Customer Reviews

Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; The Firebird Suite (1919) / Prokofiev: Scythian Suite, Op. 20

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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?

Leonard Bernstein turns an absolutely scorching reading of "The Rite of Spring" in this recording for Sony. What this reading manages to do is leave the listener on the edge of his/her chair anticipating the next phrase. It's savage, it's brutal, it's completely raw, this is where Bernstein excelled in my opinion. This is "The Rite.." with a kind of high-octane engine. The London Symphony Orchestra should be commended for their performance. It will leave you breathless.

The other selections Stravinsky's "The Firebird Suite" and Prokofiev's "Scythian Suite" are also fantastic performances, but it's "The Rite" that steals the show here. I still return to this one and I own most of them: Chailly, Ozawa, Tilson Thomas, Dutoit, Ansermet, Boulez, Salonen, and Stravinsky's own conducting performance. Highly recommended.

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," a multi-channel successor to stereo 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 1958 as the more flexible and less blatantly aimed at audiophiles. Both are wonderful and show off Bernstein's exuberance at its best, along with his incredible rhythmic sense. When Boulez arrived at the Philharmonic and recorded Le sacre in 1974, it was like going from a primitive riot to the doctor's office.

This CD in updated sound is the second reading from 1972, now in two channels, the 1958 being out of print--you can track down a Royal Edition copy on the used market usually. 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.

P.S. 2010 - The Amazon reviewer, in an attempt to sound knowing, says that conductors still get lost in Le sacre, including big name conductors. Could she name some? Modern orchestras of the first and second rank can play the score almost without conductor, and recently Gustavo Dudamel released a riveting recording with his Simon Bolivar Youth Orch.(DG).

This is an exciting recording conducted by Leonard Bernstein. Bernstein manages an incredible amount of energy from the orchestra. The only disappointment is that the production values of the recording don't match current standards, as the recording is somewhat dated. Still, it is a good rendition of The Rite of Spring and The Firebird Suite. I recommend it.

Up until now, I had never owned a classical album, or ever been interested in one. But a few days before I got this amazing album, I noticed that the "Finale" of "The Firebird Suite" served as an introduction to one of my favorite live album, Yes's "Yessongs". I thought that the song was great, so I started looking more into Stravinsky, and ultimately found this album.

The sound quality is astoundingly good, considering that "The Firebird Suite" was recorded in 1957, "Scythian Suite" in 1964, and "The Rite of Spring" in 1972. All of the songs were great, but the surprise for me was the bonus song, "Scythian Suite". At many points in the song, it is actually more intense than Stravinsky's songs.

Overall, this is a great album, especially if this is the first classical album you are looking into.

I bought this orginally because someone told me there was a bassoon solo in the begining. As that is my main instrument, I HAD to hear it for myself. It is beautiful and lovely. The composer and the musicians bring forth the emotions and paint a beautiful picture. Just close your eyes and you can envision what they are trying to convey! I love it!

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

Thoroughly enjoyed this CD. I would recommend it to anyone who appreciates classical music. Recordings with Leonard Berstein are always a good investment.

This is the best performance of the rite of spring I ever heard. Quality is also superb. I recommend to buy this album. You will enjoy greatly.

The version of these classic tunes contained in this CD is fantastic. I work with two musicians who think so too.