Stravinsky: Rite of Spring

[karlhenning]

That's a good use of "clinical," Scarps, i.e. a remark on the nature of the recording process, rather than a slight upon clarity of interpretation and/or command of the band.

[karlhenning]

This is good, too:

I think the "brutality" of the Rite of Spring is over-emphasized.  What Stravinsky was going for was the primacy of rhythm in aboriginal music.  So a good performance is one which emphasizes the rhythmic vitality of the score with vivid dynamics, but without exaggerated "brutal" outbursts.

[Scarpia]

This is good, too:

Thanks, it's so rare that anyone seems to notice anything I post here.   

[Mirror Image]

My top 5 Rite of Spring recordings in no particular order:

1. Boulez, Cleveland Orch., Sony
2. Levi, Atlanta Symphony Orch., Telarc
3. Ozawa, BSO, RCA
4. Bernstein, LSO, Sony
5. Abbado, LSO, DG

Runner's up: DePreist/Oregon Symphony, Dutroit/MSO, Rattle/CBSO, Chailly/Cleveland Orch.

[snyprrr]

bump

[snyprrr]

Has anyone heard Slatkin/RCA? It's got Ginastera's Popul Vuh as discmate (plus Haydn!).

[MDL]

I recently heard Andrew Litton and the Bergen Philharmonic on BIS (it's on Spotify for those who have it) and very good it is too, but it won't topple Boulez/Sony from his pedestal. International Record Review raved about it, although Gramophone wasn't that impressed.

[snyprrr]

Has anyone heard Slatkin/RCA? It's got Ginastera's Popul Vuh as discmate (plus Haydn!).

[karlhenning]

I have not. Partly because Slatkin isn't a chap I would have sought out for Stravinsky ; )

[MDL]

I wasn't replying to your post. Had I been, I would have quoted you. I was going off on a tangent! 

I've not heard the Slatkin. Gramophone liked it (although you've probably found out already):


"He's good at Stravinskian sonorities as well. His excellent Rite is a little deliberate at times, and has one or two eccentricities (the gravely chiming trumpets in the introduction to Part 2 are placed as though off-stage; the quiet bassoons towards the end of the "Evocation of the Ancestors" play tenuto and legato for no apparent reason) but for the most part obtains its effects by close observance of the score and exemplary balancing, not by specious velocity or exaggeration. The sound is big and rich yet transparent, and the recording has a huge dynamic range. A pity about the coupling. M.E.O."

[snyprrr]

I wasn't replying to your post. Had I been, I would have quoted you. I was going off on a tangent! 

I've not heard the Slatkin. Gramophone liked it (although you've probably found out already):


"He's good at Stravinskian sonorities as well. His excellent Rite is a little deliberate at times, and has one or two eccentricities (the gravely chiming trumpets in the introduction to Part 2 are placed as though off-stage; the quiet bassoons towards the end of the "Evocation of the Ancestors" play tenuto and legato for no apparent reason) but for the most part obtains its effects by close observance of the score and exemplary balancing, not by specious velocity or exaggeration. The sound is big and rich yet transparent, and the recording has a huge dynamic range. A pity about the coupling. M.E.O."

Oh, I'm sorry we didn't record Pulcinella or Petrushka! What a strange thing to say. Does the Ginastera suck that much?

[techniquest]

I don't mean to be flippant, so please bare with me, but has anyone else heard the Plovdiv Philharmonic TROS on Laserlight Classics? I genuinely believe it to be really rather good in terms of performance and recording and I'd be very interested in reading what others think. Am I completely off-the-wall here, or does it have merit?

[MDL]

I don't mean to be flippant, so please bare with me, but has anyone else heard the Plovdiv Philharmonic TROS on Laserlight Classics? I genuinely believe it to be really rather good in terms of performance and recording and I'd be very interested in reading what others think. Am I completely off-the-wall here, or does it have merit?

Not heard it, but that can soon be remedied. It's been uploaded to Grooveshark so it can be streamed.

http://grooveshark.com/#/artist/Plovdiv+Philharmonic+Orchestra+Dobrin+Petkov+Conductor/189810

[snyprrr]

I went ahead and got the Dorati, without a discmate,... $1.99!!

I've gone through this Thread with a comb, and the Amazon reviews,... wow, what a clustrotomy!! I would have liked to have tried the Eotvos, but there are no copies on Amazon.

Frankly, I just didn't want Petrouska or Pulcinalla,... haha, this was like the only option.

I trust I won't be disappointed?


I just had this fear of that old Boulez/Cleveland. Some have brought up the 'everything seems to be solo, instead of a whole' thing,... either weay, I'm sure we'll get around to this one at some point.

[karlhenning]

I went ahead and got the Dorati . . . .

I shouldn't be surprised if he recorded it more than once . . . I have his recording with the LSO on my mp3 player

[snyprrr]

I shouldn't be surprised if he recorded it more than once . . . I have his recording with the LSO on my mp3 player

This is the Decca one.

[karlhenning]

Ah, with Detroit, eh? Under his baton (and that of Paray), a great band!

[MDL]

Is the Muti good or bad? I don't understand the Amazon reviewers. They say he is the loudest and most brutal?

Ooh, missed this. Sorry. The Muti/Philadelpha recording is really rather good. For some reason, I thought that Muti might be stately or dignified, but I was wrong; this is indeed a loud and brutal recording, the Sacrificial Dance in particular packing a real punch. The sound is a bit bright and light in the bass (not a patch on the numerous Decca recordings), but it suits Muti's slashing, shrieking reading.

[akiralx]

I recently heard Andrew Litton and the Bergen Philharmonic on BIS (it's on Spotify for those who have it) and very good it is too, but it won't topple Boulez/Sony from his pedestal. International Record Review raved about it, although Gramophone wasn't that impressed.

Litton's is very good, I have enjoyed it on SACD.  My other favourites are Gergiev, Solti and Inbal.

[snyprrr]

Ah, with Detroit, eh? Under his baton (and that of Paray), a great band!

I'm 5mins. in,... WOW!, this this thrilling. That part, after the stabbing/'Jaws' strings, when, I think it's the bassoon&oboe??, start their quick rhythm?,... that part is very quick and frankly 'evil' sounding,... very crisp and articulated,... you really sense that these are slithery animals of the jungle...

ok, I just rewound to the beginning.

Getting ready to hear 'Jaws' again,... this whole first section is, well,... thrilling is the word,... the string 'stabs' are a little 'more' than I remember in the Rattle.

I know this is DDD from, what, 1981?,... is this the 'dawn' of digital?,... I don't remember. Of course, the sound is excellent, though I'd still like to compare against Rattle: I remember the EMI sound being very very perfect for me. Part of my problem with this piece, just like with modern movies, is, that it's very easy for 'them' to make a recording/film sound/look great, so, practically EVERY recording since, what was the first digital Rite?, every recording can sound better and better, but then we have the playing and conducting to deal with. Perhaps even I am getting used to all this Super Audio stuff, where a recording like this, though perfect, doesn't have that speculum type quality that some newer technologies provide.

ok, I'm nit picking...

I'm getting to the end of Part 1. The United Artists Auditorium in Detroit sounds like the perfect size for this piece.

I am wondering here at the end of Part 1: am I missing 'dirt' in this performance, or is it just being... mmm... 'strict'?  Hmm, maybe it's just perfectly judged?

I rewind to the beginning again...

I'm focusing on the first entry of the harps/pizz. @1:20,... nice imaging. I'm thinking the winds are very 'straight' and almost 'steely' sounding: perhaps I've been hearing to much Villa-Lobos lately, and I'm needing my winds to be 'tired' from the heat,... these winds are very 'alert'. Maybe I'm saying there's no real saliva/juiciness in the winds, but maybe that's the way it should be.

Anyhow, here comes 'Jaws'.


Alright, that's enough from me,... so, if you're familiar with this recording, I would ask you,...mm,... I could stand a more whacked out performance, perhaps over the top and crazy,... since this one sounds very 'straight' (but in the good way, I'm not criticizing). Maybe that Muti is for me?

The brass are very 'solid' sounding here,... bam bam.

Is Part 1 dominated by brass and winds, it seems?