Chez Stravinsky

[Karl Henning]

Thanks, although my wallet does not thank you 

[snyprrr]

Thanks, although my wallet does not thank you 

Just listening to Columbia 'Threni'. Oy, such dry and arid ... it was like swallowing a horse pill?! That Herreweghe looks delicious, no?$$$

[The new erato]

Just listening to Columbia 'Threni'. Oy, such dry and arid ...

I like dry and arid in late Stravinsky. This isn't music meant to seduce.

[Karl Henning]

For Entertainment Purposes Only

Almost by accident, I ran across a review of my own at Amazon, of Vol. IX of the Craft/Stravinsky series:

This entire disc is a pleasure to listen to, though admirers of the Firebird should be warned that the Variations in memoriam Aldous Huxley (the latest work on the disc) are stylistically a wide leap from the Dukas-flavored Feu d'artifice (the earliest). Everything is competently and musically presented; and the stylistic variety only underscores the tour-de-force. The Concerto in D for strings, particularly, used to be one of the odd works in the Stravinsky catalogue which left me inexplicably cold; Craft's recording here brought the piece to life for me.

I've always love the complete Firebird, I've never understood how the concert world could for so long have insisted on presenting this work only in its abbreviated Suite (though, to be fair, the Suite is for a slightly smaller orchestra; not many community orchestras, for example, can trot out two contrabassoons and three harps). Much of the ballet which did not "make the cut" of the Suite, is of a more Romantic vein more readily linked to Stravinsky's teacher, Rimsky-Korsakov; the whole work is nonetheless completely Stravinsky -- indeed, the work is much more closely motivic and 'cellular' than Rimsky-Korsakov, which is apparent on hearing the ballet in its entirety. This, apart from the plain logic that the complete ballet has an entire dramatic sequence which sets up the vigorous Danse infernale, which, separated from that context, comes out of nowhere in the Suite. Craft does a great job with the whole work; there was a time when I had never suspected Craft to be capable of making such a sumptuous sound with the Firebird.

The brief Canon, on the Russian folk tune quoted in the finale of the Firebird, is written in a bright brassy mode which recalls the Symphony in Three Movements. It makes a colorful little "encore" to follow the ballet. This is a fabulous disc.

Having a new Ur-text ought theoretically to mean, all the corrections have already been baked in. But this is a rich score, and while the Suites have gotten lots of play over the years, perhaps the full ballet has been a little unfairly insulated from the need for rapid correction, through its comparative (and undeserved) neglect for so long. The Craft recording here is therefore not only (and, naturally, most importantly) a glowing rendition of a shimmering score; but his liner notes are informative, detailed, and include a list of selected errata for the new Ur-text. Some of these are cosmetic, Augenmusik matters (the relative placement of the piano and harp on page 31, e.g.), but largely these are entirely useful pointers: the Ur-text neglects to mark the trumpets con sordino (muted) for their first entrance in measure 8, e.g..

One question I have, which may not have made Craft's necessarily incomplete errata list, since it is, simply, something one hears perfectly clearly (as opposed to subtleties such as the six bars to be struck from the violas on a certain page, for which the guidance is crucial) ... in the Finale, at the end of measures 1282 & 1284 (that is, the partial-measures immediately before rehearsal marks 207 & 208), there are aggressive crescendi driven by the timpani ... an exciting effect, but it isn't in the score, and I should be curious where it comes from in the sources.

Craft writes of restoring to the Finale (indeed, claims that this is the first recording to include this) two on-stage trumpets which play a sustained perfect fifth against the rhythmically-punched-out tune (the passage which, in retrospect, Aaron Copland spent so much effort imitating) for the few measures when it is in C major. My slightly mischievous quibble here is, that actually there are three on-stage trumpets, though (to be fair) not in the specific bars Craft referred to. But the score does have the three playing octave (concert) B's against the immense chorale in the rest of the brass at the close; and the three on-stage trumpets also figure in the chirpy tritones of Daybreak.

All this is really in gratitude to Craft, for this marvelous recording of his has really been the occasion to get to know this wonderful score much better.

One instance in which I take respectful but firm exception to Craft is, I entirely disagree that the music of the Firebird's supplication (begging Ivan Tserevich to release her) is at all "too long"; I think this comment is a sort of aesthetic retrofit. In the light of Stravinsky's subsequent career, his ballets tended to be more focused, "leaner"; but this does not imply that the more relaxed, expansive time-frame reflected in the Firebird is perforce "flabby" - not at all.

[North Star]

I should have read more than just the italicized bit... I was nearing the end of the review, wondering what's so bloody amusing about the review. 

[Karl Henning]

I should have read more than just the italicized bit... I was nearing the end of the review, wondering what's so bloody amusing about the review. 

Hah!

[Karl Henning]

(Imagine my relief . . . .)

[Monsieur Croche]

Some called him Bilbo . . . .

That certainly has a nice ring to it.

And its engraved!

[bhodges]

On Dec. 2, Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra will give the first performance of Funeral Song (1909, op. 5) in 107 years in St. Petersburg. Apparently the orchestral parts were discovered used to reconstruct the 12-minute score.

Boosey & Hawkes' press release here:

http://www.boosey.com/cr/news/Stravinsky-s-rediscovered-Funeral-Song-restored-to-life-in-St-Petersburg/100911

--Bruce

[Karl Henning]

On Dec. 2, Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra will give the first performance of Funeral Song (1909, op. 5) in 107 years in St. Petersburg. Apparently the orchestral parts were discovered used to reconstruct the 12-minute score.

Boosey & Hawkes' press release here:

http://www.boosey.com/cr/news/Stravinsky-s-rediscovered-Funeral-Song-restored-to-life-in-St-Petersburg/100911

--Bruce

Cool.

[Mahlerian]

On Dec. 2, Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra will give the first performance of Funeral Song (1909, op. 5) in 107 years in St. Petersburg. Apparently the orchestral parts were discovered used to reconstruct the 12-minute score.

Boosey & Hawkes' press release here:

http://www.boosey.com/cr/news/Stravinsky-s-rediscovered-Funeral-Song-restored-to-life-in-St-Petersburg/100911

--Bruce

Finally, we get to hear it.  Why did it take a year to copy, make parts, and schedule a performance?

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

On Dec. 2, Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra will give the first performance of Funeral Song (1909, op. 5) in 107 years in St. Petersburg. Apparently the orchestral parts were discovered used to reconstruct the 12-minute score.

Boosey & Hawkes' press release here:

http://www.boosey.com/cr/news/Stravinsky-s-rediscovered-Funeral-Song-restored-to-life-in-St-Petersburg/100911

--Bruce

I just found out about this via a post on facebook from one of the radio stations I listen to. Really looking forward to hearing it!

[snyprrr]

ANOTHER 2 pAGE pOST dELETED BY an errant finger- oh, the furious rage


Anyhow-


Interested in:

'Le Savre'====== Fazil Say on Teldec... what could go wrong???


just ordered Peter Serkin Sonata and Serenade


have Sahk/Gavrlv Concerto 2P,.... wondering about Sonata 2P.....





furious rage over finger flubbing deletion, aaaarrrrggghh- not the patience to b wryterrr

[snyprrr]

ANOTHER 2 pAGE pOST dELETED BY an errant finger- oh, the furious rage


Anyhow-


Interested in:

'Le Savre'====== Fazil Say on Teldec... what could go wrong???


just ordered Peter Serkin Sonata and Serenade


have Sahk/Gavrlv Concerto 2P,.... wondering about Sonata 2P.....





furious rage over finger flubbing deletion, aaaarrrrggghh- not the patience to b wryterrr

Well, neither the Serenade nor the Sonata, by Serkin, did much for me- though, the central 'Adagietto' on the latter had a nice, lattice-like quality. I thought they were more highly ranked, but, frankly, these two pieces seem as minor as a lot of the other Piano Music. There was an enjoyable, museum-like quality to the Serkin recording.

[James]

Pollini's 3 Mvts from Petrushka on DG is an essential solo piano recording. Quite frankly, it's one of the greatest recordings in all of classical music. A real jaw dropper. You probably have heard it.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Pollini's 3 Mvts from Petrushka on DG is an essential solo piano recording. Quite frankly, it's one of the greatest recordings in all of classical music. A real jaw dropper. You probably have heard it.

I've heard it.

[snyprrr]

Pollini's 3 Mvts from Petrushka on DG is an essential solo piano recording. Quite frankly, it's one of the greatest recordings in all of classical music. A real jaw dropper. You probably have heard it.

LOL, yea, I have it here... I'll take it with me today (as if I DIDN'T have it... oh, the humiliation!! )

I've heard it.

[snyprrr]

Pollini's 3 Mvts from Petrushka on DG is an essential solo piano recording. Quite frankly, it's one of the greatest recordings in all of classical music. A real jaw dropper. You probably have heard it.

urvey

But... it was Pollini's fingers that I was impressed  by. The music - as Piano Music- did remind me of "paraphrase city", meaning, it wasn't an original Piano Idea... which is why I left the ballets out of my Piano Survey (for now). I wanted to know what Iggy's "True Piano Music" inspiration would be- I believe it's the Concerto and Sonata for 2 Pianos, though, the Sonata itself has that "original Neo-Classic" sound.

But yea, Pollini's insane in the brain, insane puppet music, no doubt, whether for piano, or not. Pollini's fingers in those fast flourishes are really terrifying, such an attack!





Don't suppose I'd like 'Persephone'? Maybe I can't get Wishbone Ash out of my head.

[James]

urvey

But... it was Pollini's fingers that I was impressed  by. The music - as Piano Music- did remind me of "paraphrase city", meaning, it wasn't an original Piano Idea... which is why I left the ballets out of my Piano Survey (for now). I wanted to know what Iggy's "True Piano Music" inspiration would be- I believe it's the Concerto and Sonata for 2 Pianos, though, the Sonata itself has that "original Neo-Classic" sound.

But yea, Pollini's insane in the brain, insane puppet music, no doubt, whether for piano, or not. Pollini's fingers in those fast flourishes are really terrifying, such an attack!

Don't suppose I'd like 'Persephone'? Maybe I can't get Wishbone Ash out of my head.

Stravinsky's use of the instrument is more about 'the bones' that anything fancy from a pianistic standpoint. I like all of it.

I have Martin Jones's survey on Nimbus .. which is pretty serviceable. He doesn't compare to Pollini's technical polish/control on the rhythmically insane stuff ..

2 recent surveys I have to check out sooner or later are Jennifer Lin and Giacomo Franci ... should be some good stuff there, check Amazon.

[James]

I believe it's the Concerto and Sonata for 2 Pianos, though

There is a fine recording of these by Benjamin Frith & Messiaen specialist Peter Hill on Naxos.

Also on DG,  Stockhausen specialists Alfons & Aloys Kontarsky coupled with Bartok's bonafide masterwork. Haven't heard this one yet.

I'll have to dig through my big Stravinsky box again, there are performances of some of the piano pieces by the Igor himself.

I wish Gould recorded some of these .. or even Russian pianist Sviatoslav Richter. Oh well.