Customer Reviews

Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky: The American Recordings 1940-46 - Le Sacre du Printemps (Complete Ballet) / Petrouchka (Suite) / The Firebird (Suite) / Scènes de Ballet / Pastorale for Violin & Wind Quintet / Norwegian Moods / Fireworks / Ebony Concerto / Symphony in Three Movements / Circus Polka

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

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