Customer Reviews

Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky: Petrushka / Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Now that I've said the name Stravinsky three times, I do believe I ought to get to the review. Well, I must say that there are many great versions and different interpretations of Petruchka and The Rite of Spring, Stravinsky's two greatest ballets. And though many come close, none quite match Stravinsky's own interpretations of his own works. For one, no other conductor (except for perhaps Leonard Bernstein) could conduct this music quite as intensely. Stravinsky wrings out every last ounce of emotion and passion from the orchestra. Never before or since has there been anybody who could conduct the music as rythmically precise as Stravinsky. Pierre Boulez comes the closest, but he's not quite there. Stravinsky's sense of rhythym is a bit more precise and as a result the interpretation is sharper and more incisive(as it was meant to be). Another interesting fact about the recording is that the music is played much more playfully than under the baton of most other conductors, who play these pieces as if they suffered from Wagnerian heaviness. It is rather refreshing to hear the music played in a 20th century, not over romanticized, fashion. The sound quality is also quite good, and excellent considering that these are recordings from the 60s. I must say the only drawback that this album suffers from is the fact that Stravinsky's revised score for the Rite of Spring is used rather than the full original version. It's not much different, but if you know the ballet you'll notice. Not to say you won't enjoy it, because quite simply, this is one of the best Stravinsky recordings available. The Petrouchka is especially amazing and extremeley catchy. This is a great CD. Enough Said.

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

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

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

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

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

Whatever reservations one may have about the transparency of the recording, although it's pretty good, Stravinsky's own reading of Le Sacre has a level of savagery and almost daemonic power that has been imitated many times since but never quite duplicated. Petrushka is also played in a very bracing, invigorating manner. The Columbia Symphony Orchestra was a select group of top-drawer musicians, many of whom came from the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, who were recruited expressly for the purpose of making recordings. These musicians are the same as those on Bruno Walter's legendary accounts of the Bruckner 9th and the Mahler 1st and 2nd. At medium price this should be an essential part of every collection. Strongly recommended.

The greatest music of the 20th century conducted by the greatest composer of the same century and, in my opinion, of all time. There are 100s of recordings out there of these two famous pieces but you will never find a better performace of either. Stokowski's 'Petrushka' comes close but still no cigar. As for Stravinsky's famous version of 'Rite' nothing else even approaches it (not even Antal Dorati's versions). I've never ever heard such complete mastery of an orchestra before; Stravinsky operates it as if it were a hurricane in the palm of his hand. It is more ferocious than the heaviest of rock music, a 1000 times more complicated and so subtle, you can listen to it a 100 times and still find it gets better.

I first heard this CD over a year ago, but have now finally got around to purchasing it online (as it's not available in Australia where I live) and have just finished listening to it right through. What can I say? On this particular CD, "The Rite Of Spring" is easily the most dynamic, moving performance of it I have ever heard. Even though these compositions will soon be near to 100 years old, it never fails to amaze me what Stravinsky could achieve with his orchestrations. While there is a good dose of complexity, there's also an excellent 'space' around the pieces and the music truly has the ability to make one sit up and listen. Thoroughly recommended listening.

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

I loved this CD. The music is so alive, breath-taking, and the power is remarkable. The sound quality is not something that I would give five stars, but simply the effortless performance is worthy of my reccomendation.

I grew up with these recordings on LP, and the transfer to CD is wondrous, even to correcting a glaring recording/splice error on what is now track 18. But note: This CD is mislabelled! Petrushka is NOT the 1911 original version, it is the 1947 revision! In many ways, I have always preferred this cleaner version, but if you are used to hearing the original, you'll note a number of subtle differences and a few glaring ones, like the total absence of the glockenspeil! (Most notable in the recapitulation section of the Shrovetide Fair and again in the opening of the final tableau.) This disc is still a must have, but know what you are getting. Like wise, the Rite is mostly the 1947 revision with a few additional changes Stravinsky made in 1961, which he spoke of in the original LP liner notes. Again, while it is fascinating to hear Stravinky's take on his own work (surprisingly fast in some sections, and slow in others) this should not be the only recordings of both of these works you ever buy. This recording sits beside the 1959 Dorati/Mercury Living Presence recording with it's recorded clarity and breath-taking tempi, Boulez/CBS 1966 recording for it's combination or clarity and raw power, and Tillson-Thomas/SFO recording for its overall combination of ALL of the above.

then I heard Leonard Bernstein's 1958 recording of Le Sacre. If you don't feel like spending hours searching, breaking the law, spending a hefty price, or some combination of those three options, this is probably your best bet for a recording of Le Sacre. The engineering and playing are top-notch, and the conducting by the genius behind this masterpiece of 20th century music is fantastic, but this recording pales in comparison to the 1958 Bernstein recording. I'm not trying to say the playing here is unemotional or lacking energy - far from it, but the Bernstein recording is one of the most darkly beautiful performances I've ever heard. Upon hearing it, the story goes Stravinsky only had one thing to say: "wow". Unfortunately, as it is out of print, it is very difficult to find that particular recording without a bit of searching or shelling out a relatively substantial amount of money. Still, if you want to hear one of the most thrilling recordings ever made, I urge you to look for it.

At the time of the 1958 recording, Bernstein was upset that Le Sacre du Printemps was being unfairly ignored as one of the cornerstones of modern music. At the time, people thought of it as that piece that accompanied the Dinosaurs in Fantasia. A lot more dissonant and experimental music had been made, and people were beginning to think of Le Sacre as tame as compared to works by other artists. It distressed Bernstein that this was happening, so he decided he wanted to make the most shocking recording of the work possible by furiously conducting the virtuosos of the New York Philharmonic into a frenzy. Additionally, several new recording techniques were used, including the combination of close micing so you can hear each instrument as if you are standing next to it with mics placed further out so you can hear the resonance of the building it was recorded in (probably Columbia's 30th Street Studios, a converted Greek Orthodox church that had beautiful acoustics where some of the most classic albums of jazz and classical were recorded, including Miles Davis' Kind of Blue - but I digress). The work was a giant success, and I absolutely cannot understand why Sony has released a much-inferior version of Bernstein conducting it over re-releasing that seminal work.

If you don't feel like looking for the Bernstein recording, this one is more than acceptable, and I have returned to it even after I have heard Bernstein's. I would actually suggest that you should get both if you have that kind of money, as it is interesting to hear the work as conducted by its composer. Still, Stravinsky was aging and although he still did a very good job of conducting the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, it pales compared to the energy of Bernstein and the Philharmonic.

Stravinsky conducts two of his best known works and the results are beautiful. Of all versions of Le Sacre, this is the best, and definitive.

If you're considering purchasing this CD, DO NOT HESITATE. The performances here are astounding and the intensity unbeatable. One gets a sense that this is how Stravinsky heard the music in his head - a great acheivement for any performance. I haven't had the opportunity to listen to many versions of these works, but as a representative example, I also own a recording of Petrushka conducted by Eugene Ormandy. This recording completely obsoletes the Ormandy version! Yes, these are old recordings, but the sound should be good enough for any sane person - you'll find plenty of modern digital recordings that don't sound half so good. If you have any interest in Stravinsky whatsoever (and even if you think you don't), BUY IT! Even if the price weren't such a bargain, it would be a purchase you wouldn't regret. Also check out the other Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky CD (ASIN B0000026GK). Get them both while you still can!