Recordings That You Are Considering

[prémont]

Half the Blomstedt is good (1, 2, 6) but I think 3, 4, and 5 are weak, with the first movement of the Third being the worst I've ever heard. I believe Blomstedt didn't actually conduct it. I've heard rumors he put a metronome in front of the orchestra, turned it on and then stepped out for coffee. That's what it sounds like to me anyway: utterly stripped of an interpretive point of view, the music just laid out mechanically and coldly. The build up to the climactic waltz is given with no sense of suspense or anticipation (and where are the trumpet tremolos?). When the climax does come it's is the most anti-climactic I've ever experienced. But even if you like Blomstedt's way (and there certainly are a lot of you, here and elsewhere), what really ruins this performance is the recording's lack of orchestral detail (one of the things that makes Nielsen uniquely Nielsen). If you've only heard Blomstedt, you have no idea what you're missing.

Sarge

Yes, cold perfection is what I often think of when I listen to Blomstedt (his Beethoven, his San Fransico Nielsen). But I find his EMI Nielsen with the Danish RSO warmer and more expressive. Maybe the orchestra has got the music that much in their blood that they can play it well, even while Blomstedt drinks coffe.

[Daverz]

Listened to Kuchar's 2  yesterday and thought it was excellent, though I generally prefer a slightly dryer ambiance.  I do like the sound of this orchestra, particularly in their Dvorak set on Brilliant.  But if I was in the market for a new set, I might wait to see how opinions of the new Gilbert set settle out.

[DavidRoss]

Half the Blomstedt is good (1, 2, 6) but I think 3, 4, and 5 are weak, with the first movement of the Third being the worst I've ever heard. I believe Blomstedt didn't actually conduct it. I've heard rumors he put a metronome in front of the orchestra, turned it on and then stepped out for coffee. That's what it sounds like to me anyway: utterly stripped of an interpretive point of view, the music just laid out mechanically and coldly. The build up to the climactic waltz is given with no sense of suspense or anticipation (and where are the trumpet tremolos?). When the climax does come it's is the most anti-climactic I've ever experienced. But even if you like Blomstedt's way (and there certainly are a lot of you, here and elsewhere), what really ruins this performance is the recording's lack of orchestral detail (one of the things that makes Nielsen uniquely Nielsen). If you've only heard Blomstedt, you have no idea what you're missing.

Wow. I'm sure glad I have the good Blomstedt/SFS Nielsen cycle, the one with the scintillating 3rd, and not the crummy one Sarge has!

[Coopmv]

(Note that I am only interested in pianists facing to the left...)

And rightfully so since you reside on the left coast ...     

[listener]

Do I really need this?   I have Horenstein, Solti, Ozawa and Rozhdestvensky.  Almost no Atterberg, little Petterson, Magnard.
(apologies if this has come up already, not much chatter if it did)
Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps
100th Anniversary Collector's Edition   details from presto
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The Rite of Spring  1946   Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, Eduard van Beinum
The Rite of Spring  1950   L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Ernest Ansermet
The Rite of Spring 1954    RIAS Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Ference Fricsay
The Rite of Spring  1954   Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, Antal Dorati
The Rite of Spring  1956   Orchestre des cento soli, Rudolf Albert
The Rite of Spring  1956  Paris Conservatoire Orchestra, Pierre Monteux
The Rite of Spring  1957  L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Ernest Ansermet
The Rite of Spring  1959  Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, Antal Dorati
The Rite of Spring  1963  Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
The Rite of Spring   1963  London Symphony Orchestra, Colin Davis
The Rite of Spring  1969  Los Angeles Philharmonic, Zubin Mehta
The Rite of Spring  1972   Boston Symphony Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas
The Rite of Spring  1973   London Philharmonic Orchestra, Bernard Haitink
The Rite of Spring  1974   London Philharmonic Orchestra, Erich Leinsdorf
The Rite of Spring  1974   Wiener Philharmoniker, Lorin Maazel
The Rite of Spring  1974   Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
The Rite of Spring  1975   London Symphony Orchestra, Claudio Abbado
The Rite of Spring  1976   Concertgebouw Orchestra, Colin Davis
The Rite of Spring  1977   Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
The Rite of Spring  1978   National Youth Orchestra, Simon Rattle
The Rite of Spring  1979   Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa
The Rite of Spring  1981   Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Antal Dorati
The Rite of Spring  1982   Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein
The Rite of Spring  1984   Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal, Charles Dutoit
The Rite of Spring  1985   The Cleveland Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly
The Rite of Spring  1991   The Cleveland Orchestra, Pierre Boulez
The Rite of Spring  1991   Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
The Rite of Spring  1992   The MET Orchestra, James Levine
The Rite of Spring  1994   Deutsches Sinfonie-Orchester, Berlin, Vladimir Ashkenazy
The Rite of Spring  1995  Orchestre de Paris, Semyon Bychkov
The Rite of Spring  1995  Berliner Philharmoniker, Bernard Haitink
The Rite of Spring  1999  Kirov Orchestra, St Petersburg, Valery Gergiev
The Rite of Spring  2006  Los Angeles Philharmonic, Esa-Pekka Salonen
The Rite of Spring  2007  Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Myung-Whun Chung
The Rite of Spring  2010  Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, Gustavo Dudamel
The Rite of Spring  for two pianos. 1968   Bracha Eden & Alexander Tamir (piano)
The Rite of Spring  for two pianos. 1983  Güher & Süher Pekinel (piano)
The Rite of Spring  for two pianos. 1990  Vladimir Ashkenazy & Andrei Gavrilov (piano)
Violin Concerto in D  Bonus CD. 1935  Samuel Dushkin (violin)     
Lamoureux Concert Orchestra, Igor Stravinsky

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This 20 CD set celebrates the 100th anniversary of the premiere of Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring in Paris on 29 May 1913. It is widely regarded as the most significant event in 20th century classical music and the shock of this revolutionary score can still be felt today.

Included in this collection are all 38 recordings of this LE SACRE DU PRINTEMPS from the catalogues of Decca, Deutsche Grammophon and Philips (from Eduard van Beinum in 1946 to Gustavo Dudamel in 2010) – an extraordinary initiative, which is likely to gain significant press coverage for the 100th Anniversary of this masterpiece.

In addition to the six recordings included in the 4 CD set, are classic performances by Abbado, Ansermet, Bernstein, Dutoit, Haitink, Karajan, Ozawa, Rattle, Solti etc. The set also includes three recordings of the composer's arrangement for piano duet.

Also included, as a bonus, is an historical 1935 recording from the archives of Deutsche Grammophon of Stravinsky's Violin Concerto, conducted by the composer himself, with Samuel Dushkin as the soloist, who gave the premiere performance of the work.

Decca - 4783729  (CD - 20 discs)   Normally: C$106.00   Special: C$84.25

[The new erato]

Wow. I'm sure glad I have the good Blomstedt/SFS Nielsen cycle, the one with the scintillating 3rd, and not the crummy one Sarge has!

I need to relisten, but I seem to recollect that I have the same version as you!

[Scarpia]

Wow. I'm sure glad I have the good Blomstedt/SFS Nielsen cycle, the one with the scintillating 3rd, and not the crummy one Sarge has!

I have Blomstedt/SFS, I'll have to check which one.  ; ) 
I also have this one:



which I've never found time to listen to.  Which should I try first?

[Wakefield]

Yes, cold perfection is what I often think of when I listen to Blomstedt (his Beethoven, his San Fransico Nielsen). But I find his EMI Nielsen with the Danish RSO warmer and more expressive. Maybe the orchestra has got the music that much in their blood that they can play it well, even while Blomstedt drinks coffe.

You're not being fair, maybe the poor guy deserves some credit.   

[Opus106]

You're not being fair, maybe the poor guy deserves some credit.   

Premont, I think, is appreciative and grateful that he went out for that cup of coffee while letting the Danes play.

[bhodges]

Anyone heard this Strauss Ein Alpensinfonie from Semyon Bychkov and the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln? Bychkov did a sensational job in the piece yesterday with the MET Orchestra, and I'm not that familiar with his recordings. (In this piece I already have Karajan, Haitink and Blomstedt - just might be inclined to get another one if this one is good.)

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--Bruce

[DavidRoss]

This, from jpc.de, release expected ~October 30:

[Lisztianwagner]

Karajan conducting Haydn

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[madaboutmahler]

I'm pretty sure that you would like it, Ilaria!

[Karl Henning]

Karajan conducting Haydn

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Even though . . .

there are some plodding moments in this set, especially among the minuets

. . . ?

[Lisztianwagner]

I'm pretty sure that you would like it, Ilaria!

Yes, I really think I would.

Even though . . .

there are some plodding moments in this set, especially among the minuets

. . . ?

We'll see about that. I've already listened to symphonies No.94 and N.101 from the Karajan Gold, and they are very beautiful.

[DavidRoss]

Karajan conducting Haydn

I like Karajan in some things (mostly Bruckner and German opera), but Karajan conducting Haydn seems horrifying to me. Haydn should sparkle, with humor, wit, grace, and agility -- qualities I've never heard in Karajan.

[jlaurson]

I like Karajan in some things (mostly Bruckner and German opera), but Karajan conducting Haydn seems horrifying to me. Haydn should sparkle, with humor, wit, grace, and agility -- qualities I've never heard in Karajan.

That's for those who think of Haydn first, then how he ought to be interpreted. Others clearly prefer a Karajan interpretation, and then perhaps that, for a change, in the Haydn version.

[Lisztianwagner]

I like Karajan in some things (mostly Bruckner and German opera), but Karajan conducting Haydn seems horrifying to me. Haydn should sparkle, with humor, wit, grace, and agility -- qualities I've never heard in Karajan.

I don't agree, Karajan's performance of symphonies No.94 and No.101 is very beautiful, lyrical and playful, with great elegance and orchestral brilliance. His Die Schöpfung is stunning as well, a majestic recording.

[Scarpia]

I like Karajan in some things (mostly Bruckner and German opera),

In other words, you like Karajan in things you don't listen to.   

I think by now, whenever the name Karajan is mentioned your derisive comment is automatically generated in our minds, so actually typing it in is somewhat redundant. 

[trung224]

   I'm Karajan's admirer but I do not like Karajan conducts Haydn because of the reasons DavisRoss have shown. But when I want to listen wayward performance with Brucknerize effect, Karajan's performance is the good choice