Stravinsky: Rite of Spring

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Are we getting an accidental feed from Twitter®?

[snyprrr]

Are we getting an accidental feed from Twitter®?

[snyprrr]

We;;, I listened to Dorati endlessly all day. It's so solid, and I hear new things each time. Bracing and refreshing,... like after shave!?! Still, I want more more MORE!!


Here are some off beat versions no one's mentioned:

Nagano
Leinsdorf
Abbado
Inbal (seriously, I get Inbal, Mehta, & Levi mixed up)
Nott
Colin Davis
Rhodezvetzky(sic) Nimbus
Svetlanov

[MDL]

We;;, I listened to Dorati endlessly all day. It's so solid, and I hear new things each time. Bracing and refreshing,... like after shave!?! Still, I want more more MORE!!


Here are some off beat versions no one's mentioned:

Abbado
Colin Davis

Oi! From my opening post:

On Saturday morning, Building a Library on Radio 3 will be recommending the best recording of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. Past winners have included Abbado/LSO/DG in the late '70s

1) My fave is still Boulez/CO/Sony, although I liked Chailly/CO/Decca very much when I heard it, and nobody tops the atmosphere created by Davis/RCOA/Philips.

(Unless you're referring to Davis's earlier, rather dull LSO/Philips recording, of course.)

The Abbado is brilliantly played by the LSO but slightly let down by a shrill DG recording with some very odd balances; the tam-tam comes and goes at random points in Part II; the piccolo and the guiro leap out of the texture unexpectedly. Still well worth hearing; few Rites sound as balletic as this one.

[snyprrr]

Oi! From my opening post:

On Saturday morning, Building a Library on Radio 3 will be recommending the best recording of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. Past winners have included Abbado/LSO/DG in the late '70s

1) My fave is still Boulez/CO/Sony, although I liked Chailly/CO/Decca very much when I heard it, and nobody tops the atmosphere created by Davis/RCOA/Philips.

(Unless you're referring to Davis's earlier, rather dull LSO/Philips recording, of course.)

The Abbado is brilliantly played by the LSO but slightly let down by a shrill DG recording with some very odd balances; the tam-tam comes and goes at random points in Part II; the piccolo and the guiro leap out of the texture unexpectedly. Still well worth hearing; few Rites sound as balletic as this one.

I gotta tell ya, I think I got myself into a Rite pickle here,...

maybe I really should just take everyone's suggestions. EVERYONE seems to like the Boulez/Sony. The only criticism I've heard is that all the instruments appear as soloists, but, that may be a virtue. And no one's saying anything bad about Chailly.

ugh, I feel like getting 3-5 recordings here,... but, I'm slowly winnowing down the Contenders. Your comments about the Abbado remind me of the engineering comments concerning the Muti (certain instruments louder than the rest).


btw- that Eotvos recording that got the Library Award,... Hurwitz thought it was so so.

[MDL]

I gotta tell ya, I think I got myself into a Rite pickle here,...

maybe I really should just take everyone's suggestions. EVERYONE seems to like the Boulez/Sony. The only criticism I've heard is that all the instruments appear as soloists, but, that may be a virtue. And no one's saying anything bad about Chailly.

ugh, I feel like getting 3-5 recordings here,... but, I'm slowly winnowing down the Contenders. Your comments about the Abbado remind me of the engineering comments concerning the Muti (certain instruments louder than the rest).


btw- that Eotvos recording that got the Library Award,... Hurwitz thought it was so so.

I've only heard clips of the Eotvos (sorry, typing on a netbook and can't find umlauts), but I wasn't blown away. Boulez/CO/Sony, Chailly/CO/Decca, Solti/CSO/Decca, Davis/RCOA/Philips, Muti/PO/EMI remain my favourites. I'm a bit "refreshed" (Saturday night), so I'll come back to the fray when I'm less "tired and emotional".

[snyprrr]

I've only heard clips of the Eotvos (sorry, typing on a netbook and can't find umlauts), but I wasn't blown away. Boulez/CO/Sony, Chailly/CO/Decca, Solti/CSO/Decca, Davis/RCOA/Philips, Muti/PO/EMI remain my favourites. I'm a bit "refreshed" (Saturday night), so I'll come back to the fray when I'm less "tired and emotional".

Alright, I'm just going to straight up ask you: are there eye rolling balance issues in the Muti? I hear there's shocking entrances of instruments that are too miked, and so forth,... what's up here? (Is it a mastering issue (don't think so)?) If the actual recording is Competitive, this 'brutal' version I'd really like to try (it does have multiple re-issues, so maybe mastering is an issue?).

I'm in my 'needling' phase: that's where I want to get as much information from ya'll as possible before plunkin' down the bread, haha,... also known as annoying, haha!!

No one's mentioned Solti till now.


And, so, I see you confirm the same along with everyone else. Amazing consensus here.


Question: Is every Bernstein,... on any form of Sony/CBS/Great Performances, or wotnot, is this the 1958 performance?


I heard some old Salonen/Sony samples: very very (too?) fast, no?


I'm really starting to enjoy sniffing out truffles here!

[MDL]

Alright, I'm just going to straight up ask you: are there eye rolling balance issues in the Muti? I hear there's shocking entrances of instruments that are too miked, and so forth,... what's up here? (Is it a mastering issue (don't think so)?) If the actual recording is Competitive, this 'brutal' version I'd really like to try (it does have multiple re-issues, so maybe mastering is an issue?).

No one's mentioned Solti till now.
And, so, I see you confirm the same along with everyone else. Amazing consensus here.

Question: Is every Bernstein,... on any form of Sony/CBS/Great Performances, or wotnot, is this the 1958 performance?

I heard some old Salonen/Sony samples: very very (too?) fast, no?

I'm really starting to enjoy sniffing out truffles here!

I find that strange balances are much easier to pick out when I listen to recordings over headphones and I've only heard the Muti via my loudspeakers. Even so, it's obvious that the sound is a bit bright and splashy, not as naturally balanced as the many Decca or Philips recordings, but not as bizarre as some of DG's efforts (Abbado and both Karajans).

Solti's CSO recording was my first ever Rite, so obviously I'm very attached to it. His RCOA remake is a lumbering donkey of a recording.

Salonen's Philharmonia/Sony recording is extremely fast throughout. It's also a neat, clean, slightly smooth reading that, for all its speed and drive, lacks bite.

Bernstein's NYPO recording is slightly too eccentric to be a prime recommendation, but it packs a real punch and I wouldn't want to be without it.

[karlhenning]

The Boulez recordings of Le sacre on both the Sony and DG reissues (both times with the Cleveland Orchestra, IIRC — quite a commendation for the band, actually) are both mighty tasty.

[Mirror Image]

The Boulez recordings of Le sacre on both the Sony and DG reissues (both times with the Cleveland Orchestra, IIRC — quite a commendation for the band, actually) are both mighty tasty.

I endorse this message!

[MDL]

I endorse this message!

Boulez/CO/Sony... Well, I've droned on about this recording so often, I'm scared of boring everyone to death.

Boulez/CO/DG... A different kettle of fish. It's brilliantly played and Boulez's care and attention to detail is always fascinating. But it's a bit too civilised and lacks edge and bite.

My biggest problem with this recording arises in the Sacrificial Dance. In the second half, after frenzied section underpinned by complex timpani and tam-tam rhythms, there's a sudden moment where the texture is pared down to a simple asymmetrical hopping motif passed between trombones and bowed strings just before the last minute or so. In his DG recording, Boulez (following the example of Stravinsky's own Sony/Columbia recording, it must be said) rescores this passage for bassoons and plucked strings. To my ears, it sounds puny, ineffective and robs the music of its momentum. It's as if somebody had stuck a bit of The Nutcracker in there by mistake. I LOATHE it! I don't care if Stravinsky did it in his own ultimate recording. He was wrong and his first thoughts were correct. Those few seconds rule both Boulez/DG and Stravinsky/Sony out for me. Sorry; it upsets me that much. 

[Que]

I gotta tell ya, I think I got myself into a Rite pickle here,...

maybe I really should just take everyone's suggestions. EVERYONE seems to like the Boulez/Sony. The only criticism I've heard is that all the instruments appear as soloists, but, that may be a virtue. And no one's saying anything bad about Chailly.

Uhhh. Maybe go back to the first few pages to see the recomendations of some Old School conductors...like Monteux, Dorati, Markevitch and Ancerl? The advantage of the earlier generations of conductors is that you can actually hear where Stravinsky came from, the "roots" of the piece so to speak as the early modern composition it really is - it premiered in 1913 after all!

Q

[snyprrr]

Uhhh. Maybe go back to the first few pages to see the recomendations of some Old School conductors...like Monteux, Dorati, Markevitch and Ancerl? The advantage of the earlier generations of conductors is that you can actually hear where Stravinsky came from, the "roots" of the piece so to speak as the early modern composition it really is - it premiered in 1913 after all!

Q

Of course the Markevitch is being lifted up as the econd Coming, but I fear I won't (I just won't) abide the sound quality (if it's, you know...). And Ancerl looms as The One for many (sound kinda thin?).

Right now, the only thing that's inhibiting me on ANY front is the price (sorry ). I'm working my way up from $1.99 and up. I know that one of these MustHaves isn't going for less than $20,... one of those you'd expect to be much cheaper.

Plus, I do have a habit of picking those whom no one has mentioned.  I'm currently considering Ozawa (anyone?).

No one has mentioned Dutoit(?).


Then, I really need someone to distinguish between:

Levi (Telarc)
Mazaal(?)
Inbal (Teldec/Apex)
Mehta (CBS?)

This group represents my current confusion. I have begun memorizing Amazon (and GMG) reviews. Soon, I'll ACT like I've heard every version, haha...

haha

ha


a...hahahahahaahahahaahahahahahaha...

madness I tell you, madness...

[karlhenning]

No one has mentioned Dutoit(?).

Dutoit/Montréal is excellent, and Le sacre is there accompanied by a delicious Symphonies d'instruments à vent.

[MDL]

Dutoit/Montréal is excellent...

Agreed. And underrated, too.

[MDL]

And Ancerl looms as The One for many (sound kinda thin?).
I'm currently considering Ozawa (anyone?).
Then, I really need someone to distinguish between:
Levi (Telarc)
Mazaal(?)
Inbal (Teldec/Apex)
Mehta (CBS?)
madness I tell you, madness...

Ozawa/CSO is a swift, bullish reading with a very exciting Sacrificial Dance, marred by a bad timpani blooper.
Ancerl is interesting but somewhat overrated.
I haven't heard Maazel's Cleveland recording, but his VPO version is weird and heavy handed.
Mehta/NYPO/Sony is big and baggy, lacking the rhythmic snap that the best versions have and prone to the occasional odd shift in tempo.

[karlhenning]

I've heard a great deal of Ančerl that I have liked, and yet I have shied from trying his Le sacre. Not sure just why.  I mean, apart from the fact that I already have at least ten excellent recordings of the piece.

[Mirror Image]

Boulez/CO/Sony... Well, I've droned on about this recording so often, I'm scared of boring everyone to death.

Boulez/CO/DG... A different kettle of fish. It's brilliantly played and Boulez's care and attention to detail is always fascinating. But it's a bit too civilised and lacks edge and bite.

My biggest problem with this recording arises in the Sacrificial Dance. In the second half, after frenzied section underpinned by complex timpani and tam-tam rhythms, there's a sudden moment where the texture is pared down to a simple asymmetrical hopping motif passed between trombones and bowed strings just before the last minute or so. In his DG recording, Boulez (following the example of Stravinsky's own Sony/Columbia recording, it must be said) rescores this passage for bassoons and plucked strings. To my ears, it sounds puny, ineffective and robs the music of its momentum. It's as if somebody had stuck a bit of The Nutcracker in there by mistake. I LOATHE it! I don't care if Stravinsky did it in his own ultimate recording. He was wrong and his first thoughts were correct. Those few seconds rule both Boulez/DG and Stravinsky/Sony out for me. Sorry; it upsets me that much. 

Boulez was going for a different sound with his DG remake I believe. His conducting has changed quite a bit over the years anyway. Clarity of structure, attention to detail, and incisive playing are the hallmarks of Boulez's conducting.

If someone wants an x-ray view of Stravinsky, then Boulez is their man.

[MDL]

Ozawa's CSO version has been posted in four parts on YouTube. Start here:

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

Other parts displayed in the side bar.

[Sergeant Rock]

I haven't heard Maazel's Cleveland recording, but his VPO version is weird and heavy handed.

Maazel/Cleveland is "weird and heavy handed" too...just like his live performance with the Wiener Phil I heard a few years ago. I love his weirdness    Snyprrr should hear it 


Sarge