Chez Stravinsky

[snyprrr]

The Works for Violin & Piano

Isabelle van Keulen & Olli Mustonen (Philips; 1989)


I just got this old Philips set, which came in one of those Philips 'boxes' that look so so,... expensive, haha (oh, and it was on Amazon,... sheesh!). This purchase is like my Cornerstone, the one that connects a whole lot of strands in my Library.

So, I've never really 'heard' (or actually actively listened to) any of these pieces (though I admit to prejudging it as sounding like 'typical' IS neo-classicism), but I put on the Duo Concertant (expecting to be bored), and wow!, that opening is really really unique. That is some of the most shocking expectation defying music I've heard, considering what I thought it was going to sound like. I wasn't able to listen too much last night (quiet time), so I will be diving in during the drive today.

I suppose I was actually more interested in Mustonen than Stravinsky. I used to have his Alkan/DSCH Decca cd, and remember that he has a reputation for a very individual technique, so, I thought he might be interesting in this repertoire. He seems to play having a 'bubble' around every note, very articulated. This came through in spades in the opening of the DC.

Van Keulen, on the other hands, seems very delicate here. The balance seems pretty equal, though the piano tends to 'wrap' the violin, like how flowers are wrapped in light paper. This balance seems to highlight the timbral differences very much, which makes me wonder if this is on purpose, since, apparently, IS thought that the combination of string & piano was not to his liking.

So, I know there are now quite a few recordings of this music (including Perlman, and a new one with Ades on piano, from Hyperion). Is anyone familiar with the Philips; or, what are your thoughts on the music?

[snyprrr]

The Works for Violin & Piano

Isabelle van Keulen & Olli Mustonen (Philips; 1989)


I just got this old Philips set, which came in one of those Philips 'boxes' that look so so,... expensive, haha (oh, and it was on Amazon,... sheesh!). This purchase is like my Cornerstone, the one that connects a whole lot of strands in my Library.

So, I've never really 'heard' (or actually actively listened to) any of these pieces (though I admit to prejudging it as sounding like 'typical' IS neo-classicism), but I put on the Duo Concertant (expecting to be bored), and wow!, that opening is really really unique. That is some of the most shocking expectation defying music I've heard, considering what I thought it was going to sound like. I wasn't able to listen too much last night (quiet time), so I will be diving in during the drive today.

I suppose I was actually more interested in Mustonen than Stravinsky. I used to have his Alkan/DSCH Decca cd, and remember that he has a reputation for a very individual technique, so, I thought he might be interesting in this repertoire. He seems to play having a 'bubble' around every note, very articulated. This came through in spades in the opening of the DC.

Van Keulen, on the other hands, seems very delicate here. The balance seems pretty equal, though the piano tends to 'wrap' the violin, like how flowers are wrapped in light paper. This balance seems to highlight the timbral differences very much, which makes me wonder if this is on purpose, since, apparently, IS thought that the combination of string & piano was not to his liking.

So, I know there are now quite a few recordings of this music (including Perlman, and a new one with Ades on piano, from Hyperion). Is anyone familiar with the Philips; or, what are your thoughts on the music?

No one?

I listened to the rest of the set, and find it endlessly interesting, in a very white, neo-classic way. Again, the opening of the Duo Concertant, with the piano imitating a... balailaka?... is so interesting sounding. The two instruments couldn't clash more, yet compel so.

Can anyone vouch for Van Keulen? Her intonation sounds ok, but some of this music sounds fiendishly difficult, and I was compelled to listen very closely a few times (the solo Elegie is a study in double stops); but, I have come away thinking she's playing the music. There is something slightly disconcerting about the proceedings, and I'm starting to think it's Igor's spiky sense of humor.

Ultimately, I did find in this music the detachment I was seeking. It is certainly some of the cleanest music I've heard, spotless and white. The liner notes call it 'superior salon music', and I would agree, if you leave your preconceived notions, this music will surprise you. I especially enjoyed the Firebird and Nightingale arrangements.

[karlhenning]

No one?

Well . . . honestly, there is a long list of Stravinsky works which made an immediate, and highly specific impression, so that I should never mistake any other piece in the literature for them. But the Duo concertant was not one of them ; )

Sérieusement, your post I took as a prompt to revisit the Duo, but yesterday being St Patrick's Day in Boston, I have not yet acted upon that prompt.

[karlhenning]

Can anyone vouch for Van Keulen? Her intonation sounds ok, but some of this music sounds fiendishly difficult, and I was compelled to listen very closely a few times (the solo Elegie is a study in double stops)

Do you know, I think I had not ever heard the Élégie until the Boulez DG box arrived this past month.  It is exquisite!  Though, of course, I fully expected it so to be.

[snyprrr]

Well . . . honestly, there is a long list of Stravinsky works which made an immediate, and highly specific impression, so that I should never mistake any other piece in the literature for them. But the Duo concertant was not one of them ; )

Sérieusement, your post I took as a prompt to revisit the Duo, but yesterday being St Patrick's Day in Boston, I have not yet acted upon that prompt.

It's just that opening, where Igor makes the piano sound like, I suppose, a balailaka, with those fast repeated notes. Not THEE most strange thing ever, but, I think it carries the same kind of cheeky surprise that the simplistic patterns of the 3 Pieces for SQ deliver (or the almost random figurations of A Soldier's Tale?). Maybe?

[snyprrr]

And, I've been listening to this van Keulen/Mustonen set for a couple of days now. It's quite infectious, and ever so slightly Modern sounding,... I just can't get over how 'clean' the music sounds,... very Metrosexual, haha!!

The opening of the Firebird is very nicely transcribed.

[Scarpia]

Listened to Jeu de cartes today, in two recordings, one by Neeme Jarvi with the Concertgebouw (1992) the other Karajan with the Philharmonia (1952).  An interesting piece, and interesting contrast between the two recordings.  Jarvi brings off the grand introductions to each deal best, but the glory of this piece is in the fascinating passage work that make up the guts of the three "deals" and Karajan here is far superior, in my opinion.  Part of it is that Karajan's recording is much better recorded than Jarvi's, despite the fact that Chandos had a 40 year advantage in technology.  The woodwinds sound so much more distant and remote in the Jarvi recording.  Another irritation is that Jarvi tends to have the brass play in very harsh staccato outbursts where you don't hear the note, just a percussive "blat."  Karajan would not allow such a thing.   0:)

[snyprrr]

I haven't heard the Philips set .. but your mentions of it here has got me interested in checking it out.
I have the Hyperion set (Marwood/Ades) and dig it, tho I haven't listened to it as much as I'd like to.

Just curious as to how you think Marwood plays. As I said, van Keulen seems to play very delicately, and I wonder if this is the music, or not. I don't know Dushkin's style, so I can't tell if he had a more,...mmm,... masculine style. I really feel like I need to hear others now to compare. And the madness of rabbit holes, haha!

[Mirror Image]

Listened to Jeu de cartes today, in two recordings, one by Neeme Jarvi with the Concertgebouw (1992) the other Karajan with the Philharmonia (1952).  An interesting piece, and interesting contrast between the two recordings.  Jarvi brings off the grand introductions to each deal best, but the glory of this piece is in the fascinating passage work that make up the guts of the three "deals" and Karajan here is far superior, in my opinion.  Part of it is that Karajan's recording is much better recorded than Jarvi's, despite the fact that Chandos had a 40 year advantage in technology.  The woodwinds sound so much more distant and remote in the Jarvi recording.  Another irritation is that Jarvi tends to have the brass play in very harsh staccato outbursts where you don't hear the note, just a percussive "blat."  Karajan would not allow such a thing.   0:)

Karajan had no feel for Stravinsky's idiom. He pretty much was clueless about Bartok as well.

[Mirror Image]

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Stravinsky arranged L'Histoire du soldat as a suite, which seems the best way to hear the music outside of the theatre. Using seven virtuoso players plucked from the ranks of the Cleveland Orchestra, Boulez produces a crisp and vigorous account in which Stravinsky's rhythmic playfulness is always to the fore.

A truly fantastic recording in every sense. This recording also contains one of my favorite Stravinsky scores Le Chant du Rossignol. To those Stravinsky fans who haven't heard this work: go listen to it now! Truly magical.

[snyprrr]

Just popped in the Octet. I must have got this confused with the Symphonies for Wind Instruments because I certainly don't hear anything familiar. I guess that opening of SWI has just got stuck in my head. So, I consider the Octet a 'new' piece for me, haha! Nothing out of the ordinary here, though there is a lot of nice wind writing.

[Mirror Image]

What are everybody's thoughts on Dumbarton Oaks? Do you think it is one of Stravinsky's masterpieces?

[Brahmsian]

What are everybody's thoughts on Dumbarton Oaks? Do you think it is one of Stravinsky's masterpieces?

I'll make this easy.   YES!

[Scarpia]

Listened to Jeu de cartes today, in two recordings, one by Neeme Jarvi with the Concertgebouw (1992) the other Karajan with the Philharmonia (1952).  An interesting piece, and interesting contrast between the two recordings.  Jarvi brings off the grand introductions to each deal best, but the glory of this piece is in the fascinating passage work that make up the guts of the three "deals" and Karajan here is far superior, in my opinion.  Part of it is that Karajan's recording is much better recorded than Jarvi's, despite the fact that Chandos had a 40 year advantage in technology.  The woodwinds sound so much more distant and remote in the Jarvi recording.  Another irritation is that Jarvi tends to have the brass play in very harsh staccato outbursts where you don't hear the note, just a percussive "blat."  Karajan would not allow such a thing.   0:)

Listened to these two recordings of Jeu de cartes again.  This is a case where having two contrasting performances is a big benefit because there are lots of details that are more apparent in one than the other, and having both gives the opportunity to listen for the effect you noticed in one recording while listening to the other.

I've grown to like Jarvi's recording more on the second go around, but Karajan's old Philharmonia still has a unique appeal.  This is a very playful score (with ironic quotes of Beethoven's "fate" theme in chirping oboes, and recreation of Rossini style Italianate drama) and Karajan brings an intensity to it that seems to invoke the seriousness of a child at play.  Jarvi's characterization of the music is not as focused, creates the impression of a pagent.  Both are a pleasure to listen to.  The next time I listen to the piece it will be Abbado's LSO recording (more dramatic than either of these, as I recall).

[karlhenning]

Just popped in the Octet. I must have got this confused with the Symphonies for Wind Instruments because I certainly don't hear anything familiar. I guess that opening of SWI has just got stuck in my head. So, I consider the Octet a 'new' piece for me, haha! Nothing out of the ordinary here, though there is a lot of nice wind writing.

Aye. While it is not a 'game-changer' like the Symphonies d'instruments à vent, the Octuor is still a lovely piece.

[snyprrr]

Going through the 'American' years...

Concerto in D: this one has the same 'hardness' as the Symphony in C, the same seriousness (same as the Capriccio also).

Quatre Etudes: these are orchestrations of the 3 Pieces for SQ. The second one, particularly (marked Eccentrique) has a delicious strangeness to it (the others,... meh).

Four Norwegian Moods: the most Milhaud/Martinu/Poulenc, etc.,... sounding of all. IMO nothing to see here.

Danses Concertantes: typical, spiky Neo-Classicism for the Los Angeles crowd. Me likey.

'Dumbarton Oaks' Concerto: haven't listened yet...

Ode: not yet...

Scenes de ballet: up next...


I'm not sure his 'Hollywood' phase is my favorite.


If the Octet is the first NeoC work, what was the last?

[karlhenning]

If the Octet is the first NeoC work, what was the last?

Agon, which was transitional into the serial phase.

[Mirror Image]

I have been watching this...

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I have not finished watching it yet, but I have been watching about 30-40 minutes a night and tonight I will finish it. This is a very entertaining film. As typical with the Palmer films I've seen, it doesn't really follow any kind of logic, but this Stravinsky documentary is, more importantly, driven by the composer's own narration, which makes it a little bit more cohesive. It does contain some fantastic footage of the composer and some rare interviews that were quite amusing to watch. I'm past the part where he moved to Hollywood. One interesting thing so far that I thought was curiously omitted was Stravinsky's own thoughts on why he chose to look back to the Baroque and Classical Eras for inspiration. It seems that his Neoclassical period is getting the short end of the stick so far, which I'm very disappointed in. Hopefully, things will pick up as Pulcinella, Mass, and Symphony in Three Movements has been discussed.

Speaking of Stravinsky documentaries, has anyone seen this one?

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[Mirror Image]

Yes, I have that one and like it a lot.  It only covers Symphonies of Wind Instruments, but is very informative and if you are like me and love this work, the film is well worth the investment in time and money.  The companion film on Schoenberg's Five Pieces for Orchestra is, indeed, very fine as well.

Thanks for the feedback, Leon! I'll probably be purchasing this in a minute.

[Scarpia]

Had time to listen through Orpheus again and have a better appreciation of the unique sound-world of this music.  After the boisterous, extroverted use of the orchestra in Jeu de cartes, the sparse, reticent orchestration of Orpheus requires some serious renormalization of expectations.  The notes to the recording mention that the forces employed in Jeu de cartes and Orpheus are almost exactly the same, but Orpheus is more reserved in its use of the orchestra, and except for a few passages the texture is reminiscent of chamber music.  The most striking thing about the music is the use of neo-baroque textures during the most expressive moments of the piece, notably the writing for two oboes and harp depicting Orpheus in the underworld, and the slowly unfolding counterpoint depicting the return and loss of Eurydice.