Stravinsky: Petrushka / Pulcinella

Igor Stravinsky (Composer), Riccardo Chailly (Conductor), Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (Orchestra), Anna Caterina Antonacci (Performer), William Shimell (Performer), Pietro Ballo (Performer), Jacques Zoon (Performer), Peter Masseurs (Performer), Ruud van den Brink (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Anna Caterina Antonacci, William Shimell, Pietro Ballo, Jacques Zoon, Peter Masseurs, et al.
• Orchestra: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
• Conductor: Riccardo Chailly
• Composer: Igor Stravinsky
• Audio CD (March 14, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: London / Decca
• ASIN: B00000424Q
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #101,942 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not only a definitive Stravinsky, a definitive CD, July 30, 2003

By 

Benjamin M Smolen (Charlotte, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stravinsky: Petrushka / Pulcinella (Audio CD)

Upon hearing this recording of Petrouchka and Pulcinella, I was completely blown away. These are by far the best interpretations of these pieces I have ever heard. In Petrouchka, Riccardo Chailly leads the listener through all the excitement of the Stravinsky's Shrovetide puppet-world with technical perfection and astounding aural beauty. Jacques Zoon and Peter Masseurs do an excellent job as the solo flutist and trumpeter. My favorite part of this CD, however, is Pulcinella. I first heard Pulcinella on Sir Neville Marriner's recording of it with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, a somewhat lacking (alright, severely lacking) performance. When I heard Pulcinella again on this CD, it sounded like a completely different piece. Chailly draws incredible excitement from the Royal Concertgebouw, and the technical aspects of the piece are absolutely unbelievable. The soloists, especially Jaap van Zweden, are exceptional, and the singers sing the part with as much light-hearted humor as suits this piece. This is my favorite CD in every aspect (interpretation, technique, character, energy, etc), and if you don't already own it, GET IT NOW!!!!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a review, March 28, 2002

By 

Kevin (Davis, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stravinsky: Petrushka / Pulcinella (Audio CD)

Upon hearing Charles Dutoit's recording of 'Petrushka' with the Montreal Symphony, I did not think it could get any better. Dutoit provided a wonderfully executed performance that captured the light-heartedness and vigor of this piece.

Riccardo Chailly and the Concertgebouw do it even better. Where Montreal was somewhat lacking in technical perfection and balance, Chailly excels. The orchestra sounds perhaps the best it has ever sounded. Their playing is filled with such nuance and subtlety that one has to listen to it more than thrice to really comprehend it. Once again, Chailly relies more on technical perfection and rhythm to provide expression rather than rubato and overwhelming passion. The result has white hot yet completely controlled energy.

Due praise is rewarded to Jacques Zoon (flute) and Peter Massuers (trumpet) for a brilliant performance.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I bought this for the Pulcinella, but the Petrushka is great, too, February 6, 2006

By 

Craig Matteson (Saline, MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Stravinsky: Petrushka / Pulcinella (Audio CD)

I bought this CD for Pulcinella and love the way that Riccardo Chailly keeps things lively and, well, dancing. Even in the slow numbers, the emphasis on keeping the rhythms danceable is just wonderful. While the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is a fine ensemble, Chially leads them in keeping all the sounds beautiful and even the dissonances are exquisite.

The Petrushka is also wonderful. The orchestra sounds are so well combined that the shimmering effects and soaring melodies not only make you want to dance, but sing along. This is a performance I would certainly want to have heard live. It must have been a great session and would be great in a concert hall.

Some make a great deal of the fact that Stravinsky used other composer's music in putting together Pulcinella. This ignores how much he added, how much borrowing was done in the past by composers such as Handel (and nearly everyone else) and how ridiculous the idea that each piece must not only be completely new, but absolutely unqique. That is a formula for the death of art. As Stravinsky himself noted, the best commentary on a piece of music is another piece of music. Amen.

Fine disk, too bad it seems to be unavailable. Somebody should get it back in print because there aren't enough recordings of Pulcinella in my view of things.