Stravinsky: The Firebird (Complete Original Version); Petrushka (Revised 1947 Version)
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Composer: Igor StravinskyConductor: Robert Craft
Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra of London
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2005-03-22
Music Label: Naxos
Soundtracks:
- Introduction
- Kastchei's Enchanted Garden
- The Firebird Enters, Pursued By Ivan Tsarevich
- The Firebird's Dance
- Ivan Tsarevich Captures The Firebird
- The Firebird Begs To Be Released
- Entrance Of The Thirteen Enchanted Princesses
- The Princesses Play With The Golden Apples
- Ivan Tsarevich Appears
- The Princesses' Khorovod (Round Dance)
- Daybreak
- Ivan Tsarevich, Entering Katschei's Palace, Sets Off It's Magic Carillon, Alerting Kastchei's Monster-Guardians, Who Capture Him
- The Entrance Of Kastchei The Immortal
- Dialogue Between Kastchei And Ivan Tsarevich
- The Princesses Plead For Mercy
- The Firebird Enters
- Dance Of Kastchei's Retinue Under The Firebird's Magic Spell
- Infernal Dance Of Kastchei And His Subjects Under The Firebird's Magic Spell
- The Firebird's Lullaby
- Kastchei Awakens
- Kastchei's Death
- Kastchei's Spell Is Broken, His Palace Disappears, And The Petrified Knights Return To Life. General Thanksgiving. The Marriage And Coronation Of Prince Ivan As Tsar And Of The Princess Of Unearthly Beauty As Tsarina
- The Shrove-Tide Fair
- The Mountebank (Flute Solo)
- Russian Dance
- In Petrushka's Cell
- The Blackamoor
- The Ballerina (Cornet Solo)
- Ballerina And Blackamoor. Lento Cantabile
- The Shrove-Tide Fair
- The Dance Of The Wet-Nurse
- Peasant With Bear (Tuba Solo)
- Gypsies And A Rake Vendor
- Dance Of The Coachmen
- Masqueraders
- The Scuffle: Blackamoor And Petrushka
- Death Of Petrushka
- Police And The Juggler
- Vociferation Of Petrushka's Ghost
Free Music Notes for Stravinsky: The Firebird (Complete Original Version); Petrushka (Revised 1947 Version)
Free Music Review: Stupendous Performances in Brilliant Sound
Hit: 5 Stars
[This review was written for the SACD version of this release. I have not heard this purely plain-CD version, but I did listen to the plain-CD layer of the SACD release which I trust is virtually identical to this release.]
There have, of course, been many recordings of these two early Stravinsky ballets, and you probably have your favorites. Among mine are the classic Bernstein, and the more recent Nagano/London Symphony and Tilson Thomas/San Francisco Symphony. But this one, partly because of the incredible sound reproduction via the SACD process, trumps those. Of course I wouldn't say that if the Philharmonia under Robert Craft didn't play spectacularly, but they do. In 'Firebird,' for instance, the 'Infernal Dance of Kastchei and his subjects' actually made the hair on the back of my neck stand up it was so vividly done. And that is followed by a tender 'Firebird's Lullaby' that brings a lump to the throat. One must comment about the striking playing of winds and brass (particularly the solo horn in 'Kastchei's spell is broken').
'Petrushka' is played in the 1947 revision of the 1911 score. Craft manages to underline the connection between the two ballets, musically, while not stinting in the much more advanced idiom of 'Petrushka.' The accordion push-pull harmonies are given their full due. The various solo turns (flute in 'Mountebank,' cornet in 'The Ballerina,' tuba in 'Peasant and Bear') are marvelously played, as is the extremely important orchestral piano part. Craft in both ballets takes slightly faster tempi in the more active tableaux than we may be used to, but this lends a breathless ?lan to those fast sections, and then in the lyrical sections he coaxes a legato sweetness from the orchestra that is sometimes missing. He recognizes that Stravinsky did not write sentimental music, but that it is nonetheless full of feeling.
This is, as far as I'm concerned, a completely successful set of performances given spectacular sound. I have not heard the plain vanilla CD and cannot comment on any differences there may be in the older format, but the plain CD layer of this disc is almost the equal sonically of the SACD layer; I can only assume the same is true for the CD-only release is similar.
TT=78:53
Scott Morrison
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