Stravinsky: Le sacre du printemps; L'Oiseau De Feu Ballet

1. Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring), ballet in 2 parts for orchestra
Composed by Igor Stravinsky
Conducted by Simon Rattle

2. L'oiseau de feu (The Firebird), ballet in 2 scenes for orchestra
Composed by Igor Stravinsky
Conducted by Antal Dorati

Tracks:

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

Amazon.com

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

BUY IT

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

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

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

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

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

Average customer rating:

A Fabulous Introduction to Igor Stravinsky!!

The Essential Igor Stravinsky

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Stravinsky: Symphonies of Wind Instruments, etc.

ASIN: B00008NGAW
Release Date: 2003-03-25

Tracks:

Fireworks, Op.4 - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Danse Infernale De Tous Les Sujets De Kastchei - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Berceuse (L'Oiseau De Feu) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Reveil De Kastchei - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Mort De Kastchei - Profonds Tenebres - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Disparition Du Palais Et Des Sortileges De Kastchei, Animation Des Chevaliers Petrifies Allegresse Generale - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Opening - Philharmonia Orchestra
The Shrove-tide Fair - Philharmonia Orchestra
The Charlatan's Booth - Philharmonia Orchestra
Russian Dance - Philharmonia Orchestra
Petrushka's Room - Philharmonia Orchestra
Introduction - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Les Augures Printanieres (Danse Des Adolescentes) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Jeu Du Rapt - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Rondes Printanieres - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Jeux Des Cites Rivales - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Cortege Du Sage - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Adoration De La Terre (Le Sage) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Danse De La Terre - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
I. Andante - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
II. Napolitana - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
III. Espanola - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
IV. Balalaika - Members Of The CBC Symphony Orchestra
Ragtime For 11 Instruments - Toni Koves
Marche Royale - Columbia Chamber Ensemble
Petit Concert - Columbia Chamber Ensemble
Piano Rag Music - Igor Stravinsky
Sinfonia (Ouverture) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Gavotta Con Due Variazioni - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
I. Sinfonia - London Sinfonietta
III. Allegro - Philippe Entremont

Tracks:

Part I. Exaudi Orationem Meam - London Symphony Chorus
IV. Capriccio - Cho-Liang Lin
Chant Sants Paroles - Israel Baker
Premiere Donne - Cleveland Orchestra
I. Tempo Giusto - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
III. Allegretto - London Symphony Orchestra
The Star-Spangled Banner - The Festival Singers Of Toronto
I. Intrada - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Circus Polka (For A Young Elephant) - CBC Symphony Orchestra
Scherzo A La Russe - Philharmonia Orchestra
III. Con Moto - London Symphony Orchestra
I. Allegro Moderato - Benny Goodman
Good People, Just A Moment - Colin Tilney
Tango - Columbia Jazz Combo
Greeting Prelude (For The Eightieth Birthday Of Pierre Monteux) - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
II. Ma Tu, Cagion Di Quella - Columbia Symphony Orchestra
Elegy For J.F.K. - Charles Russo
Fanfare For A New Theatre - Robert Nagel
II. Exaudi - Donald Gramm
III. Dies Irae - Donald Gramm
IV. Tuba Mirum - Donald Gramm
The Owl And The Pussycat - Robert Craft
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!!!

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

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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.

Average customer rating:

Good job
Masterful!
Great CD of Classical music's power pieces!

Time Life Presents: Classical Thunder

Manufacturer: Time Life Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00081U6XC
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

Introduction
Ride Of The Valkyries
Mars, The Bringer Of War
Montagues And Capulets
Sabre Dance
William Tell Overture (Conclusion)
In The Hall Of The Mountain King
The Hut On Fowl's Legs
The Great Gate At Kiev
Fanfare For The Common Man
Allegro Con Brio
Marche Au Supplice (March To The Scaffold)
Sacrificial Dance (The Chosen One)
Circus Maximus
Les Toreadors
Finlandia, Op.26
1812 Overture, Op.49 (Conclusion)

Tracks:

Procession Of The Nobles
Rakoczy March
Ritual Fire Dance
The Hero's Battlefield
Pines Of The Appian Way
Dies Irae
Allegro Con Brio
Allegretto
Air Et Danse Bacchanale
Farandole
Infernal Dance Of King Kastchei
O Fortuna
The Wedding Of Kije
Hurricane
Marche Slave, Op.31

Customer Reviews:

Good job.......2005-08-26

I remember when I was little, I had this cd, but i lost it. I bought a similiar type of one through TIme Life and decided to try the Classical Thunder one. I have like it so far.

Masterful!.......2005-06-15

This two CD set is magnificent. I got the set in the early 1990's when it was advertised on television, along with other releases in Time Life's set. I was struck by the interpretations of the conductors. Whenever I hear these pieces now, I judge them against this recording. Amazing selection as well. There are staples of orchestra repetoire, like Beethoven symphonies, but also gems that are not heard very often, like the Rimsky-Korsakov "Procession of the Nobles." A very impressive recording.

Great CD of Classical music's power pieces!.......2005-06-07

I got this CD when I was around 16 because I loved a lot of the music on this double CD set. As a student pursuing a Music Education major, it has been a great asset for my musically, and just great for listening to. I will drive on short trips and take this with me and blast it louder than the guy in the next car blasting rap music. I also take it skiing as it sets a great tempo down the mountain. This is a great CD for anyone that loves music.

Average customer rating:

Great Classic Themes
Simply Wonderful!
Simply Wonderful!
Halloween!!!!!!

Most Frightening Music in the Universe

Manufacturer: Denon Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Fright Night: Music that Goes Bump in the Night
More Of The Most Relaxing Classical Music In The Universe
The Most Relaxing Classical Music in the Universe

ASIN: B0002W4V0G
Release Date: 2004-09-21

Tracks:

Bach - Toccata and Fugue in D Minor
Hermann - Suite From "Psycho": I. Prelude / II. The City / III. The Swamp / IV. The Murder / V. The Cellar / VI. Discovery
Wagner - Flying Dutchman Overture
Mussorgsky - Pictures At An Exhibition: Gnomus / Catacombs / Babi-Yar's Hut On Chicken's Legs
Berlioz - Symphony Fantastique: IV. March To The Scaffold / V. Dream Of The Witches Sabbath
Stravinsky - Firebird, IV. Infernal Dance Of The King Kashchei
Shostakovich - Cemetary (from The film "Five Days And Five Nights")
Holst - The Planets, Mars Bringer Of War

Tracks:

Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathrusta: I. Sehr Breit (Theme From 2001: A Space Odyssey) / IX. The Song Of The Night Wanderer
Mussorgsky - Night on Bald Mountain
Prokofiev - Romeo & Juliet, The Montagues and the Capulets
Xenakis - The Pleiades, First Movement
Vivaldi - Four Seasons, Summer, III, Presto, Tempo Impetuoso D'Estate
Bernstein - The Grifters
Stravinsky - The Rite Of Spring: III. Mock Abduction / XIII. Sacrificial Dance
Shostakovich - Symphony No 5, IV. Allegro Non Troppo
Dukas - The Sorcerer's Apprentice (From Fantasia)
Bernstein - Ghostbusters

Customer Reviews:

Great Classic Themes.......2006-09-11

This is an awesome collection of unsettling melodies from the masters, not just some horror movie themes (though it does have some Psyco). You will end up playing a round of "Where have I heard that score before?" because these melodies are very iconic.
The only complaint is that the track listing is somewhat occult. One has to use amazon.com's track listings and fill in the numbers.
Still, this is a great buy!!

Simply Wonderful!.......2006-05-18

I would like to begin my review of this wonderful CD by stating that I am not a "kid." (unless you consider a 14-year-old to still be a child) I am, however, too lazy too start a new Amazon.com account before typing about this great CD.

Now then... In my eyes, this CD recieved 5 stars because of (what else!) the music. The quality of the music to be more specific. The sound of it was great and the selection of the pieces was pure genius. My personal favorite would have to be a three-way tie between Bach's Toccata and Fugue, Dukas' Sorceror's Apprentice, and Stravinsky's The Right of Spring.

I will leave you tonight with one final thought... Is it just me, or are most of the pieces from "Fantasia"? At least 7 (!) of the pieces are from that age-old classic. I think it's funny that they are on a collection such as "The Most Frightening Music in the Universe". And could the cover art be any worse?!

All in all it is a great CD to add to any collection. (and cheap!) Thanks!

-Smith

Simply Wonderful!.......2006-05-18

Halloween!!!!!!.......2006-04-02

This Is Great i love Classical and halloween is my favorite holiday its great!! great collection

Stravinsky: Firebird, Rite Of Spring, Persephone / Tilson Thomas, San Francisco SO

Average customer rating:

A Colorist Take on the Rite at Last
One of the greatest recordings of Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps.....
Purposely pedantic
Breathtaking
This only concerns The Firebird

Stravinsky: Firebird, Rite Of Spring, Persephone / Tilson Thomas, San Francisco SO
Igor Stravinsky , San Francisco Symphony Orchestra , and Michael Tilson Thomas
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000IOCZ
Release Date: 1999-04-27

Tracks:

L'Oiseau De Feu (The Firebird): Introduction
L'Oiseau De Feu (The Firebird): The Enchanted Garden Of Kaschei
L'Oiseau De Feu (The Firebird): Apparition Of The Firebird, Followed By Ivan Tsarevitch
L'Oiseau De Feu (The Firebird): Dance Of The Firebird
L'Oiseau De Feu (The Firebird): Capture Of The Firebird By Ivan Tsarevitch
L'Oiseau De Feu (The Firebird): Plea Of The Firebird; Apparition Of The Thirteen Enchanted Princesses
L'Oiseau De Feu (The Firebird): Play Of The Princesses With The Golden Apples (Scherzo)
L'Oiseau De Feu (The Firebird): Sudden Apparition Of Ivan Tsarevitch
L'Oiseau De Feu (The Firebird): Chorovod (Round) Of The Princesses
L'Oiseau De Feu (The Firebird): Sunrise; Ivan Tsarevitch Penetrates The Palace Of Kaschei
L'Oiseau De Feu (The Firebird): Magical Chimes; Apparition Of The Monsters; Guards Of Kashchei And Capture Of Ivan Tsarevitch
L'Oiseau De Feu (The Firebird): Dance Of The Suite Of Kashchei Enchanted By The Firebird
L'Oiseau De Feu (The Firebird): Infernal Dance Of All The Subjects Of Kashchei
L'Oiseau De Feu (The Firebird): Dissappearance Of The Palace And Of The Magic Spells Of Kashchei; Animation Of The Petrified Knights; All Rejoice

Tracks:

Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite Of Spring): Part 1: Adoration Of The Earth - Introduction
Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite Of Spring): Part 1: Adoration Of The Earth - The Augurs Of Spring; Dances Of The Young Girls
Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite Of Spring): Part 1: Adoration Of The Earth - Ritual Of Abduction
Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite Of Spring): Part 1: Adoration Of The Earth - Spring Rounds
Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite Of Spring): Part 1: Adoration Of The Earth - Ritual Of The Rival Tribes
Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite Of Spring): Part 1: Adoration Of The Earth - Procession Of The Sage
Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite Of Spring): Part 1: Adoration Of The Earth - The Sage
Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite Of Spring): Part 1: Adoration Of The Earth - Dance Of The Earth
Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite Of Spring): Part 2: The Sacrifice - Introduction
Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite Of Spring): Part 2: The Sacrifice - Mystic Circles Of The Young Girls
Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite Of Spring): Part 2: The Sacrifice - Glorification Of The Chosen One
Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite Of Spring): Part 2: The Sacrifice - Evocation Of The Ancestors
Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite Of Spring): Part 2: The Sacrifice - Ritual Action Of The Ancestors
Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite Of Spring): Part 2: The Sacrifice - Sacrificial Dance (The Chosen One)

Tracks:

Persephone: The Abduction Of Persephone - I. Stravinsky
Persephone: Persephone In The Underworld - I. Stravinsky
Persephone: Persephone Reborn - I. Stravinsky

Amazon.com essential recording

Here's a Stravinsky set to raise eyebrows. Where is Petrouchka, the standard coupling for Firebird and Rite in collections of the great early Stravinsky ballet scores? Instead, we get the too rarely heard Perséphone, and it's the highlight of the set. Premiered in 1934 to a text by André Gide, Perséphone is a retelling of the Greek fertility myth of the earth's winter death and spring renewal. The tale drew from Stravinsky some of his most delicate and beautiful music in the neoclassical style of the period, a sibling to the ballets Apollo and Orpheus and the cantata Oedipus Rex (it also includes string figures that recall those works).

Stephanie Cosserat, in the title role, is a youthfully persuasive narrator, very different from Vera Zorina's oracular reciter on Stravinsky's own recording. Stuart Neill's tenor is a big plus, and the orchestra and chorus play and sing with involvement. Michael Tilson Thomas brings out the cool tenderness of the score, and the recording, made at a live performance, is truthful. His Firebird is lushly dramatic, and the Rite's barbaric thrust is leavened by some soulful wind playing. Recorded competition in the two ballets is fierce (along with Gergiev's recent Firebird on Philips, there are classic versions by Ansermet, Dorati, Haitink, and others, including the composer) but Perséphone makes this set an attractive proposition. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

A Colorist Take on the Rite at Last.......2007-04-24

Personally, this is my favorite recording of the Rite of Spring and The Firebird. I am not going to say that it's the best because that leads to most of the garbage you see in the other reviews. While I still enjoy the recordings Stravinsky himself lead, Boulez's interpretation, and especially Igor Markevich's interpretation, I find no difficulty recommending this set above them all. To put it simply, Stravinsky's music has never sounded better. This recording is rhythically precise, meticulously colored with beautiful solo and section playing in the winds and brass and yet still maintains the character and barbaric drive we have come to expect from this music. I agree that this recording does not have the sheer brutal intensity of some of the aforementioned recordings and especially that of Gergiev. However, this recording shows the inner workings of the piece and gives the music even more character by highlighting the orchestrational inventiveness of the work. While the recording of Persephone is wonderful and shares the traits already mentioned in the Firebird and Rite of Spring recordings, the work itself, to me, does not meet the same high level as the other two. And while it is good to have a great recording of this seldom heard work, I would have preferred a reading of Petrouchka instead. But Whatever! This recording is still great with fantastic playing and Godly recorded sound. This is one of the better purchases I have made. Enjoy!

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

This is definitely one of the best Rite of Spring recordings out on the market today. I highly reccommend this recording to anyone who is looking for an electrifying...amazing performance of the Rite. Please see my review under Levi's (Atlanta Symphony Orchestra--Telarc) recording of the Rite of Spring for more information and a list of other recordings I highly reccommend of the Rite of Spring.

Purposely pedantic.......2005-06-02

I have listened to these recordings now perhaps 7 times since I bought them. On the whole they are quite fine. The dynamics are well presented and the flow of the thought and feel of the music seems genuine and faithful to the score.
However, let me suggest that in the case of Persephone, the conductor has no clothes. Oh, the performance is probably the most brilliant I shall ever hear, hopefully the last. The conducting is most likely near to perfection as is the singing. But try as you might, take a mediocre work, and that's what it is... and perform away...it will still be mediocre.
It was an unfortunate collaboration...Igor-Andre. It is far from Gide's best work and as far as I'm concerned not even worth mentioning for Stravinsky's, although I have to admit I've never sung the music myself as some apparently have.
Although I admire MTT greatly and have many of his recordings, it is this need to be pedantic which I find annoying. Bernstein did it with panache in a time when so many knew so little. But MTT is always trying to cram it down my throat, including when we go to performances in Davies.

Breathtaking.......2004-01-24

Probably one of my biggest regrets in my life was to be a few months too young to be on this recording with my boy chorus. Anyways, it is absolutely superb, especially Persephone (but then, I am partial, having sung it a few years later with the same symphony). This entire set is simply gorgeous.

This only concerns The Firebird.......2003-08-02

This very first ballet by Stravinsky, ordered by Diaghilev and the Paris Russian Ballets, is based on a Russian tale about a magic bird that is captured by a hunter Ivan and that pleads for its release. It all starts with a very immense evocation of the empty tundra in which the hunter walks with careful steps and that he scans with his eyes and ears. The bird appears with a Russian dance that is light, energetic, bright and airlike. Ivan accepts to release the bird in exchange of one of its magical feathers. This whole bargain is evoked in variations on the theme of the bird, variations that are charming, captivating, fascinating to the point of mesmerizing Ivan who accepts the deal. Then this Ivan meets a Princess who is under the yoke of a magician, Kastchey. Ivan accepts to remain with the Princess in order to free her and he is imprisoned at once by Kastchey. But the Princess fascinates the magician with her sensual and powerful dancing that is hammering like the pulsating heart of the poor magician who is entranced and hypnotized into joining the dance. The dance then becomes a devilish macabre farandole out of which the magician cannot get any longer. During that time Ivan has found the egg that contains the magician's soul in a very soft and melodious lullaby that both depicts the soul in its tranquil captivity and the peace surrounding the hiding place of the egg. It is like the empty space of the cosmos that is only disrupted by the power of the bird's feather and its magic that breaks the egg. By liberating the soul Ivan liberates the Princess and himself and this cosmic void gets some musical flesh back as if the dance of the bird reappeared in the vast immensity of the plain. It is like a triumphing march of the liberated heroes to reconquer the world, though the very ending sounds somewhat unharmonic and frightening as if the world contained some new unknown danger somewhere.

Tracks:

The Firebird: Firebird: Introduction
The Firebird: Kashchei's Enchanted Garden
The Firebird: Appearance Of The Firebird Pursued By Ivan Tsarevich
The Firebird: Dance Of The Firebird
The Firebird: Ivan Tsarevich Captures The Firebird
The Firebird: Supplication Of The Firebird
The Firebird: Game Of The Princesses With The Golden Apples
The Firebird: Sudden Appearance Of Ivan Tsarevich
The Firebird: Round Dance Of The Princesses
The Firebird: Daybreak
The Firebird: Magic Carillon, Appearance Of kashchei's Guardian Monsters And Capture Of Ivan Tsarevich
The Firebird: Dance Of Kashchei's Retinue Under The Firebird's Spell
The Firebird: Infernal Dance Of All Kashchei's Subjects
The Firebird: Lullaby Of The Firebird
The Firebird: Collapse Of Kashchei's Palace And Dissolution Of All Enchantments; Reanimation Of The Petrified Prisoners; General Rejoicing
Apollon Musagete: Scene 1 - Prologue - Birth Of Apollo
Apollon Musagete: Scene 2 - Variation Of Apollo
Apollon Musagete: Pas d'action
Apollon Musagete: Variation Of Calliope
Apollon Musagete: Variation Of Polyhymnia
Apollon Musagete: Variation Of Terpsichore
Apollon Musagete: Variation Of Apollo
Apollon Musagete: Pas de deux

Tracks:

Apollo And The Muses: Coda
Apoloo And The Muses: Apotheosis
Petrouchka: The Shrovetide Fair - The Crowds - Russian Dance
Petrouchka: Russian Dance
Petrouchka: In Petrouchka's Booth
Petrouchka: In The Moor's Booth - Dance Of The Ballerina
Petrushka: Waltz (The Ballerina And The Moor)
Petrushka: The Shrovetide Fair (Evening) - Dane Of The Wet Nurses - Dance Of The Peasant And The Bear - Dance Of The Gipsies - Dance of The Coachmen And The Grooms - The Masqueraders - Death of Petrouchka
The Rite Of Spring: Introduction
The Rite Of Spring: The Harbringers Of Spring - Dance Of The Adolescents
The Rite Of Spring: Mock Abduction
The Rite Of Spring: Spring Rounds
The Rite Of Spring: Games Of The Rival Tribes
The Rite Of Spring: Procession Of The Sage
The Rite Of Spring: Adoration Of The Earth (The Sage)
The Rite Of Spring: Introduction
The Rite Of Spring: Mystical Circle Of The Adolescents
The Rite Of Spring: Glorification Of The Chosen One
The Rite Of Spring: Evocation Of The Ancestors
The Rite Of Spring: Ritual Of The Ancestors
The Rite Of Spring: Sacrificial Dance (The Chosen One)

Customer Reviews:

Perhaps the definitive releases of Firebird and Rite of Spring.......2006-04-17

For the listener just beginning to learn the genius composer's
works, this is one of the best, if not THE BEST places to begin.

The selections are chosen from the most popular, most well
known numbers from Stravinsky, early in his career. Of course,
in addition to these well picked, well recorded numbers, there
will perhaps be another 10 CD's (if not more) you will eagerly
want to hear, obviously.

I think these 2 CD's are on par, if not slightly better,
than the versions recorded with Stravinsky directing, on
the 22 CD EDITION on the Columbia/Sony label, in terms of
musicianship and recording quality.

Great value, as always, from Philips.

Markevitch's Apollo rises far above bargain status.......2005-12-29

The bulk of this Philips two-fer is filled up with performances from 1973 in excellent analog sound from Bernard Haitink and his second orchestra, the London Phil. I wish I could say they are exceptional readings or exceptionally well played. The Rite of Spring swings between sounding eerie, listless, and crudely explosive. The Petrushka, in the rare 1911 original scoring for huge forces, is mostly quick-step with little digging beneath the surface. The Firebird is enticingly dreamy, although it runs out of steam in the demonic parts--the whole thing feels like leisurely scene-painting. Even so, these are good performances with plenty of striking moments to offset their neutrality, and the London Phil.'s strings sound especially sweet in the Firebird.

The performance of Apollo under Igor Markevitch, which takes up half of the first disc, dates from 1963 with the LSO, and it's the real thing. A truly imaginative, rhythmically alive reading, all the better since Apollo (for copyright reasons sometimes called Apollon Musagete), which is a quiet, reflective ballet, often comes off as anesthetized. Here it isn't, and the sonics are quite good, too, something not so common if you run after Markevitch recordings. Apollo won't raise anyone's temperature who is expecting the thrills of Le Sacre, but if you can buy this set used for a good price, here is an unmissable account. Five stars for Markevitch, an overly generous four for Haitink.

The Rite Stuff.......2005-10-04

If you're looking for a great recording of "The Rite of Spring," look no further. This is it. Stravinsky's other ballets are included and they are excellent as well, but after hearing this particular version of the 'Rite' on the radio, I knew I must have it. I've heard many other interpretations and Haitink has come up with the sine qua non of all Rites. The orchestra delivers an almost superhuman effort. The conversations between various instruments and sections come across with utmost clarity--even during complex moments. No detail has been muddied or lost. The percussion section is outstanding. Better than outstanding--they're amazing! The end result is the most powerful, chilling and riveting 'Rite' you'll ever hear. My highest recommendation.

One of Haitink's very best records.......2005-07-07

With an assist to Igor Markevitch for his work in "Apollon", this is one of Bernard Haitink's very best records and probably says most about what kind of music the conductor best interprets.

His work in the three great Stravinsky ballets, "L'oiseau de feu" (The Firebird), "Petrushka" and "Le Sacre du printemps" (The Rite of Spring) are the best renderings I have ever heard of these scores, far surpassing the composer's work on Columbia/Sony, in my opinion.

While I have never been a great fan of Haitink and believe he lacks the personality to compete in the CD world in the Romantic symphonies of Brahms, Beethoven, Tchaikovksy and others, I believe he is particularly in his element here and in another similar Philips twofer of the music of Claude Debussy.

What is the corollary between the two? Both are 20th century composers whose music is more suggestion than statement. The gentle delicacies of "The Firebird", in particular, meet best with the Haitink sensibility to be linear, literal and understated. While these qualities do not translate well in highly charged Romantic music, they are extraordinarily appopriate in these scores, which have been overblown and overplayed countless times on CD by more Romantic conductors like Bernstein.

As if the interpretations and performances themselves were not enough, the recordings of these wonderful "modern" scores -- "The Rite of Spring" is often cast with Schoenberg's "Pierrot Lunaire" as the first piece of "modern" music -- are equally extraordinary. The clarity and sound spectrum of these recordings is among the best I have heard from the analog era translated to digital CD. The orchestras play very well throughout and follow Haitink's sensitive leadership at all times.

I have been critical of Haitink's way with Shostakovich and Vaughan Williams in other of my reviews, but I must say here is the essential Bernard Haitink and a demonstration of the very best work he can do. If you have the slightest interest in these scores, I urge you to buy the low-prices classic recordings of Stravinsky's earth-changing music.

Fine Stravinsky Performances Conducted By Haitink.......2002-03-22

This is an excellent two CD compilation of Stravinsky's great orchestral works, blessed with superb performances of the London Philharmonic under Bernard Haitink's paton. Most noteworthy are Haitink's riveting interpretations of "Rite Of Spring" and "Petrouchka", which easily hold their own against other superb versions from the likes of Abbado, Bernstein and Boulez. The sound quality is fine, though I don't think it's a substantial improvement over the original analogue recordings.

Stravinsky: Le sacre du printemps; Fireworks; The Firebird Suite

Average customer rating:

Best consumed loud and proud
An excellent Chicago recording from Ozawa's early years
Technically great, emotionally lacking
Technically great, emotionally lacking
There's better...

Stravinsky: Le sacre du printemps; Fireworks; The Firebird Suite

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Handel: Water Music, The Music for the Royal Fireworks, The Alchymist, Three concerti a due cori, Two arias for wind band

ASIN: B000003F1Y
Release Date: 1991-04-05

Tracks:

The Rite Of Spring - Part l: The Adoration Of The Earth: Introduction
The Rite Of Spring - Part l: The Adoration Of The Earth: Harbingers Of Spring
The Rite Of Spring - Part l: The Adoration Of The Earth: Mock Abduction
The Rite Of Spring - Part l: The Adoration Of The Earth: Spring Rounds
The Rite Of Spring - Part l: The Adoration Of The Earth: Games Of The Rival Tribes
The Rite Of Spring - Part l: The Adoration Of The Earth: Procession Of The Wise Elder
The Rite Of Spring - Part l: The Adoration Of The Earth: Adoration Of The Earth (Wise Elder)
The Rite Of Spring - Part l: The Adoration Of The Earth: Dance Of The Earth
The Rite Of Spring - Part ll: The Sacrifice: Introduction
The Rite Of Spring - Part ll: The Sacrifice: Mystic Circles Of The Young Girls
The Rite Of Spring - Part ll: The Sacrifice: Glorification Of The Chosen One
The Rite Of Spring - Part ll: The Sacrifice: Summoning Of The Ancients
The Rite Of Spring - Part ll: The Sacrifice: Ritual Of The Ancients
The Rite Of Spring - Part ll: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance (Choseon One)
Fireworks (Fantasy For Orchestra, Op. 4)
Suite: The Firebird: Introduction
Suite: The Firebird: The Firebird And Its Dance
Suite: The Firebird: Variation Of The Firebird
Suite: The Firebird: Pas De Deux
Suite: The Firebird: Scherzo (Dance Of The Princesses)
Suite: The Firebird: The Round Of The Princesses
Suite: The Firebird: Infernal Dance Of King Kastchei
Suite: The Firebird: Berceuse
Suite: The Firebird: Finale

Customer Reviews:

Best consumed loud and proud.......2007-06-02

Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps is one of the greatest artistic conceptions of the 20th century. The raw, primitive feel of the musical material is legendary itself, due in large part to its role in Disney's Fantasia, but in its staged version Le Sacre also managed to completely blow the popular perception of what a ballet was supposed to be. Audiences rioted at its 1913 premiere in Paris, disgusted by its overt eroticism, a similar reaction to that which had condemned Carmen to commercial failure four decades earlier. And similarly to Bizet's masterpiece, it took years for audiences to warm to its forward-looking, ultrarealistic elements, but once they did, its place in the pantheon was cemented permanently. To this day, it remains an unsurpassed landmark in the creative use of extreme dissonance, extended instrumental technique, and ever-shifting, never-settled, barless rhythmical patterns.

Ozawa's 1968 performance of Le Sacre with the CSO is fierce, crisp, and extremely clean. The brass players are emotionally wide-ranging and bold, the woodwinds are poignant and technically acute, and the strings compete with both remarkably well on all fronts. The brisk tempi seem not to pose much difficulty for the players, and the urgency of the conception is irresistible.

The Firebird is less of an icon than Le Sacre, but it too is a masterwork from the golden period of Stravinsky's life, when his creative instincts were in full harmony with his erudition and his works were as satisfying to the public at large as they were to professors and theoreticians. This performance is of the 1945 suite (which contains more of the original ballet's material than the 1919 suite), though with the Pantomime movement seemingly omitted. The lushness and warmth of Leinsdorf's very Romantic reading provides a nice counterpoint to Ozawa's ferocity in the first half of the disc. The BSO's strings lilt as well as they scythe, and the feeling of this very large orchestra fading to a whisper in unison, then rising out of it, is magical.

I simply cannot detect the faults that other reviewers of this CD have pointed out. This is a superb disc and represents a fine value.

An excellent Chicago recording from Ozawa's early years.......2005-09-15

Seiji Ozawa's Stravinsky LE SACRE DU PRINTEMPS is a very good recording. I give this 5 stars because it has a single minded purpose behind the driving rhythms, so prevalent in Stravinsky's pivotal and forever famous ballet score. Ozawa showed alot of promise in his early years, and this recording, from 1968 when he was just 33, was made 5 years before he became music director of the Boston Symphony, (1973) succeeding outgoing conductor William Steinberg.

RCA's 1968 analog sound is very good in LE SACRE, and equally as fine in FIREWORKS (Ozawa) and FIREBIRD Suite (Erich Leinsdorf/Boston Symphony).

Ozawa's tempos in SACRE are very fast, and some may prefer a more expansive approach to parts of the score. But I found it very enjoyable, and for variety have several other recordings of LE SACRE: Colin Davis/Concertgebouw (Philips), Karel Ancerl/Czech Philharmonic (Supraphon), Claudio Abbado/London Symphony (DG), Antal Dorati/Detroit Symphony (Decca). It's hard to name just ONE preferred recording for Stravinsky's SACRE since it is such a complex, colorful, fascinating work, but Ozawa's can hold company with the best. Recommended, and a bargain, too.

Technically great, emotionally lacking.......2003-07-07

This was one of the first Sacres that I listened to while reading from the score. This recording is great for music students, in my opinion, because of the great clarity and rythmic exactness that one has come to expect from the Chicago Symphony. Every line on the score can be virtually "seen" while listening to the music, especially in the winds. The great price and the clarity of the recording make it ideal if you want to really understand the orchestration and other technical aspects of this complex piece. However, I found that these merits can also be interpretive pitfalls. I suppose it depends on what kind of piece you expect from Stravinsky. Do you look at Le Sacre as an outgrowth from the impressionism of Debussy, or as a clean, pre-serialist piece? Judging by the orchestration, rythms, and thematic material, its exact place in music history is rather obscure (though no one would argue that it is not extremely powerful and important!). I suppose that is part of the magic of this piece that is lacking from this recording. I just can't seem to find the character in it that I find in other recordings. You want a monumental piece like this to be treated as such! The other Rite by the same conductor is really much better.

Technically great, emotionally lacking.......2003-07-07

There's better..........2003-02-02

This recording just doesn't do it for me. Stravinsky's Rite of Spring is such an emotional ride because of it's strong rhythmic qualities. The first time you hear it done right, you feel wrong. It's freakishly piercing at a primal level, which would explain why its the most famous piece of Primitivism. Those qualities are dumbed down to a measure that makes the piece seem more annoying than involving. This recording gets its 2 stars instead of what would be one because I cannot be too hard on the Firebird Suite, as this is the first I've heard it.

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
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Binding: Audio CD

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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.

Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite/Nightingale/Rite of Spring

Average customer rating:

One of the Most Incredible Firebirds Ever!
very good, but it has nothing on the NYP-Boulez recordings of this repertoire
Excellent and Refined
Impressive but cool

Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite/Nightingale/Rite of Spring

Manufacturer: Reference Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Pictures at an Exhibition
Bolero: Orchestral Fireworks
Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances/ Vocalise/ Etudes-tableaux
Das Lied von der Erde
Mephisto & Co.

ASIN: B0000015A6
Release Date: 1996-04-30

Tracks:

The Firebird Suite, 1919 Revision: Introduction
The Firebird Suite, 1919 Revision: The Firebird And Her Dance
The Firebird Suite, 1919 Revision: Variation Of The Firebird
The Firebird Suite, 1919 Revision: Round Dance Of The Princesses
The Firebird Suite, 1919 Revision: Infernal Dance Of King Kashchei
The Firebird Suite, 1919 Revision: Berceuse
The Firebird Suite, 1919 Revision: Finale
The Song Of The Nightingale: Presto
The Song Of The Nightingale: Chinese March
The Song Of The Nightingale: Song Of The Nightingale
The Song Of The Nightingale: Game Of The Mechanical Nightingale
The Rite Of Spring: Introduction - Adoration Of The Earth
The Rite Of Spring: Auguries of Spring - Dance Of The Adolescents- Adoration Of The Earth
The Rite Of Spring: Game Of Abduction - Adoration Of The Earth
The Rite Of Spring: Spring Rounds - Adoration Of The Earth
The Rite Of Spring: Games Of The Rival Towns - Adoration Of The Earth
The Rite Of Spring: Procession Of The Sage - Adoration Of The Earth
The Rite of: Adoration Of The Earth (The Sage) - Adoration Of The Earth
The Rite Of Spring: Dance Of The Earth - Adoration Of The Earth
The Rite Of Spring: Introduction - The Sacrifice
The Rite Of Spring: Mystic Circles Of The Young Girls - The Sacrifice
The Rite Of Spring: Glorification Of The Chosen One - The Sacrifice
The Rite Of Spring: Evocation Of The Ancestors - The Sacrifice
The Rite Of Spring: Ritual Action Of The Ancestors - The Sacrifice
The Rite Of Spring: Sacrificial Dance (The Chosen One) - The Sacrifice

Customer Reviews:

One of the Most Incredible Firebirds Ever!.......2006-11-16

Eiji Oue and his Minnesota Orchestra have produced a Firebird performance that takes one's breath away!

Most of the music is slow and quiet up till the finale. Then the orchestra builds to a collossal explosion of brass power that makes STAR WARS sound puny, and that's not easy! It's one of the most impressive moments in classical music history, and it shocks people that an orchestra can actually sound this good. My friends are always asking to borrow this disc from me, and the finale astounds them with its power and its clarity. They return the disc with awed looks, and seem truly impressed. Why can't all music be as brilliant or original as this? What is WRONG with composers these days?

The Rite of Spring is also truly impressive, although my favorite piece on the disc is the Firebird by far.

The Rite of Spring pounds and grinds away, and some of the areas are incredibly distressing, shrieking and squealing like mad. The Sacrificial Dance at the end is a little too slow to be really unsettling, but the tones are marvellously clear and live. All in all, a very impressive disc, with the Firebird as a highlight.

For purists, the grandest part of the Firebird finale is played at EXACTLY the same speed as a live performance by THE COMPOSER HIMSELF, recorded on a black-and-white DVD in London, when Stravinsky was a frail 83-year old man. No doubt the composer would have enjoyed Oue's version as well. Since the sould quality on the DVD is scratchy mono, Oue's incredible stereo performance is now my favorite disc of all time.

very good, but it has nothing on the NYP-Boulez recordings of this repertoire.......2006-08-03

The Minnesota Orchestra deserves recogition as one of the front-runners amongst American orchestras these days. I'm very serious about that: they can match Cleveland, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, or any other, section for section and note for note. These readings are outstanding performances by a great ensemble, then.

But the recordings of these pieces by Boulez, conducting the New York Philharmonic, are amongst the greatest recorded performances of any repertoire, and are preferable to these in every way. They're better recorded, leaping from the speakers with a raw power that simply isn't present with the effect of aural distance in the Minnesota recordings, and Boulez, with his mathematically analytical interpretitive approach, is more effective than Oue in this most rhythmically oriented music.

The difference is mostly due to the quality of the respective recordings, I think; but it remains true that the MSO delivers a lighter-bodied sound than the NYP... it's a Chianti to the NYP's Syrah. These are admirable readings but not the first choice.

Excellent and Refined.......2002-01-19

This CD I believe is very well done. The engineering of this recording is excellent and the quality of the orchestra is superb. Maestro Oue does a great job of taking the listener through the mind and works of Stravinsky. The Firebird is my favorite piece on the CD. One of the most wonderful moments in modern music is the beautiful horn solo at the beginning of the Finale. The Rite of Spring is also incredibly done. The emotion and the quality of this recording is at the highest level possible.

Impressive but cool.......2000-08-04

These magnificent works of art by Stravinsky are being played and recorded by numerous orchestras and the Minnesota Orchestra under Mr. Oue has made a startling performance of it. But there are some catches to it, and I think it is the excellence of the performance that bothers me most. Especially in the Firebird there is a lack of prominence, a lack of joy de vivre, and although the drumbeats are breathtaking, the intentions of Stravinsky are not fulfilled. As a matter of fact, there are better performances than this one, i.e. The Firebird in its original setting by Gergiev on Philips or The Nightingale by Dorati on Mercury Living Presence. Most of my criticism is focused on the point that it does not sound Russian enough. The recording by Reference Recording is flawless, although you should turn up your equipment to a rather unusual high volume to hear all details.

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