Chez Stravinsky

[ritter]

What do you Stravinskians think of The Nightingale? I believe it was written between The Firebird and Le sacre du printemps. I was just listening to Craft's recording of it last night and found it pretty magnificent.

I haven't  listened to it for ages, but it's never been one of my favourite Stravinsky scores (as is the case with Le  Chant du Rossignol derived from it, and that we talked about yesterday). The opera was started before The Firebird, and finished after Le Sacre. This is by now a cliche, but the stylistic incoherence is quite noticeable, making this a "hybrid" score, as far as the idiom is concerned. I might give it a new try tonight (the Boulez account on Erato -- I don't own the Craft).

[Mirror Image]

I haven't  listened to it for ages, but it's never been one of my favourite Stravinsky scores (as is the case with Le  Chant du Rossignol derived from it, and that we talked about yesterday). The opera was started before The Firebird, and finished after Le Sacre. This is by now a cliche, but the stylistic incoherence is quite noticeable, making this a "hybrid" score, as far as the style is concerned. I might give it a new try tonight (the Boulez account on Erato -- I don't own the Craft).

Ah yes, thanks for the correction. I love this hybrid style, but I love all phases of Stravinsky. Is the Boulez performance on Erato the full opera?

Edit: Yep, Boulez recorded the full opera. Excellent! I just bought it:

[ritter]

Ah yes, thanks for the correction. I love this hybrid style, but I love all phases of Stravinsky. Is the Boulez performance on Erato the full opera?

Indeed. This was the original cover:



He's also recorded the Chant, that I remember, with  Cleveland--but that you have  --, the Orchestre National de France--also on Erato--, the NYPO--on Sony--, and most recently with the Lucerne Festival Academy. He clearly likes the piece 

I too love all of Stravinsky's styles (well, perhaps, there are some pieces form the end of the neoclassical period that I find subpar -- even if it's Stravinsky), but I don't know what it is with the Nightingale that I  can't warm to it 

[Mirror Image]

Indeed. This was the original cover:



He's also recorded the Chant, that I remember, with  Cleveland--but that you have  --, the Orchestre National de France--also on Erato--, the NYPO--on Sony--, and most recently with the Lucerne Festival Academy. He clearly likes the piece 

I too love all of Stravinsky's styles (well, perhaps, there are some pieces form the end of the neoclassical period that I find subpar -- even if it's Stravinsky), but I don't know what it is with the Nightingale that I  can't warm to it 

Yep, I own all of Boulez's Le Chant de Rossignol performances. All of them were fine to my ears. I really don't know which one I prefer. What are some of your favorite Stravinsky works?

[ritter]

Yep, I own all of Boulez's Le Chant de Rossignol performances. All of them were fine to my ears. I really don't know which one I prefer. What are some of your favorite Stravinsky works?

Many, many...off the top of my head:

- Firebird
- Petrushka
- Sacre
- Agon
- Canticum Sacrum
- Dumbarton Oaks Concerto
- Variations for orchestra, Aldous Huxley in memoriam
- Les Noces
- Scherzo à la Russe
- Requiem Canticles
..and many more 

Perhaps it's easier to list those I don't like that much  : Apollo, The Rake's Progress (I find it always bores me to tears--except a couple of brilliant moments--even after seeing it fully staged--Auden libretto and all  ), the Nightingale, the Cantata, Ode, Four Norwegian moods...

[Mirror Image]

Many, many...off the top of my head:

- Firebird
- Petrushka
- Sacre
- Agon
- Canticum Sacrum
- Dumbarton Oaks Concerto
- Variations for orchestra, Aldous Huxley in memoriam
- Les Noces
- Scherzo à la Russe
- Requiem Canticles
..and many more 

Perhaps it's easier to list those I don't like that much  : Apollo, The Rake's Progress (I find it always bores me to tears--except a couple of brilliant moments--even after seeing it fully staged--Auden libretto and all  ), the Nightingale, the Cantata, Ode, Four Norwegian moods...

I love all of those works even those that you don't enjoy that much. A special nod to all of his concertante works as well like the Violin Concerto, Ebony Concerto, Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra, and Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments.

[ritter]

Yep, missed the Violin concerto  What a wonderful coda at the end.  Had the chance of seeing it live with Vengerov, and Boulez conducting the London Symphony here in Madrid (rather unusual -- Boulez isn't really a fan of the work)...great concert!

I missed one of my TOP favourites in my list: Pulcinella !!! ...I never grow tired of it..."Pupillette, fiammette d'amore..." 

[Mirror Image]

Yep, missed the Violin concerto  What a wonderful coda at the end.  Had the chance of seeing it live with Vengerov, and Boulez conducting the London Symphony here in Madrid (rather unusual -- Boulez isn't really a fan of the work)...great concert!

I missed one of my TOP favourites in my list: Pulcinella !!! ...I never grow tired of it..."Pupillette, fiammette d'amore..." 

Excellent. I'm sure that concerto was well-performed by Vengerov (who recorded with Rostropovich on EMI). I'm not surprised Boulez doesn't like the work. There's a lot of music he just doesn't like period.

[Karl Henning]

My quick 25 Favorite Stravinsky Works list:

Le sacre
Symphony of Psalms
Symphonies d'instruments à vent
Concerto per due pianoforti
Les noces
L'histoire du soldat
Petrushka
Symphony in Three Movements
Orpheus
Agon
Le baiser de la fée
L'oiseau de feu
Canticum sacrum
Threni
Ragtime for Eleven Instruments
Mavra
Perséphone
Apollo
Danses concertantes
Feu d'artifice
Concerto for piano and winds
The three motets
Berceuses du chat
Dirge-Canons and Song In memoriam Dylan Thomas
the three Shakespeare Songs
the arrangement of the Bach canonic variations on Vom Himmel hoch

[Karl Henning]

. . . I'm not surprised Boulez doesn't like the work. There's a lot of music he just doesn't like period.

Yes, Boulez is quite finicky, really 

[Mirror Image]

My quick 25 Favorite Stravinsky Works list:

Le sacre
Symphony of Psalms
Symphonies d'instruments à vent
Concerto per due pianoforti
Les noces
L'histoire de soldat
Petrushka
Symphony in Three Movements
Orpheus
Agon
Le baiser de la fée
L'oiseau de feu
Canticum sacrum
Threni
Ragtime for Eleven Instruments
Mavra
Perséphone
Apollo
Danses concertantes
Feu d'artifice
Concerto for piano and winds
The three motets
Berceuses du chat
Dirge-Canons and Song In memoriam Dylan Thomas
the three Shakespeare Songs
the arrangement of the Bach canonic variations on Vom Himmel hoch

All great works! There's not much by Stravinsky I dislike, but I need to revisit Perséphone and Mavra.

[Karl Henning]

No, scarcely anything I dislike, either!

[Mirror Image]

No, scarcely anything I dislike, either!

The consistency in Stravinsky's oeuvre is just awe-inspiring.

[ritter]

Reading your comments, Karlhenning and Mirror image, I realise those works I love that I omitted form my rashly prepared list  : The Symphonies for wind instruments! The Danses concertantes! Le Baiser de la fée (by far, Tchaikovsky's best ballet  )... Stravinsky certainly is an embarras de richesses, from the Pastorale all the way to The Owl and the pussycat....

Have you heard Alexander Goehr's On Stravinsky (based on the Pastorale)?...quite clever and delightful Here's an excerpt (but the part in which the Pastorale appears is missing form the video  )...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmWBFFH_lvU

Edited to add the missing link to YouTube

[Mirror Image]

Reading your comments, Karlhenning and Mirror image, I realise those works I love that I omitted form my rashly prepared list  : The Symphonies for wind instruments! The Danses concertantes! Le Baiser de la fée (by far, Tchaikovsky's best ballet  )... Stravinsky certainly is an embarras de richesses, from the Pastorale all the way to The Owl and the pussycat....

Have you heard Alexander Goehr's On Stravinsky (based on the Pastorale)?...quite clever and delightful Here's an excerpt (but the part in which the Pastorale apperas is missing form the video  )...

Le Baiser de la fee is an excellent work. I listened to it the other day. Absolutely magical. The Pastorale is a great little piece, too. Once I get into a Stravinsky phase, it's just so hard to turn it off. He practically consumes most of my listening time. Before I know it, the sun has set and I'm left wondering where did the day go?

[Dancing Divertimentian]

My quick 25 Favorite Stravinsky Works list:

Le sacre
Symphony of Psalms
Symphonies d'instruments à vent
Concerto per due pianoforti
Les noces
L'histoire du soldat
Petrushka
Symphony in Three Movements
Orpheus
Agon
Le baiser de la fée
L'oiseau de feu
Canticum sacrum
Threni
Ragtime for Eleven Instruments
Mavra
Perséphone
Apollo
Danses concertantes
Feu d'artifice
Concerto for piano and winds
The three motets
Berceuses du chat
Dirge-Canons and Song In memoriam Dylan Thomas
the three Shakespeare Songs
the arrangement of the Bach canonic variations on Vom Himmel hoch

I've missed out on a few on your list. I'd like to change that at some point. Any thoughts on Renard, Karl? I'm a big fan of the piece.

[Mirror Image]

I've missed out on a few on your list. I'd like to change that at some point. Any thoughts on Renard, Karl? I'm a big fan of the piece.

I'm not Karl, but I love Renard. I think it's highly underrated to be honest because you never see it recorded that much. The music itself it chockfull of Stravinskian goodness. If I'm mistaken, this was a short, small-scale opera, right?

[Dancing Divertimentian]

I'm not Karl, but I love Renard. I think it's highly underrated to be honest because you never see it recorded that much. The music itself it chockfull of Stravinskian goodness. If I'm mistaken, this was a short, small-scale opera, right?

The booklet notes to my recording (Dutoit) describe it as a "burlesque for singing and acting". So stage work, yes. Probably small-scale opera would work, too.

Actually, with nothing but animal characters - and its fox central character - it almost reads like a small-scaled Cunning Little Vixen!

[ritter]

Karl's list has most of my favorites, as well.  And it caused me to pull out this nice recording with three of them on it ~



Canticum Sacrum
Agon
Requiem Canticles

Gielen

That's a CD I've thought many times of buying, since it includes three Stravinsky works which are among my favourites too...and these pieces should suit Gielen like a glove...

Incidentally, friends of mine who had the chance to chat with Gielen once, reported that he said something to the effect that the Requiem Canticles were his favourite of all Requiem  settings he knew...(and I share that view  )...

As for Renard, Mirror Image, it's more a ballet with singing, or a pantomime, than an opera..all very tongue-in-cheek, with that circus-like atmosphere, and it's over in a flash. Delightful. Boulez made a classic recording in his Domaine Musical days, availbale in this (very interesting) box set:

[asin]B000CRQZNM[/asin]

[Karl Henning]

Renard is good fun! Really, I love any of his cimbalom pieces . . . .