Customer Reviews

Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For those interested in Stravinsky's 1959 Movements for piano and orchestra, there is a major disappointment here. Sony has mangled the first movement by ignoring a repeat, then plowing through the second ending immediately after the first ending. It makes me sick to hear it. Seeing the "Recent Stravinsky" LP in its miniature CD form was a delightful blast of nostalgia, but I'm still waiting for a CD issue of Movements. And an apology from Sony.

If you can't afford the three hundred bucks or so to have the entire recorded legacy of Stravinsky on Sony Classical CDs,(and apparently the complete set is now out of print) this boxed set may be the next best thing. This collection of recordings in their "original jackets" is very interesting. Having them available in this way once again brings back a little of the joy I had in the 60s and early 70s buying a brand new Stravinsky album to hear his latest recordings. And that's also the one disadvantage with this set. Having these pieces in the original order of the LPs means that the timing on all of the CDs is significantly shorter than what you normally get for a CD.(Le Sacre du Printemps comes in at a little less than 32 minutes) So is it worth it? Oh, yes. There's nothing like Stravinsky conducting his own music. Stravinsky collaborator Robert Craft contributes informative liner notes for the boxed set and, if you have a magnifying glass, you can read some of the original liner notes for each individual album. All in all, definitely worthwhile. Now, when will Sony reissue Orpheus, Persephone, Oedipus Rex, and all of the others in the Recorded Legacy individually? We can always hope.

When this set was first issued it offered a conveniently packaged survey of Stravinsky by Stravinsky for those who didn't feel the need for, or didn't wish to spend the money for, a comprehensive compilation. The "Original Jacket Collection" concept was beguiling in a way--having those miniature LP jackets like something that Barbie and Ken might collect after taking a Music Appreciation course--and it sort of made sense in the case of the George Szell/Cleveland Orchestra Beethoven set: the symphonies were arranged chronologically, without a symphony being cut short on one CD and continuing on another. In this case, however, replicating the LPs meant that the full potential of CD recording time was largely wasted: some of the CDs have less than 45 minutes of music. As noted in other reviews, there are also some inexplicable choices in this set: having the Petruschka Suite but no full ballet score is one of them.

Now, however, the entire Stravinsky by Stravinsky recorded legacy on Sony is available in an absurdly reasonably priced set (ASIN B000PTYUQG.). For about half of what this set would cost a buyer gets more than three times the music. The written material is on the perfunctory side, but that information can be obtained from other sources.

So, would you like those cute little LP jackets or more music?

Having bought in due time Sony's 22-CD Stravinsky Edition (Igor Stravinsky: The Recorded Legacy), and investigating about the contents of this "Original Jacket" reissue, I realize that none of the previous reviews, nor this entry's product information, are really informative about the contents of this box and how they duplicate, or not, those of the Stravinsky edition. I had to go to the Fanfare review to really understand what was in store. All the reviewers point out that, following the "original jacket" concept, these are straight reproductions of the original LPs, short timings and all, and that what we get on 9 CDs could have fitted on 5. They also mention that the 22-CD Stravinsky edition has been reissued for cheaper (Works of Igor Stravinsky [Box Set]), and from that they conclude that this one is now irrelevant.

Now wait.

What none has pointed out is (many thanks to Fanfare's James E. North) that the last CD in this box is NOT a reissue of material already published on the Stravinsky Edition, but an entirely new reissue of a mono LP, ML 4398 (Meet the Composer), with Stravinsky's earlier recordings of Fireworks, Ode, Norwegian Moods, Circus Polka with the New York Philharmonic and Ebony Concerto with Woody Herman (so the set has the two versions, the other from 1965 with Benny Goodman), and the violin and piano adaptation of the Parasha Song from Mavra, played by Szigeti and Stravinsky.

What they also fail to underline (other than a passing mention in one of the reviews) is that the short Fanfare for two trumpets (which is NOT, unless I am mistaken, the same as the Fanfare for a New Theater, which is for three trumpets, so I think the product info is mistaken here) and Star-Spangled Banner are also new to this set. Inexplicably, they were not included in the Sony Edition.

For whoever's interest, here are the correspondances between this set and the original 22-CD Sony Edition - what it includes but also what it omits. Whatever the sentimental or musical interest of this Original Jacket release, wat it left out was as essential (sometimes even more) as what it included, and the omissions are bleeding wounds. I'll refer to the various volumes of the Sony Edition, listing the works in the order in which they appear on the 22-CDs, but the digits are those of this entry's track listing here above.

From Volume 1 of the Stravinsky Edition: 2.The Firebird 1.The Rite of Spring 28.Renard 16.The Soldier's Tale-Suite. Left out from the Stravinsky Edition vol. 1 are Fireworks (you get the previous mono recording instead), Scherzo à la russe, Scherzo fantastique, complete Petrushka, Les Noces.

Volume 2 is entirely left out: Apollo, Agon, Card Game, Scenes de ballet, Bluebird-Pas de deux, The Fairy's Kiss, Pulcinella, Orpheus. Fortunately this one is listed outside of the 22-CD box: Stravinsky: Ballets V.2.

Volume 3 is (absurdly) all there: 5.Firebird-suite (we already have the complete ballet), 6.Petrushka-suite (why not the complete ballet?), 17.Pulcinella-suite.

Volume 4: 3.Symphony of Psalms 4.Symphony in C. Left out: Symphony in Three Movements, rehearsal excerpts, Stravinsky in his own words.

Volume 5: 10.Movements. Left out: Piano Concerto, Capriccio, Violin Concerto. You can find all those on Stravinsky: Concertos.

Volume 6 (Miniature Masterpieces) all left out: Greeting Prelude, Suites 1 & 2 for small Orchestra, Dumbarton Oaks Concerto, Norwegian Moods, Concerto in D for strings, Circus Polka, 8 Instrumental Miniatures, 4 Etudes for Orchestra. You get the mono Norwegian Moods and Circus Polka.

Volume 7 (Chamber music and historical recordings): 18.Praeludium 23.Concertino 21.Octet 20.Ragtime 22.Tango 9.Septet 19.Pastorale 24.Ebony Concerto (with Goodman); Symphony of Wind Instruments and all the piano pieces left out.

Volume 8 & 9. Gone are the three operas (Nightingale, Mavra, The Rake's Progress) and 25 out of the 35 Songs. Left are only 27.Russian Songs, 26.Four Songs, 14.Elegy for JFK and 8.Owl and Pussycat.

Volume 10 all the Oratorio and Melodrama are gone: Oedipus Rex, The Flood, Persephone, Ode, Momentum Pro Gesualdo. You get the mono Ode.

Volume 11 of the Sacred Works, we get 34.Choral Variations, 29.Zvezdoliki 31.Ave Maria 32.Credo 33.Pater Noster 30.Babel 15.Sermon-Narrative-Prayer 11.Anthem and gone are the Cantata, Mass, Canticum Sacrum, Introitus T.S. Eliot In memoriam, Anthem and Threni.

Volume 12 (Craft conducting) we get only 13.Epitaphium and 12.Double Canon. Song of the Nightinglale, Danses Concertantes, Abraham and Isaac, Variations Aldous Huxley In Memoriam, Requiem Canticles are gone.

So, despite the inclusion of the tantalizing new reissue of the mono LP, no serious Stravinsky admirer can say that what was included here is "all the Stravinsky they'll ever need". Now, if you are a REALLY serious Stravinsky fan, it is for you to decide if the mono reissue makes it worth buing the complete set. I guess I'm not serious enough, and I'll wait for Sony to reissue it individually, or buy it on reissues from other labels (and I am sure in sound inferior to Sony's), like Stravinsky: Composer & Conductor, Vol. I (Fireworks) or Igor Stravinsky: Composer & Performer, Vol. 3 (which has the four other orchestral pieces).

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.

If you love Stravinsky (and I assume you do, or you wouldn't be reading this!) pass up this 9 disc set and purchase Stravinsky Works Works of Igor Stravinsky [Box Set]

22 discs, conducted by The Master himself (with one exception, and exceptional, disc conducted by friend and protege Robert Craft. It's 99.9% of the Stravinsky, including the lesser known - but equally fascinating - sacred works, chamber works, and orchestral works. Great stuff.

I purchased that 22 disc set for about $30 (that's not a typo) from a UK seller listed on amazon/us and received it in less than a week - many US sellers take longer to ship their product!

In fact, I'm listening to Stravinsky's Ragtime for 11 instruments as I write this - guaranteed to put a smile on your face!

Of course for this price, you lose a great deal of annotation. But really - 22 discs for $30?!? The sound quality is very good to excellent with the exception of the one historic disc. And the transparancy and clarity of Stravinsky's baton work is astonishing! You may still choose to supplement some of these performances with others - particularly true for the three major ballets - but really, one could live with these performances for the rest of one's life and be satisfied.

I know I will.

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.

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.

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.