Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps (Rite of Spring) / The Firebird / Jeu de cartes / Petrouchka / Pulcinella

Igor Stravinsky (Composer), Claudio Abbado (Conductor), London Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Claudio Abbado
• Composer: Igor Stravinsky
• Audio CD (July 15, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• ASIN: B000001GYI
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,188 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #18 in Music > Classical > Ballets & Dances > Historical Periods > Modern & 20th Century
  • #37 in Music > Classical > Ballets & Dances > Ballets

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Interpretations of Stravinsky From Abbado, March 26, 2002

By 

John Kwok (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps (Rite of Spring) / The Firebird / Jeu de cartes / Petrouchka / Pulcinella (Audio CD)

This magnificient two CD set contains some of Abbado's finest recordings with the London Symphony Orchestra. His great interpretations of Stravinsky's scores can easily hold their own against those from the likes of Bernstein, Boulez, Haitink, and more recent interpreters such as Gergiev. His "Le Scare du printemps" is one of the most dramatic recordings I've heard, replete with tense, vibrant playing from the London Symphony Orchestra. It is a visceral, emotionally raw account pulsating with energy. Equally noteworthy is his splendid interpretation of "L'Oiseau de feu", which is a brisk, dramatic performance. Both "Jeu de cartes" and the entire score of "Pulcinella" are very pleasant surprises too. My only slight criticism is Abbado's interpretation of "Petrouchka" which doesn't sound as dramatic as Haitink's with the London Philharmonic. The sound quality on these image bit digitally remastered CDs is absolutely stunning; it sounds as good as contemporary recordings.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Needless to say, it's excellent., December 4, 1999

By 

Gerardo Cabrera Munoz (México) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps (Rite of Spring) / The Firebird / Jeu de cartes / Petrouchka / Pulcinella (Audio CD)

How we miss Abbado in the LSO, he had a great rapport with the orchestra and it shows in these sensational CD's from the 70's and early 80's. His understanding of Stravinsky and his wizard-like handling of colours and textures have not been equalled. On top of it, there is the goddess Teresa Berganza in Pulcinella. Go and buy this set!.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Abbado's Stravinsky from his LSO period is very fine, September 21, 2006

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Santa Fe Listener (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps (Rite of Spring) / The Firebird / Jeu de cartes / Petrouchka / Pulcinella (Audio CD)

Abbado thrived in London in the Seventies and early Eighties with the LSO, and their collaboration produced some of his most vigorous performances. These Stravinsky ballets are among them. (I can't agree with David Hurwitz that Abbado never got better--he reached an inspired apex in his last years with the Berlin Phil.) DG's bargain two-fer features dynamic, in-your-face sonics, especially in Le Sacre. Admittdly, there are passing moments when Abbado, as was his wont, turns a bit tame and cautious, but the overall impression is of a brash, propulsive Le Sacre. The Firebird Suite is the only item that's seriously underplayed.

Petrushka gets another vivid recording and lots of commitment from the LSo; it also finds Abbado at his most involved. But for me the main attraction isn't the most familiar works but Abbado's complete Pulcinella and the Balanchine-commissioned Jeu de Carte (Hurwitz mistakenly calls Jeu a late work. With Stravinsky, late means 1950-71, not 1937, when this ballet was premiered). Abbado's approach is classical and balanced, but there's a good deal of inner life, which Stravinsky's 'white' ballets (i.e., ballets without a story) desperately needs if it's to connect with a concert audience.

I especially like the Pulcinella, which is an oddly difficult work to bring off. Abbado plays it lightly, with refined textures and attacks that aren't as dry and sharp as we usually expect, articularly from the composer himself. Purists may find Abbado too mellifluous, but he's never rough and vulgar. He's lucky in his prestige vocalists (Berganza, Shirley-Quirk, and Davies), who struggle just a bit in songs that often defeat lessert singers.

All in all, there's stiff competition in these pieces, but Abbado gives ue the best omnium gatherum of all five.