Soldier's Tale: Petit Conc - Michael Schwalbe/Hans Fryba/Leon Hoogstoal/Henri Helaerts/Paolo Longinotti/Pierre Aubapan...
6. The Soldier's Tale: Tango - Waltz - Ragtime - Michael Schwalbe/Hans Fryba/Leon Hoogstoal/Henri Helaerts/Paolo Longinotti/Pierre Aubapan...
7. The Soldier's Tale: Danse Du Diable - Michael Schwalbe/Hans Fryba/Leon Hoogstoal/Henri Helaerts/Paolo Longinotti/Pierre Aubapan...
8. The Soldier's Tale: Chorale - Michael Schwalbe/Hans Fryba/Leon Hoogstoal/Henri Helaerts/Paolo Longinotti/Pierre Aubapan...
9. The Soldier's Tale: Marche Triomphale Du Diable - Michael Schwalbe/Hans Fryba/Leon Hoogstoal/Henri Helaerts/Paolo Longinotti/Pierre Aubapan...
10. Pulcinella: Sinf
11. Pulcinella: Serenata
12. Pulcinella: Scherzino
13. Pulcinella: Allegro
14. Pulcinella: Andantino
15. Pulcinella: Tarantella
16. Pulcinella: Toccata
17. Pulcinella: Gavotta Con Due Vars
18. Pulcinella: Vivo
19. Pulcinella: Minuetto
20. Pulcinella: Finale

Tracks:

1. Sym in C: I. Moderato Alla Breve
2. Sym in C: II. Larghetto Conc
3. Sym in C: III. Allegretto
4. Sym in C: IV: Largo - Tempo Giusto Alla Breve
5. Sym in Three Movts: I. 1/2nt = 160
6. Sym in Three Movts: II. Andante
7. Sym in Three Movts: III. Con Moto
8. Syms Of Wind Instruments

Tracks:

1. Con: Largo - Allegro - Nikita Magaloff
2. Con: Largo - Nikita Magaloff
3. Con: Allegro - Nikita Magaloff
4. Capriccio: Presto - Nikita Magaloff
5. Capriccio: Andante Rapsodico - Nikita Magaloff
6. Capriccio: Allegro Capriccioso Ma Tempo Giusto - Nikita Magaloff
7. Ste No.1: Andante
8. Ste No.1: Napolitana - L'Orch De La Suisse Romande/Ernest Ansermet L
9. Ste No.1: Espanola
10. Ste No.1: Balalaika
11. Ste No.2: Marche
12. Ste No.2: Valse
13. Ste No.2: Polka
14. Ste No.2: Galop
15. 4 Etudes: Danse
16. 4 Etudes: Excentrique
17. 4 Etudes: Cantique
18. 4 Etudes: Madrid
19. Scherzo A La Russe

Tracks:

1. Sym Of Psalms: I. Psaume XXXIX - Choeur De Radio Lausanne/Andre Charlet
2. Sym Of Psalms: II. Psaume XL - Choeur De Radio Lausanne/Andre Charlet
3. Sym Of Psalms: III. Psaume CL - Choeur De Radio Lausanne/Andre Charlet
4. The Wedding: Tableau 1: At The Bride's - Basia Retchitzka/Lucienne Devallier/Hugues Cuenod/Heinz Rehfuss/Vladimir Diakoff/Motet De Geneve...
5. The Wedding: Tableau 2: At The Bridegroom's - Basia Retchitzka/Lucienne Devallier/Hugues Cuenod/Heinz Rehfuss/Vladimir Diakoff/Motet De Geneve...
6. The Wedding: Tableau 3: The Bride's Departure - Basia Retchitzka/Lucienne Devallier/Hugues Cuenod/Heinz Rehfuss/Vladimir Diakoff/Motet De Geneve...
7. The Wedding: Tableau 4: The Wedding Feast - Basia Retchitzka/Lucienne Devallier/Hugues Cuenod/Heinz Rehfuss/Vladimir Diakoff/Motet De Geneve...
8. Mavra: Ov
9. Mavra: Air - Joan Carlyle
10. Mavra: Gypsy Song - Kenneth Macdonald/Joan Carlyle
11. Mavra: Dialogue - Helen Watts/Joan Carlyle
12. Mavra: Air - Helen Watts
13. Mavra: Dialogue - Helen Watts/Monica Sinclair
14. Mavra: Duet - Helen Watts/Monica Sinclair
15. Mavra: Dialogue - Helen Watts/Monica Sinclair/Joan Carlyle/Kenneth Macdonald
16. Mavra: Qt - Helen Watts/Monica Sinclair/Joan Carlyle/Kenneth Macdonald
17. Mavra: Dialogue - Helen Watts/Monica Sinclair
18. Mavra: Duet - Joan Carlyle/Kenneth Macdonald
19. Mavra: Dialogue - Kenneth Macdonald/Joan Carlyle/Helen Watts
20. Mavra: Air - Kenneth Macdonald
21. Mavra: Coda - Kenneth Macdonald/Joan Carlyle/Helen Watts/Monica Sinclair

Customer Reviews:

Hours and hours of fun!.......2007-01-24

Renard alone makes this set worthwhile. No other recorded performance (including Stravinsky's own) brings out the humor and basic "enjoyability" of this piece.

Prodigious performances!.......2006-10-17

Ernest Ansermet' s refined style was always supported by an admirable incisiveness around all what he conducted. And his Stravinsky still stands as one of the most perfect, idiomatic and extraordinary readings ever made; hovered with that deep vision and knower of the Stravinsky' s aesthetic; Ansermet always to blend power, febrile imagination and musculature, among his best achievements I should remark his Fairy' s kiss, The game of cards, Petrouchka, and the thundering Le Sacre are played with the right balance between abstraction and finesse; expression and sumptuous lyricism.

So you should not hesitate just for a second at the moment to decide to go for this special compilation.

Absolutely recommended.

Ansermet & Stravinsky - A Perfect Pair.......2003-05-19

This 8 CD collection of Stravinsky's Ballets, Stage Works and Orchestral Works is nothing short of magical. Conducted in its entirety by Ernest Ansermet leading the orchestra he founded, L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, this box set, while not complete, features all the great Stravinsky compositions -- "Firebird," "Rite of Spring," "Petrouchka," "Pulcinella," and all the Symphonies among others. Unlike most of history's great composers, Stravinsky himself was able to conduct and record his own music in stereo, so why not just get those discs? Well you should, but the Ansermet recordings generally offer superior sound and clarity. In fact, Ansermet was Stravinsky's personal choice to conduct the world premieres of many of his recordings, and Ansermet was selected by the composer to introduce the three famous ballets to U.S. audiences. A mathematician prior to his life as a conductor, Ansermet had his critics as he was virtually self-taught, though he did study music as a youth. But that mathematics background served him well in the studio as his early stereo recordings of everything from Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev to Falla and Chausson are engineered to perfection, and often sound better than the recordings by so-called more famous conductors. But don't take my word for it, buy some Ansermet for yourself and see. If you are not prepared to get this Stravinsky Box right away, then ease in with the new Ernest Ansermet "Great Conductors of the Century" compilation (see my review). You won't be disappointed.

Average customer rating: Stravinsky the Composer, not Stravinsky the Conductor Staggering! All the Stravinsky I'll ever need! Magnificent! Where's my Petrushka? legendary

Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Polkas | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Octets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Septets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Smith, John Stafford | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Tone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Clarinet | Reeds & Winds | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Brass | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music New York Philharmonic Orchestra | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Stravinsky: Chamber Works & Rarities Arnold Schoenberg: Chamber Music for Strings Stravinsky: Works for Piano Original Jacket Collection: Vladimir Horowitz Memories and Commentaries: New One-Volume Edition ASIN: B000031X11 Release Date: 1999-12-07

Customer Reviews:

Stravinsky the Composer, not Stravinsky the Conductor.......2006-09-18

It is a pretty good collection, lots of music from Stravinsky's entire carreer, but one must keep in mind that Stravinsky was a brilliant composer, and not a commanding maestro. You will not necessarily be getting the best recordings of these works. For example, something like the Boulez/Cleveland Rite of Spring is far superior to those in this collection. He is a vastly better conductor, and is much more capable of making the orchestra perform Stravinsky's intentions than Stravinsky is. All in all, however, I am more than glad I own this set.

Staggering! All the Stravinsky I'll ever need!.......2006-05-20

While I had heard some Stravinsky compositions prior to my purchase, this was the first (and only) Stravinsky material I have ever owned. As a young music enthusiast, the draw to me was to hear these pieces as Stravinsky conducted them and to get so many of them at such a great price, not to have the original jackets for the purpose of reminiscing. So, as someone who needed a good jump start into the works of Stravinsky (by Stravinsky), this set has proven totally invaluable. And while more information could have been packed onto these cds, I do appreciate how closely these discs have stuck to the original releases. I don't know about the portion of Petroushka which some reviewers claim is missing (as I don't know any other version), but I was totally blown away at hearing this version of Petroushka anyhow. In all, for whatever faults some sticklers may find here or there with this set, the value of this material collected in such a way (and at such a price) by far outweighs any possible faults.

Magnificent!.......2006-03-02

A great collection. There is simply no substitute for hearing Stravinsky as the great composer wanted to have his music played. Here is so much and also so varied a collection. I have been enjoying this set a great deal. One of the 20th century's greatest composers conducting his own compositions.

Where's my Petrushka?.......2003-08-01

The main reason I bought this box is because I was introduced to Stravinsky's Petrushka in the spring of 2003, and I loved it.
Along with Rite of Spring I think it's the most brilliant music Mr. Stravinsky ever wrote...so, I've been listening to the 34-minute long 1960 CSO recording of it at least once a day since I first heard it, naturally sort of memorizing it, but it didn't fit when I made this CD spin. The recording of Petrushka in this box is the VERY SAME RECORDING (1960) that I'd listened to, but it's cut to a suite! It's only 24 minutes long. You can tell it's obviously cut at certain points if you're familiar with the uncut version. 10 WHOLE MINUTES ARE MISSING FROM "PETRUSHKA!" I was (and still am) very disappointed by this.
Familiarizing myself with the rest of the discs was very fulfilling, though; I love the Ebony Concerto with the Columbia Jazz Combo featuring Benny Goodman...but the "suite-cut" of Petrushka made me paranoid...I can't be sure if anything else is edited or not...
There are 75 pages of notes in the booklet about the recordings but only 1/3 is in English.
The special multimedia feature disc is nothing much. With awful graphics it features the same notes as in the booklet, and there are lyrics for those who want to use the box for karaoke.
These 400 minutes of music (an average of 45 minutes per disc) could fit on only 5 CD's instead of 9, but it seems that this collection is made for nostaligs who will love watching and touching these tiny LP-jackets - after all, it is called the "Original Jacket Collection."
Incidentally, all of Stravinsky's recorded work which he conducted himself is not in this box. It is not at all complete; aside from the missing part of "Petrushka," his own reading of "Symphony in Three Movements" is missing (but available on CBS.)
Hats off to the man himself anyway. The music is brilliant, and considering that these recordings are 40+ years old, the sound quality is very good. Excellent stereophony on Rite of Spring!
It's a good thing that his music is still available and that people are offering refurbished products thereof. But if you love Petrushka like I do...buy the real thing...this just might disappoint you...
The 3 stars is a compromise of the music and the package; (5 stars for the music & its quality - 1 star for the package, choice of discs and--considering the price--somewhat weak linear notes.)

legendary.......2002-06-30

This 9 cd set is an historical one...more than half of Stravinsky's works are collected in this set. i clearly can say that there isn't any better recording for Stravinsky's works. especcialy first released USA's national anthem and a 12 tone work "Fanfare for two Trumpets" are remarkable.and we can also mention that some noises during the recording procces (i.e: Stravinsky's turning the page of the partition) gives a different taste to the listener. This is a real golden box of music.

Average customer rating: Always Good to Study Bernstein Again Irregular Stravinsky and Shostakovich jewels. Not the best of Bernstein, but there are some gems

Stravinsky, Shostakovich: Bernstein's Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Shostakovich | Shostakovich, Dmitri | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon Leonard Bernstein Conducts Sibelius (Collectors Edition) Mahler 2: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon Mahler I: Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon Mahler III: Complete Recordings on DeUtsche Grammophon 3 ASIN: B000ASAENU Release Date: 2005-11-08

Customer Reviews:

Always Good to Study Bernstein Again.......2006-05-09

Now that Leonard Bernstein has entered the canonization of American conductors it is healthy to review his recorded output to understand the impact he had on classical music in America (and the world, for that matter). Not all of Bernstein's recordings are worthy of placement in the upper echelon of the library, but his approaches to scores are always deserving of attention. This boxed set (six CDs) from DGG represents all of the recordings Bernstein made with that prestigious recording company and while not all of them are his best, they each carry a halo of growth and altered approach Bernstein offers after his long years of conducting.

Included in the box set are Shostakovich Symphonies 1 and 7 with the Chicago Symphony, and 6 and 9 with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Both ensembles are first rate and Bernstein elicits fine playing from them. If he dwells a bit long in the tooth on the languid portions of Shostakovich, his other recordings give spikier accounts.

For the works of Stravinsky (long associated with Bernstein until the 'new breed' of conductors usurped that throne) Bernstein conducts the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, an orchestra over which he held great authority, in fine performances of the second suite from 'L'oiseau de feu', the 1947 version of 'Petrushka', 'Pulcinella', a varied 'Le Sacre du printemps', the 'Symphony in C' and 'Symphony in Three Movements'. The performances include some of his most insightful conducting as well as some of his least involved!

Fortunately DGG includes Bernstein's superb performance of 'Les Noces' for vocal soloists, chorus, 4 pianos & percussion with John Mitchinson, English Bach Festival Percussion Ensemble, Homero Francesch, Paul Hudson, Martha Argerich (!), Krystian Zimerman (!), Patricia Parker, Cyprien Katsaris, Anny Mory in a rhythmically secure, propulsively conducted and controlled manner. Using the same forces he encores the 'Mass, for chorus & double wind quintet', a work still too infrequently performed today.

There is always something to learn from hearing Bernstein conduct (and talk! - remember those superb Sunday televised encounters?) and it is to DGG's credit to present this wide range of recordings in one set. Grady Harp, May 06

Irregular Stravinsky and Shostakovich jewels........2006-03-07

DG is releasing some of the most interesting Bernstein's performances they have launched in other series or kept in their catalogue. This 6 CDs box offers the works by two Russian composers Bernstein loved very much and with whom he had an enormous feeling and empathy. Those are Igor Stravinsky and Dimitri Shostakovich.

First of all DSCH, that is the really best in this box...

Symphonies 1 & 7 are the only recording, as far as I know, Leonard Bernstein did with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, a group of players with a very long tradition in the American music and with a great technical playing good enough to play quite all the repertoires.

Like in the case of his Mahler's 9 with Berlin, Bernstein only recording with this orchestra is a miracle that happens once and never more, because of many reasons, the first one because this is a live recording in the Medinah Temple and the emotions felt in this CD could not happen again.

I always thought Chicago is a very appropriate orchestra to play DSCH's music, because of the characteristics of the orchestra and of Shostakovich's music, very hard and very sensitive at the same time. One of the symphonies it's better to this couple DSCH & CSO is the 7th that it's not the most complex between DSCH's works, from the technical and musical point of view, but that demands a great and powerful orchestral response, something you can listen perfectly in this amazing recording, in which CSO gives his best, with a baton that understand very well the score, as far as he can... I think no one could understand completely the meaning of the Leningrad not being in the place of the siege or in the scenario described in the double-program of the symphony, probably linked to the oppression Stalin made with his politics to the pre-communist life of Saint Petersburg. I remember Goethe's words, when he said that reading a book is more complex than reading a book. Of course good Goethe talked about understanding a work, and Lenny, even not living that situation gives us a description of the fears, sadness, oppression, etc, really convincing from the very first bar.

Symphony Nº1 is a piece from DSCH's conservatoire years, from 1926, when the composer was only 19 years old and he was suffering a very disturbing economical situation, after his father's death and in the poor CCCP after the Revolution and the Civil War. It's known DSCH had to work in a cinema, under very hard conditions to eat, and that Glazunov took care of having some official assistance for his conservatoire pupil in order to Dimitri gave attention only to composer. The piece is not a great work like symphonies 5, 7, 8, 10, 13... but it shows some details and the personality of the maestro clearly. It was a great success from the same premiere and it made appear Shostakovich as the emergent figure of the new soviet composers, formed in the communist conservatoire... That was what the regime said, because in fact Leningrad conservatoire was mainly what it was before communist regime.

Leonard Bernstein performance of this symphony is a glory from all the points of view, perfectly played and recorded, the piece is fresh, full of tension and emotion, and even that parts not so fine orchestrated shine with real genius. The fourth and final movement is specially outstanding and the way the symphony ends is so good that sometimes I repeat the last minute when it finish. I really don't know any other version played with this very deep conviction on CD.

Seventh Symphony "Leningrad" is OUTSTANDING too, in every movement the orchestral playing and Lenny's conducting is breathtaking. The gigantic crescendo of the first movement is really a monument in the way Lenny control the dynamics perfectly, having an end that is really impossible to repeat, with the scales of the metals and drums full of terror, like watching the face of the death in front of you, in front of the city.

Central movements are wonderfully described too, the dynamics and the control of the tempo is amazing, as we listen in the second movement, a clear example of alternation between fortissimos and pianissimos, as between an atmosphere were everything is like suspended in fears and moments of pain.

The last movement is another Bernstein's `show', because of the way he proclaims the victory of the initial motif, which we could say is not completely affirmed in order to create that two-senses possibilities in the symphony reading. From the very dark beginning of the movement Lenny creates a crescendo that finally leads an explosion in the last bars, outstanding one more time.

The recording is fine, very present, full of body but not so clean like his recordings with Vienna in the 80's (I think about his DSCH's 6 & 9, for example; too on this CDs box), but it worth very, VERY, very much.

I could not say this is the only possible version, as I read in other reviews. I know about 5 or 6 performances (Rostropovich, Jansons, Haitink, Barshai...), apart from some others life, and of course this is the one I like much more, but not the only possibility, I try to discover always new ways in art, specially in music performances. Jansons' version in EMI is very good too, and we can not forget DSCH music always use to ask for the soviet performances, which are a very different way of understanding the works generally. Kondrashin or Rozhdestvensky shows another ways too.

If Symphonies 1 & 7 with Chicago are good, Symphonies 6 & 9 with Vienna are extraordinary too. I have read sometimes critics about the slow tempo Bernstein used, but I've to say this tempo brings new views and conceptions about these marvellous scores. First movement of Symphony Nº6 sounds deep and spacious, technically perfect like the rest of the performance. Second and third movements are really amazing, hard to believe because of the incredible level of the Vienna players, in a tempo that allows you to listen all the instruments and musical phrases perfectly defined. Symphony Nº9 performed by Bernstein was said it is too much triumphal... I really like it very much in the way it's played, like the Sixth marvellous form any point of view.

Stravinsky is good, but the orchestra is not at the same level than CSO or WP. Petrouchka is very, very good and very theatrical. Le Sacre is savage, furious and very interesting. The most important works are, in this way, those better conducted by Lenny and best played by the Israel Orchestra.

We have to mention Noces and Mass, not very usual on CD and with fine performances on Bernstein hands.

Sound is better in DSCH recordings, as in Stravinsky there are some works (Noces, Mass) in ADD recordings.

Anyway, a very, VERY interesting 6 CDs Box which worth for all those who don't have these Shostakovich performances and for those who want to have good performances of some of the best Stravinsky's works.

Not the best of Bernstein, but there are some gems.......2006-01-22

This DG bargain box of 6 CDs brings together recordings of Stravinsky and Shostakovich that, with few exceptions, are remakes of considerably better earlier ones. The Stravinsky works mostly date from 1982 with the Israel Phil. They would be considered quite good except that the earlier NY Phil. recordings are great. The same holds true for the Shostakovich, though perhaps not to such an extent, since the Vienna Phil. plays so spectacularly on two of them.

As a quick overview:

Stravinsky: The best readings here are the Firebird Suite from Tel Aviv and a pairing of Les Noces and Mass from London in 1977. The last two arena't remakes. The Isael account of Le Sacre is certainly very good in spots but rather slack in other spots. The little-heard Scenes de Ballet gets an elegant, sinuous reading with not a trace of excessive underlining, while the Sym. in Three Movements is plodding (neither of these is a remake). The Petrushka is dull and uninvolving. In all, more than half of the music on these three CDs stands up very well.

Shostakovich: The best is Sym. #9 with the marvelous Vienna Phil. from 1985, a cheerful, refined reading that eschews darkness. The Sym. #6 from the same source, but a year earlier, sounds noncommittal and underplayed. Sym. #1 and 7 come from 1988, quite late in Bernstein's career. The Chicago Sym. plays elegantly in the First, but everything seems a bit tired. The Seventh was a Bernstein specialty; he had made a huge hit recorded and is almost as good, though lacking the uncanny communiction of the first version. I found the playing too refined at times, but Bernstein never played this piece for its potential savagery. In all, this Seventh and the Ninth have worn the best.

All the sonics here are exceptionally good. Bernstein got good analog sound from Columbia when he was with the NY Phil, but these digital remasterings leave those old versions in the dust. It's a trade-off, then, since as an interpreter Bernstein never excelled his youthful self in these works.

Average customer rating: I wanted zero stars..

Best Of Stravinsky Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Septets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Best of Shostakovich Best of Prokofiev Best Of Rimsky-Korsakov The Best of Bartók The Best of Fauré ASIN: B0000014I0 Release Date: 1999-06-22

Tracks:

1. Pulcinella: Ouverture
2. Pulcinella: Scherzino
3. Pulcinella: Allegro
4. Pulcinella: Andantino
5. Pulcinella: Allegro
6. The Firebird: Round of the Princesses
7. The Firebird: King Kastchei's Infernal Dance
8. The Firebird: Berceuse
9. The Firebird: Finale
10. The Soldier's Tale: March Royale
11. Trois Danses: Tango
12. Trois Danses: Valse
13. Trois Danses: Ragtime
14. Petrushka: The Shrove-Tide Fair
15. Petrushka: Russian Dance
16. Petrushka
17. Petrushka: The Blackamoor
18. The Rite Of Spring: Part 2: The Sacrifice - Introduction - Mystical Circle Of The Adoleschents - Glorification Of The Chosen One - Evocation Of The Ancestors - Ritual Of The Ancestors - Sacrificial Dance (The Chosen One)

Customer Reviews:

I wanted zero stars.........1999-11-26

What! Only Part 2 of Le Sacre Du Printemps! That's sacrilegious and this cd will burn in all eternal Hell!

Average customer rating:

Stravinsky For Dummies Manufacturer: Angel Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music ASIN: B000002S9I Release Date: 1996-10-29

Tracks:

1. The Rite of Spring, Part I: Adoration of the Earth - The Philadelphia Orch/Riccardo Muti
2. Applon Musagate, First Tableau (Prologue)
3. Four Studies for Orch: Danse
4. Four Studies for Orch: Excentrique
5. Four Studies for Orch: Cantique
6. Four Studies for Orch: Madrid
7. Sym in Three Movts: III. Con moto
8. Pulcinella: Ov - Northern Sinfornia Orch/Simon Rattle
9. Petrushka: Fourth Tableau
10. Ste No.2: Galop - Northern Sinfornia Orch/Simon Rattle
11. The Firebird: Lullaby & Finale

Average customer rating: Absolutely Fantastic Performance One of the best recordings of Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps..... Excellent! A very exciting performance! It will blow you away!

Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring/Pulcinella Suite Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Ballets & Dances | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Atlanta Symphony Orchestra | ( A ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite; Borodin: Music from Prince Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird/Fantaisie for Orchestra Op.4/Four Studies Stravinsky: Rite Of Spring, Fireworks, Petrouchka / Ozawa, Tilson Thomas, Chicago Symphony Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky: Petrouchka/ Le Sacre du Printemps Bach - The Complete Brandenburg Concertos / Pearlman, Boston Baroque ASIN: B000003CXF Release Date: 1992-08-25

Tracks:

1. Introduction
2. Dances Of The Adolescent Girls
3. Game Of Abduction
4. Spring Rounds
5. Games Of Rival Tribes
6. Procession Of The Sage
7. The Sage
8. Dance Of the Earth
9. Introduction
10. Mystic Circles Of The Young Girls
11. Glorification Of The Chosen One
12. Evocation Of The Elders
13. Ritual Action Of The Elders
14. Sacrificial Dance (The Chosen One)
15. Sinfonia (Overture)
16. Serenata
17. Sherzino; Allegro; Andantino
18. Tarantella
19. Toccata
20. Gavotta Con Due Variazioni
21. Vivo
22. Minuetto; Finale

Amazon.com

These two ballets represent the opposite extremes of Stravinsky's creative personality. On the one hand, there's The Rite of Spring, the ultimate expression of musical primitivism (so much so that it served as "dinosaur" music in Disney's Fantasia). On the other hand, there's Pulcinella, and elegant neo-classical confection based on the music of Italian Baroque masters, Pergolesi in particular. Even if they have little else in common, both pieces require pinpoint rhythmic accuracy, and they are smartly performed here. But beyond the high general standard of performance, The Rite of Spring demands superior recording quality; it's one of those audio demo pieces, and in that regard Telarc has really stepped up to the plate. So go ahead; blow up your speakers! --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely Fantastic Performance.......2007-02-21

I will always remember my first introduction to The Rite of Spring. I had just gotten a CD player and my first CD was a Telarc Collection Vol. 6 that I had found in the bargain bin. I raced home to give it a listen and was blown away when I heard the excerpts from this recording!

Yes, I will echo, it is fantastic. Atlanta's playing is impeccable here and Yoel Levi makes this Rite reach out and grab you. The orchestral balance is great and they achieve a very large dynamic range, powerful but comfortable and unforced even on the difficult passages - most impressive.

The Pulcinella Suite is given a lovely, engaging performance and sounds simply magnificent. The sound is absolutely superb on this disc, as one would expect from Telarc, stunningly clear. Turn up "The Glorification of the Chosen One" and I guarantee you'll have the neighbors knocking at your door... My highest recommendation - this recording deserves MUCH more attention.

One of the best recordings of Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps............2006-03-06

I am suprised that this recording has not been honored by the Stevenson Guide, Penguin Guide, Gramaphone, or won a grammy award. This is definitely one of the best recordings of Le Sacre du Printemps on the market today and has been for quite some time. This recording is just as good as Stravinsky's recording, Haitink's recording, Michael Tilson Thomas' recording, and Skrowaczewski's recording of the Rite. In fact, I highly reccomend any of the recordings I have listed as well as the one I am reviewing here. These recordings surpass Boulez's recordings, Ozawa's recording, Sir Colin Davis' recording, etc. The only criticism I have of this recording is that the Sacrificial Dance is taken a little too fast for my taste. But overall it is a highly musical performance and excellent recording quality. TWO THUMBS UP TO LEVI, TELARC, and the ATLANTA SYMPHONY.

Excellent!.......2004-01-09

The reason I bought this disc was that I had heard this version of Pulcinella Suite earlier, and absolutely loved it. It is so well conducted, performed, and with spectacular sound quality. Listening to this disc in professional head phones is indescribable - the sound is so rich.
I was skeptical toward this version of the Rite of Spring, as I'd heard very well conducted versions of the piece already, but to my surprise it was better than any other version I had heard. Before listening to it I had said I found the Stravinsky conducted (Columbia SO) recording from 1960 to be an 8/10 performance and the Karel Ancerl conducted (Czech PhO) recording from 1962 to be 9/10, but I was still waiting for a 10/10 ten version. THIS IS IT! This is beyond 10/10. This is now the disc I will recommend to anyone who looks for a perfect RoS and/or Pulcinella suite.
Presented here is the perfect way for Stravinsky's music to be heard.

A very exciting performance! It will blow you away!.......1999-08-28

I am very pleased that I bought this recording. "The Rite of Spring" is played without flaw. Yoel Levi captures the true nature of this piece, which is an explosive orchestral work that has a primitive base to it. The strings and the trumpets are excellent, and the percussion pounds away like no other recording made. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra makes this piece exactly what it should be! Following "The Rite of Spring" is a suite from Pulcinella that is a direct contrast to the previous work, but very pleasing to the ears. A must buy for Stravinsky fans!

Average customer rating:

The Telarc Collection, Volume 8: The Artistry Of Yoel Levi Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Barber | Barber, Samuel | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Copland | Copland, Aaron | ( C ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Hindemith | Hindemith, Paul | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mussorgsky | Mussorgsky, Modest | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mendelssohn | Mendelssohn, Felix | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Sibelius | Sibelius, Jean | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Stravinsky | Stravinsky, Igor | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music