# Favorite Rite Of Spring



## Bksherm66 (Nov 20, 2018)

Mine has been the Gergiev recording and I like Boulez, any other top recordings you'd suggest?


----------



## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Markevitch with the Warsaw Philharmonic at the top, followed by Boulez on Sony and then Stravinsky's own version. The Gergiev on DVD of the ballet performance with Firebird was great to watch.


----------



## Euler (Dec 3, 2017)

I like the Currentzis, his theatrics suit the Rite IMO, it's unusually tender in places with very slow introductions to both parts, but savage in the Augurs of Spring and the Ritual of Abduction. Top engineering too with incredibly detailed sound. Salonen is nicely brutal especially with the LA Phil; his recording with the Philharmonia also blows your hair back. For a historic recording I like Ozawa. The Gergiev is great though, so many options here... might be best to sample a bunch and see what floats your boat.


----------



## SalieriIsInnocent (Feb 28, 2008)

Well my favorite overall performance is the Bernstein 1958 New York Philharmonic recording. Just captures the power of the piece so well. 

My favorite release as far as sound quality paired with performance is the one Yoel Levi did for Telarc. Though the Bernstein recording does not sound its age at all.


----------



## 89Koechel (Nov 25, 2017)

Thanks, Phil … and Markevitch was a MASTER of certain parts of Stravinsky's oeuvre - both the "Rite" and the Philips recording of "L'Histoire du Soldat". Boulez was very fine, also …. but to reach-BACK very far, there was (and preserved on Pristine Classical) the virtually-primitive engineering … but exceptional, headlong FLOW of Pierre Monteux, from 1929.


----------



## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

89Koechel said:


> Thanks, Phil … and Markevitch was a MASTER of certain parts of Stravinsky's oeuvre - both the "Rite" and the Philips recording of "L'Histoire du Soldat". Boulez was very fine, also …. but to reach-BACK very far, there was (and preserved on Pristine Classical) the virtually-primitive engineering … but exceptional, headlong FLOW of Pierre Monteux, from 1929.


I'll check out the Monteux. The Markevitch with the Warsaw Philharmonic is nuts. The most aggressive I've heard, can't compare with his other versions.


----------



## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

In the late '60s, Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos made a recording for EMI with the Philharmonia that is dark, rich, and positively hair-raising.


----------



## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Riccardo Muti/ Philadelphia Orchestra and Bernstein as mentioned above.


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

my original favorite was Bernstein/NYPO, 1958, still a great one...
Solti/CSO, features some amazing playing
Mehta/LAPO, his NYPO one is very good also.
Boulez/Cleveland, the superb Szell Clevelanders deliver a real powerhouse
historical favorite - Stokowski/PhilaOrch, late 20s


----------



## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Of course, how many _Rite_s have you heard? 
My collection includes a couple Stravinsky box sets:






and








That first box contains 38 versions, all but 3 are orchestral versions, the other three being Stravinsky's own version for 2 pianos. And of the orchestral versions, there are at least three "versions" (1913, 1921, and 1947 versions, including a couple of "unknown" versions listed).

The second box contains 10 additional versions. (I'm not sure is there is any overlap.) Including two under the baton of the composer himself.

What I notice in listening to these various versions (and I've heard most of them -- the _Rite_ is one of those pieces I take on quite often, especially now since I have so many at hand and the score as well) is that the differences delight, from one to another. Those differences, aside from versions by year, are marked by performance and recorded sound. And because the _Rite _is so vast in its form, each conductor's/orchestra's version seems to have merits and weaknesses, which makes it all the more fun to explore.

I admit, I'm overwhelmed by this piece and prefer not to name a "favorite" version. Rather, I continue to explore the music's many possibilities, which may explain why I invested in those two box sets (as well as the several other versions in my collection) in the first place. (After all, the alternative reason as to why I may be spending so much on acquiring copies of this Stravinsky masterpiece worries me! Where, after all, does the line between sanity and madness lie?)


----------



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

As many others have said, Markevitch, Gergiev, Chailly, Dorati, Gatti, Bernstein & Currentzis come to mind. Small shout for Dudamel's Rite too. Impressive!


----------



## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

Whenever the question of a favourite 'Rite of Spring' comes up, alongside the Markevich and Tilson Thomas classics, I often cite the little known (and even less plaudited) recording by the Plovdiv Philharmonic under Dobrin Petkov. I'd be very interested to hear what you guys think about this recording. I've had it for some time on the Laserlight Classics label which, as you'll probably know, was a very cheap and cheerful label which released music performed by East European orchestras, in the '90s.


----------



## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

There are indeed many fine recordings and plenty of very good ones. History has some really striking examples (none of which has been equalled!) and you should try not to miss: 

Dorati (there are three recordings - '54, '59 and '81) or 
Markevitch (I know of two - both with the Philharmonia: '51 and '59 - but don't know the Warsaw recording that Phil loves classical refers to) or 
Monteux (recordings with the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra and the Boston SO). 

Of more modern ones I also vote for Gergiev (joins the select bunch of really thrilling and powerful Rites) and Currentzis (has something new to say). I also enjoyed Barenboim's underrated recording (but there are lots of others at the "very good" level). 

And then there is Karajan (two recordings, the first of which Stravinsky hated - you can hear why! - and I'm sure he would not have found the second one any better) and I would also seriously consider a four hands piano version (either Fazil Say's - all four hands - or Hamelin and Andsnes).


----------



## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

Enthusiast said:


> There are indeed many fine recordings and plenty of very good ones. History has some really striking examples (none of which has been equalled!) and you should try not to miss:
> 
> Dorati (there are three recordings - '54, '59 and '81) or
> Markevitch (I know of two - both with the Philharmonia: '51 and '59 - but don't know the Warsaw recording that Phil loves classical refers to) or
> ...


Ugh, I can't stand the Karajans. My favorite is actually Yoel Levi with the Atlanta Symphony.


----------



## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

SalieriIsInnocent said:


> Well my favorite overall performance is the Bernstein 1958 New York Philharmonic recording. Just captures the power of the piece so well.


Ditto. Although it wasn't the final version Igor wrote. It's a thrilling reading and still stands with the best.


----------



## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

Tchaikov6 said:


> Ugh, I can't stand the Karajans. My favorite is actually Yoel Levi with the Atlanta Symphony.


Levi's is very good, it is true. And, as for Karajan, well he presents a different Rite. A little tame but quite a showpiece! They aren't really to my taste either but I guess they are good at being what they are!


----------



## Kiki (Aug 15, 2018)

Once when a bunch of audiophile friends came over, I played the Monteux 1929 recording, told them that's the best recording of le Sacre available (in 1929 that is), and challenged them to find out what squeaks a 1929 recording could reproduce, in order to get them rooted in the listening room, so I could get on with the cooking without needing to listen to any audiophile nonsense while massaging the chicken wings in the kitchen... :lol:

Seriously,

I really like the passion of Gergiev/Kirov 99 and the power of Dorati/Detroit 81 (and it has got a superb recording). 

For a more intellectual (sane) experience, I would turn to Robert Craft. I like his LSO 95 slightly more than his Philharmonia 07. (Is his St. Luke recording available on an individual CD? Don't seem to be able to find it.)

Also like Mr. Zinman's 2013 dual editions, a 1967 version plus a 1913 autograph reconstruction, where an excellent illustrated talk on the reconstructed score is also included.

I wouldn't live without François-Xavier Roth's 2013 live performance of the 1913 version on period instruments either. Not sure he was using the same score as Mr. Zinman's though (highresaudio.com's download does not include a digital booklet! Blah!)

Karajan's four recordings are an enigma to me. I find the 1975/6/7 recording the most coherent-sounding, even though it was recorded over a three-year period! I also don't get why some professional critics praised highly this 1975/6/7 recording. For me it is still very much "pet savage", to borrow Igor's words. Maybe I'm missing something. On the other hand, the other three, 64, 72 Live (Testament) & 78 Live (Palexa), are kind of all over the place. 

The historical recordings, Monteux 1929 and Stokowski 1929/30, are interesting, but really one can't hear much in them, although they appeal to my collector's complex. (Can't find Stravinsky's own 1929 recording that was re-issued on Pearl. Is it still available?)


----------



## Ras (Oct 6, 2017)

*Gergiev/Kirov:*









*Haitink:*









*Ivan Fischer:*









*I also have Stravinsky's own recording in a cheap box from Sony/Columbia, but I don't like it that much actually...*


----------



## Guest (Dec 5, 2018)

First of all, thank you for using the word "favorite" instead of "best"! My favorite is Gergiev's followed closely by Solti's.


----------



## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Heck148 said:


> Mehta/LAPO
> Boulez/Cleveland, the superb Szell Clevelanders deliver a real powerhouse


These are 2 of my favorites!

Both have that "edge of your seat" experience, and violent edge, needed for this piece.


----------



## WildThing (Feb 21, 2017)

I agree with many of those mentioned thus far, but would also add Dutoit and Ozawa as two more excellent accounts.


----------



## Vaan (Nov 17, 2018)

Muti Philadelphia, Abbado LSO, Bernstein NYPO.


----------



## Oldhoosierdude (May 29, 2016)

techniquest said:


> Whenever the question of a favourite 'Rite of Spring' comes up, alongside the Markevich and Tilson Thomas classics, I often cite the little known (and even less plaudited) recording by the Plovdiv Philharmonic under Dobrin Petkov. I'd be very interested to hear what you guys think about this recording. I've had it for some time on the Laserlight Classics label which, as you'll probably know, was a very cheap and cheerful label which released music performed by East European orchestras, in the '90s.


I like it. A worthwhile performance with good sound. 
I also like the other cheapie out there from this box download








Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Yuri Simionov


----------



## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

Got "Pictures at an Exhibition" that shares the CD with "Rite of Spring" which arrived early this week. Wonderful recording by Riccardo Muti and Philadelphia Orchestra


----------



## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

I remember what a revelation it was to hear the piano reduction played by Tilson-Thomas and Ralph Grierson.

 
Suddenly, chords became clearer, Rhythms more defined. Also, the binaural version is good with headphones (I don't have an image, and forgot who conducted...Jose something. My "imprint" was the Columbia Masterworks with Stravinsky conducting. I have it now in the Original Jackets Collection box set.


----------



## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Most ridiculous-sounding Rite of Spring: Larry Coryell's multiple-overdubbed electric guitar version. Was this on Vanguard? Can I find it on Amazon? No.









​


----------



## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Stravinsky's own recording is absolutely unmissable. Really savage. Never understood the tin eared critics who said he couldn't conduct his own music. Or the critics who dismissed Karajan's remake. He did in fact take the composer's criticisms of his initial recording very seriously indeed.


----------



## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

millionrainbows said:


> Most ridiculous-sounding Rite of Spring: Larry Coryell's multiple-overdubbed electric guitar version. Was this on Vanguard? Can I find it on Amazon? No.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Here's where you can find a copy but it's pricey:
https://www.discogs.com/Larry-Coryell-Le-Sacre-Du-Printemps/release/2871811
He also did Scheherazade and Petrushka. I didn't realize he had died in 2017. Of course, I was immediately reminded of his soulmate guitar player Emily Remler, who died of a drug overdose years before him. Tragic. Both were amazing musicians who weren't afraid to experiment.


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

the 2 piano version of Le Sacre is interesting..gives a whole new look, or sound, to the work..the pounding, percussive effects come off very well..only the tightest most intense orchestral performance approaches it....what totally fails is the instrumental colors, and the voicing, balance of the chords and tone clusters....you never hear the D piccolo trumpet screaming over the top, or the first horn crescendoing over the section. pianos simply can't replicate that....we also miss the delicious colors of Stravinsky's great score- the flowing alto flute lines, the Eb/bass clarinet duets, the spooky 2 contrabassoons over the bassoon section chord interlude...also, we don't get the huge walloping bass sound of the tuba, timpsni. bass drum and full percussion. the 2 piano version is good to hear, for it certainly presents the rhythms with great clarity, but I miss those screaming, and spooky sounding chords!!


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

I'm not a huge fan of Stravinsky conducting his own works...those who played for him were not real enthusiastic... he did conduct the asymetric rhythms very accurately, and metrically correct....he tended to totally disregard any lyrical or melodic elements, however....a very tick-rocky mechanical approach...the musicians were on their own to add expressive nuances, and stay strictly in time....for me, other conductors attain the same, or greater, rhythmic accuracy and intensity, and address the melodic and lyrical elements far more effectively than the composer. IS isn't "bad", but I think others do it better.
I just can't imagine von Karajan getting into this work...his omnipresent. ulra-round, ultra-smooth, everything legato, clamped-down approach just seems to me. totally alien to the work...of course, I can't imagine HvK getting into Shostakovich, either....he always wants everything to be "nice", beautiful...'fraid it doesn't fit the bill for me.


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Heck148 said:


> I'm not a huge fan of Stravinsky conducting his own works...those who played for him were not real enthusiastic...


When Stravinsky conducted his "big works" for Columbia, there were rumors that many or most were really conducted by his sidekick, Robert Craft. This was supposedly due to Stravinsky's increasing infirmity, not for any musical reasons.

Don't know if there's any truth in this.


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Loren Glickman was the principal bassoonist and orchestra contractor for those East Coast Columbia Symphony Stravinsky sessions...his autobiography contains a section on his experiences with IS...I'll have to reread it....not sure how much input Craft had into the interpretations.


----------



## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

I have _Stravinsky Conducting Stravinsky _on Columbia and never had the impression that anyone other than himself was conducting. It was an excellent orchestra, a warm and vibrant performance, and well recorded. What magic would there be for the orchestra unless he was conducting? Highly recommended even if not considered the definitive Stravinsky recordings of these works by some other conductor. I particularly like Stravinsky's performance of the _Firebird_.

https://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-Conducts-Firebird-Fireworks-Fantastique/dp/B0000026GI/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

More side notes on Craft's relationship with Stravinsky, especially with respect to conducting. From Allmusic.com: "Craft recorded virtually all of Stravinsky's music in the '90s and early 2000s for the Koch and MusicMasters labels, and these are the recordings drawn on for the contents of this six-disc Naxos box set of the ballets. Even Stravinsky's famously chilly interpretations have more obvious warmth than Craft's. Craft's clear-eyed approach grows out Stravinsky's, and his performances are much like Stravinsky's in their lucidity and intensity, though with even more precisely articulated conducting."

From the same source, a different place: "Stravinsky's cultural perspective was changed after Robert Craft became his musical assistant, *handling rehearsals for Stravinsky*, traveling with him, and later, co-authoring his memoirs."


----------



## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Heck148 said:


> I'm not a huge fan of Stravinsky conducting his own works...those who played for him were not real enthusiastic... he did conduct the asymetric rhythms very accurately, and metrically correct....he tended to totally disregard any lyrical or melodic elements, however....a very tick-rocky mechanical approach...the musicians were on their own to add expressive nuances, and stay strictly in time....for me, other conductors attain the same, or greater, rhythmic accuracy and intensity, and address the melodic and lyrical elements far more effectively than the composer. IS isn't "bad", but I think others do it better.
> I just can't imagine von Karajan getting into this work...his omnipresent. ulra-round, ultra-smooth, everything legato, clamped-down approach just seems to me. totally alien to the work...of course, I can't imagine HvK getting into Shostakovich, either....he always wants everything to be "nice", beautiful...'fraid it doesn't fit the bill for me.


Interesting. I just wondered whether you have actually heard Stravinsky's own "rite' - I can't imagine anyone who has heard it saying such things. And Karajan's Shostakovich 10 which he brought the house down in Moscow. Mariss Jansons attended one of these performances of the 10th in the late spring of 1969; he later recalled, "The orchestra played at two hundred percent. It was incredible!" Shostakovich have his approval by joining Karajan on the stage afterwards. Interesting you talk of Karajan's 'omnipresent. ulra-round, ultra-smooth, everything legato, clamped-down approach', phrases beloved by certain critics. When you listen to the people who actually played under him they say the opposite!


----------



## chill782002 (Jan 12, 2017)

Kiki said:


> The historical recordings, Monteux 1929 and Stokowski 1929/30, are interesting, but really one can't hear much in them, although they appeal to my collector's complex. (Can't find Stravinsky's own 1929 recording that was re-issued on Pearl. Is it still available?)


Stravinsky's 1929 recording is available over at Pristine Classical, along with his 1928 recording of the Firebird Suite with the same orchestra.

I really like Stokowski's 1929/30 recording with the Philadelphia Orchestra. I have three versions of this and my favourite is a direct transfer from old 78s that was done by a guy I know. Warm and incredibly detailed for an almost 90 year old recording but there is quite a lot of background surface noise. The age old debate though, would you rather have the surface noise removed and end up with a flat, lifeless recording or keep the crackle and the nuance?


----------



## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

KenOC said:


> More side notes on Craft's relationship with Stravinsky, especially with respect to conducting. From Allmusic.com: "Craft recorded virtually all of Stravinsky's music in the '90s and early 2000s for the Koch and MusicMasters labels, and these are the recordings drawn on for the contents of this six-disc Naxos box set of the ballets. Even Stravinsky's famously chilly interpretations have more obvious warmth than Craft's. Craft's clear-eyed approach grows out Stravinsky's, and his performances are much like Stravinsky's in their lucidity and intensity, though with even more precisely articulated conducting."
> 
> From the same source, a different place: "Stravinsky's cultural perspective was changed after Robert Craft became his musical assistant, *handling rehearsals for Stravinsky*, traveling with him, and later, co-authoring his memoirs."


I think there is no doubt that Craft conducted some of the wirks - it says so on the 22 cd collection I have of Stravinsky recordings. And an assistant handling rehearsals is certainly not unusual. We also know craft acted as an amanuensis for Stravinsky his writings - no surprise given Stravinsky's fractured English. I personally have ghost written many articles myself for people who were English! Nothing sinister or unusual. Journalists do it all the time. . The main point is to get the person's thoughts down to their approval.


----------



## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Stravinsky's own recordings are valuable but not the last word. He himself would have scoffed at such a notion. like all musicians, Stravinsky reserved the right to change his mind. The conductor Sir Colin Davis relates a story about performing Stravinsky's ''Oedipus Rex'' for an audience including the composer. After the concert, Stravinsky asked Sir Colin, ''Young man, why did you take Jocasta's aria so slow?'' Sir Colin answered that he was following the metronome mark. The composer replied, ''My boy, the metronome mark is just a beginning.''


----------



## chill782002 (Jan 12, 2017)

DavidA said:


> Stravinsky's own recording is absolutely unmissable. Really savage. Never understood the tin eared critics who said he couldn't conduct his own music. Or the critics who dismissed Karajan's remake. He did in fact take the composer's criticisms of his initial recording very seriously indeed.


He made three recordings of the work, the first in 1929 with the Orchestre de Concerts Straram, the second in 1940 with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and the third in 1960 with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra. I assume you are referring to the last of these as it is the best known and certainly the best sounding, as it is in stereo.

The 1929 recording is interesting but it is clear that the orchestra struggle with what they are being asked to play and the sound quality is far from great although, as mentioned, Pristine have made an acceptable sounding remaster although heavily denoised.

I think the 1940 recording is my favourite from a performance point of view. Again, I have several versions of this one.

I agree with you, Stravinsky had no problem at all in conducting his own works.


----------



## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

chill782002 said:


> .
> 
> I agree with you, Stravinsky had no problem at all in conducting his own works.


 The set of Stravinsky conducting his own works is a tremendous legacy whether or not we are fond of the last works, which I am not . Just imagine if we had recordings of Beethoven or Mahler conducting theor symphonies. They certainly would not or should not form the last word, but what a valuable document they are


----------



## david johnson (Jun 25, 2007)

for me - ozazwa/chicago. boulez/ortf, bernstein/nypo, stravinsky/columbia


----------



## Kiki (Aug 15, 2018)

chill782002 said:


> Stravinsky's 1929 recording is available over at Pristine Classical, along with his 1928 recording of the Firebird Suite with the same orchestra.
> 
> I really like Stokowski's 1929/30 recording with the Philadelphia Orchestra. I have three versions of this and my favourite is a direct transfer from old 78s that was done by a guy I know. Warm and incredibly detailed for an almost 90 year old recording but there is quite a lot of background surface noise. The age old debate though, would you rather have the surface noise removed and end up with a flat, lifeless recording or keep the crackle and the nuance?


Thanks a lot! Found Stravinsky's 1929 recording on Pristine Classical. €9 is a bit expensive for a historical transfer but OK I think the euro is going to fall further so I will wait a bit before getting it.

IMHO Stokowski 1929/30 seems more articulated while Monteux 1929 more pushy (and volatile). I am not so bothered by the hiss but I wish these recordings were able to reveal more details but given the vintage that may be too much to ask for. I will get the Stravinsky 1929 and listen to how he did it.


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

DavidA said:


> Interesting. I just wondered whether you have actually heard Stravinsky's own "rite' -


Yes, many, many times....it's a good version, but not a favorite of mine. again, IS was quite accurate and metronomic in his conducting of complex and asymmetric rhythms...but melodically, lyrically, it's pretty dry.



> And Karajan's Shostakovich 10 which he brought the house down in Moscow


I've never enjoyed that recording in the least. way too round, smooth, restrained for me - for #10 - Stokowski, Mravinsky, Mitropoulos, Solti are far more exciting and riveting. I've always suspected HvK of "control room crescendi" - he just did not want that hard-edged bite, that brassy, reedy "edge" to the orchestra sound - even for music that may require it.



> "The orchestra played at two hundred percent. It was incredible!"


but Karajan's 200% is many others' 80-85%...HvK always had to keep a lid on it...always smooth, legato, not raucous, not wild. "Napalm" conducting [_Nay- palm_ - ie - hand in the face to suppress volume].



> Interesting you talk of Karajan's 'omnipresent. ulra-round, ultra-smooth, everything legato, clamped-down approach', phrases beloved by certain critics. When you listen to the people who actually played under him they say the opposite!


But those who played under him had to work within a very limited range of dynamics, tone and timbral effects....only so loud, only so much accent, don't push, etc...very limited scope when compared with Stokowski, Mitropoulos, Bernstein, even Toscanini or Reiner [both of whom gave plenty of liberty to their orchestra soloists, despite their tyrannical podium behavior]


----------



## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

I love Tilson Thomas' first recording of the Rite with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=48757


----------



## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Heck148 said:


> Yes, many, many times....it's a good version, but not a favorite of mine. again, IS was quite accurate and metronomic in his conducting of complex and asymmetric rhythms...*but melodically, lyrically, it's pretty dry.
> *
> 
> I've never enjoyed that recording in the least. way too round, smooth, restrained for me - for #10 - Stokowski, Mravinsky, Mitropoulos, Solti are far more exciting and riveting. I've always suspected HvK of "control room crescendi" - he just did not want that hard-edged bite, that brassy, reedy "edge" to the orchestra sound - even for music that may require it.
> ...


Frankly your opinion of Stravinsky's Rite does not give me confidence in your judgment of Karajan's. A limited range of dynamics? How come we don't hear that? And frankly I'd rather believe the people who played under him than you, with all due respect.,


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

DavidA said:


> Frankly your opinion of Stravinsky's Rite does not give me confidence in your judgment of Karajan's.


I've been a professional orchestra musician for 50+years, I've played "Le Sacre" numerous times, studied it extensively...believe me, I know the piece...



> A limited range of dynamics? How come we don't hear that?


When I heard them live, this was the case....on recordings, I wonder how much of the fortissimo end was generated in the control room....



> And frankly I'd rather believe the people who played under him than you, with all due respect.


I'm sure his musicians cherished the gig - lots of recordings, lots of sales....but his approach to orchestral performance is pretty well-documented - most of the time, he did not even look at his soloists [the eyes closed bit]...I further base my opinions on how different, and better, the BPO sounded under different conductors during the HvK period - I've 2 splendid recordings - one by Mehta [Strauss opera excerpts] and Salonen - [Prokofieff R+ J selections] - which are dynamite - orchestra sounds great - big dynamic range, _molto espressivo_ - both conductors produce an expression and flexibility of sound that HvK never sought, or achieved.
But - to each his own - if Karajan does it for you. great, enjoy...


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

I recently acquired the RCA/Sony release of Ozawa's Chicago recordings from the 1960s….Le Sacre" was one of the recordings from that period…I'm happy to report, that the Ozawa release, along with the terrific Martinon and Morton Gould CSO releases, are in splendid sound - much better than the LP originals - lots of depth, impact, brilliance….the Ozawa/CSO "Sacre" is a definite winner - very well-played, with plenty of guts and impact…

The CSO was just aching to make a commercial release of this great masterpiece - Reiner had programmed it, and planned to record it in the early 60s [would have been cosmic, in all probability - heads my list of "if only-s"] but he fell ill, and the project was cancelled… the CSO performed it splendidly under Martinon [fine live recording] and according to some CSO musicians, Martinon taught the orchestra the piece, which greatly aided Ozawa's commercial effort…in any case - Ozawa's is definitely a winner - in very good sound - some terrific playing - trumpets!! Percussion!! Geezus…Herseth and his friends are really eating it alive…


----------



## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Here is an Aussie article rating certain versions. He liked the old Karajan version. I heard a lot of different opinions out there. Third Ear hated Boulez's Sony version, but I think it is one of the best.

https://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/features/stravinskys-rite-of-spring-a-critics-marathon/


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Phil loves classical said:


> Third Ear hated Boulez's Sony version, but I think it is one of the best.


Definitely,Boulez/Cleveland one of the best...one issue i have with it is the very "sterile", non-espressivo opening bassoon solo, and section....Boulez wanted it that way....wanted it to be like an elemental, primitive, "awakening"...sans _espressivo_... a valid viewpoint, I guess...I don't happen to agree, but Boulez makes his case....it's a superb recording overall...


----------



## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Heck148 said:


> I've been a professional orchestra musician for 50+years, I've played "Le Sacre" numerous times, studied it extensively...believe me, I know the piece...
> 
> When I heard them live, this was the case....on recordings, I wonder how much of the fortissimo end was generated in the control room....
> 
> ...


Again, you're producing the tired old cliches that naysayers trot out. The musicians who played with him say differently. And to say Mehta and Solonen 'produce an expression and flexibility of sound that HvK never sought, or achieved' just doesn't stand up. Sorry!


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

DavidA said:


> Again, you're producing the tired old cliches that naysayers trot out.


the "tired old cliches" are accurate assessments that are generally accepted by many musicians and listeners.



> The musicians who played with him say differently.


regardless, they were working under quite narrow ranges of expression, relative to others.



> And to say Mehta and Solonen 'produce an expression and flexibility of sound that HvK never sought, or achieved' just doesn't stand up. Sorry!


If you've not heard either of the recordings in question, then I'm not sure your comments carry much weight.

but, again, if von Karajan is your hero, your favorite, fine, no problem here...to each his own...


----------



## dismrwonderful (May 5, 2013)

My most memorable was the documentary/reconstruction of the ballet by the Jeoffrey Ballet. It is available here:






Dan


----------



## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

Here's an overview of the finest Le Sacre recordings I've heard over the decades:

One of the better Le Sacre du Printemps I've heard in my life was a live radio broadcast with Charles Dutoit conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra back in the 1980s. It made a strong impression on me at the time, and I don't think I've ever heard the opening sound quite so mysterious. The older Philly orchestra was exceptional in Stravinsky. I wish some label would release that recording one day. Dutoit is an underrated Stravinsky conductor, in my view--though of course I've been very disappointed by the recent news of his narcissistic, cruel treatment of women. Putting that aside (if we can), I'd still consider Dutoit one of the top digital era choices for any music composed during the early Ballets Russes period in Paris in the first decades of the 20th century--especially the music of Stravinsky, Ravel, & Debussy. Of course, it greatly helps that he had such an incredibly virtuosic orchestra in Montreal, considering that Stravinsky was an ingenious, brilliant orchestrator (particularly in these early ballets); so it's especially nice to hear these works played by a first tier orchestra that has been recorded in audiophile sound.

Lately, I've been enjoying a number of Japanese Shm-CD remasters of Dutoit's Stravinsky on Decca (from "The art of Charles Dutoit" series). They're a little pricey, but the improved sound quality has been worth it. I remember these early digital recordings once sounded incredible on LP in the 1980s, especially on a fine stereo system, and the new Japanese remasters remind me of those days. In this series, I've liked Dutoit's The Firebird and Petrouchka ballets immensely, and am waiting for Le Sacre to arrive in the mail. (The Newton label has also reissued Dutoit's Stravinsky in a box set, but the remasters, while good, aren't quite as special: https://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-O...0349&sr=1-1&keywords=stravinsky+newton+dutoit).

Here are the 3 Japanese Shm-CD imports that I've bought & would recommend for their improved sound quality (in addition to Dutoit's Debussy & Ravel in the same series):

https://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-L...1-3&keywords=charles+dutoit+stravinsky+import
https://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-P...1-2&keywords=charles+dutoit+stravinsky+import
https://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-S...1-1&keywords=charles+dutoit+stravinsky+import

Riccardo Chailly is another digital era conductor that has a special affinity for the music of Stravinsky (like Dutoit & Boulez). His early Stravinsky recordings on Decca with the Cleveland Orchestra included a remarkable Le Sacre du Printemps. They were among the recordings that established Chailly's reputation & career as a conductor (along with his Mahler 10th & excellent Schoenberg Gurrelieder). They're very fine performances--and the Cleveland Orchestra is also exceptional in Stravinsky--as are Chailly's excellent later records in Amsterdam. Chailly's 1985 Le Sacre in Cleveland is one of the most imaginative, intense, and magnificently detailed and rhythmically precise performances I've heard, and it comes in audiophile sound (for its vintage):










If you've liked the above clips, I'd recommend the following 2 CD bargain Decca release: https://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-P...1XY97XXCFD1&psc=1&refRID=5GW5X75PN1XY97XXCFD1. I've not heard Chailly's recent Le Sacre live from the Lucerne Festival, but it includes a premiere of a newly discovered work by Stravinsky, entitled "Chant Funèbre": https://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-C...3&sr=1-1&keywords=riccardo+chailly+stravinsky

I'm fascinated by how Stravinsky used the orchestra during his early Ballets Russes period (which is one of my favorite eras in the history of music). Therefore, it's been important to me to find first rate performances in state of the art audiophile sound. As with all great orchestrators, I want to hear the whole score, every nuance and detail. Which is why I'm not quite as keen on Stravinsky's own Columbia performances, even though I find his performances fascinating, as well.

Claudio Abbado was another good Stravinsky conductor, in my view. His London Symphony Orchestra DG recordings are very fine, too. Abbado excelled in music of the 20th century (& I think he's a bit under appreciated in this repertory), including Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Bartok (a brilliant recording of "The Miraculous Mandarin", for instance), & Nono, etc.: https://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-p...F7YBY91J7DZ&psc=1&refRID=S2P9Y49XTF7YBY91J7DZ

Bernard Haitink & Sir Colin Davis are good in Stravinsky too: https://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-B...K0VMAT3C2M6&psc=1&refRID=TYEM96ZGTK0VMAT3C2M6, & like Chailly, Davis had the advantage of the Concertgebouw Orchestra for his Philips recordings: https://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-F...310111&sr=1-1&keywords=Colin+Davis+stravinsky. I've likewise enjoyed Christoph von Dohnanyi's The Firebird recording with the Vienna Philharmonic, and an RCA Stravinsky set from Michael Tilson Thomas & the San Francisco S.O.. I've yet to get to Robert Craft's Naxos box set of the complete ballets, but hope to.

For the most up to date 'state of the art' audiophile Stravinsky recordings, there are two conductors that I'd consider quite good in Stravinsky (though not to the same degree as Dutoit, Chailly, & Abbado). They are:

Andrew Litton & the Bergen Philharmonic on two 'state of the art' BIS hybrid SACDs:

https://www.amazon.com/Sacre-Du-Pri...T1PD5FK6HZZ&psc=1&refRID=8ZHZBNSVTT1PD5FK6HZZ
https://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-F...9283&sr=1-1&keywords=andrew+litton+stravinsky

And, Jaap van Zweden on various Japanese Exton hybrid SACDs, a label that offers truly phenomenal audiophile sound (interestingly, Zweden was the concert master in Amsterdam for Chailly's Stravinsky recordings): https://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-P...03&sr=1-4&keywords=jaap+van+zweden+stravinsky. I hope to acquire Van Zweden's Le Sacre for my collection at some point, as I've not heard it: https://www.amazon.com/Rite-Spring-...4301958&sr=1-8&keywords=van+zweden+stravinsky






On period instruments, François-Xavier Roth & Les Siècles are interesting from the standpoint of the sounds of the instruments they use, I suppose, but I don't think Roth's Le Sacre is a first, second, or third choice in this repertoire: 




https://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-S...264606&sr=1-1&keywords=xavier+roth+stravinsky.

With all that said, it's still hard to beat the older conductors in Stravinsky's music!, as they had special insights into Le Sacre (of which I'd include Pierre Boulez, even though he recorded well into the digital era): Here's a list of my favorites (including some of my desert island Stravinsky discs):

1. Karel Ancerl--Czech Philharmonic: 








2. Ernest Bour, who I gather was something of a mentor to Boulez, conducts a very fine Le Sacre: 




3. Igor Markevitch--with the Philharmonia Orchestra--Markevitch was one of Diaghilev's protégés, & this 1959 EMI performance is one of the finest Le Sacre du Printemps ever recorded, IMO: 




https://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-Spring-Tchaikovsky-Nutcrackacker-Juliet/dp/B01I286XKW

4. Pierre Boulez--both his CBS and DG Le Sacre du Printemps recordings: 



, along with Boulez's early 1963 Grand Prix du Disque winning recording with the Orchestre National de L'O.R.T.F.: 



.

5. Ernest Ansermet--who worked closely with Stravinsky and gave a number of premieres of his works: 




https://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-B...544308012&sr=1-1&keywords=ansermet+stravinsky

Pierre Monteux should be mentioned too, as he conducted the 1913 premiere of Le Sacre in Paris, where it caused a furor & riot (reenacted in the film "Coco & Igor"--the best scene in the movie). While it is of course worth hearing Monteux's Le Sacre, I've come to see him as a better live conductor than he was in the studio. Monteux later disowned all of his Decca studio recordings, saying the performances had lost their magic and spontaneity due to the many retakes required in the studio. Having heard a number of his live recordings, I get what he was talking about, and consider him a more vital conductor live. Hence, I'd be interested to hear Monteux's live Stravinsky, but I'm not sure if there are any recordings?

I've not heard the well regarded Le Sacres by Bernstein, Stokowski, Gergiev, & Dorati (but have liked Dorati's Mercury Firebird recording). It's a shame that no record label ever contracted Nadia Boulanger to record Le Sacre (or any other Stravinsky works--not even Dumbarton Oaks?, which she premiered in Boston), considering her close relationship to the composer & his music, and Stravinsky's high opinion of her musical gifts (as he asked her to teach one of his children, I recall).

The following documentary film on Stravinsky by Tony Palmer has received excellent reviews & includes many interviews with people that knew Stravinsky, and Stravinsky himself: 




Finally, I well remember Stravinsky's voice on my old Columbia LPs, saying "I was guided by no system whatever in Le Sacre du Printemps, I had only my ear to help me; I heard and I wrote what I heard. I am the vessel through which Le Sacre passed..."


----------



## perdido34 (Mar 11, 2015)

I like the Maazel/Cleveland recording that was available on Telarc. A friend who played in the Cleveland Orchestra for decades (including on the Maazel recording and both Boulez versions) that Maazel found mistakes that even Boulez (with his incredible ear) had missed. It's a very exciting performance in first-rate stereo.


----------



## Gordontrek (Jun 22, 2012)

My favorite is Leonard Bernstein/New York Philharmonic, 1958 on Sony. I have heard many others but always return to that one. Lenny really knows how to bring out the fire in the piece. Stravinsky himself reportedly listened to the recording and said "Wow!" at the end of it. 
I also enjoy Esa-Pekka Salonen's recording with the Philharmonia Orchestra. Tends to be more aggressive tempo-wise than most others, which I find thrilling.


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Gordontrek said:


> My favorite is Leonard Bernstein/New York Philharmonic, 1958 on Sony. I have heard many others but always return to that one. Lenny really knows how to bring out the fire in the piece.


Yup - the Bernstein/NYPO from '58 is really a classic - my first real plunge into classical/concert music...It's still one of my top picks - the NYPO wild men of the 40s-50s are at full throttle throughout....love the opening solo by one of my old teachers - Wm Polisi - great sound in high register...supposedly, the NYPO had not performed "Le Sacre" for some time...Bernstein and Columbia decided to record it on short notice, resulting in the wild-swinging affair that was produced on that occasion...



> I also enjoy Esa-Pekka Salonen's recording with the Philharmonia Orchestra. Tends to be more aggressive tempo-wise than most others, which I find thrilling.


Heard Salonen play it live with Chicago a couple of years ago - outstanding - best live "Sacre" I've ever heard - wish they'd recorded it for commercial release...E-SP definitely has the piece down....


----------



## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Phil loves classical said:


> I'll check out the Monteux. The Markevitch with the Warsaw Philharmonic is nuts. The most aggressive I've heard, can't compare with his other versions.


I found a performance of some parts of the Warsaw version on YouTube. The recording balance isn't great, and the playing isn't clean, but it is hair-raising, like the orchestra is possessed.


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

The "Rite of Spring" is a real treasure trove of wonderful orchestration - and the scoring is one of its major revolutionary aspects, along with the rhythmic, melodic, harmonic innovations...we could go on forever regarding some of the wonderful orchestration details in this work - but I'd like to point out a couple of things which I listen for in recordings....neither of these details are make or break features of a performance, of course, but they are certainly interesting, and easy to overlook -

At the end of Part 1 - <<Dancing out of the Earth> it is quite loud and wild.....at the very last note - Stravinsky writes this wonderful dissonance an Eb played against an E....a blaring minor 2nd - this is especially apparent in the 2 tubas - tuba II playing the rising scale pattern to the high E natural, Tuba I playing the triplet figure ending on high Eb...it is a wonderful, crashing dissonance, that often gets missed, or played unbalanced...the chord is very dissonant, with minor 2nds in the woodwinds....but to hear the tubas really blast out their minor second makes a great effect.
Mehta LAPO really brings it out [to me, the tubas are spot miked throughout]....Solti/CSO also brings it out prominently, as does Barenboim's CSO version...

another tricky spot is for the English horn - "Ritual action of the Ancestors" - the quiet section after the fanfare-like section "Evocation of the Ancestors" - the soft pulsing of the horns/percussion before the alto flute solo....the English horn comes in low register, with 4 rapid notes to the sustained note - this is an awkward passage to play, it should be clear - < //// O---- >, but often it gets smudged and sounds like < /// O--- > only 3 rapid notes speaking....this repeats several times, under the alto flute solo.....it repeats later, but this time the bass trumpet plays it...again, it sometimes gets muffed into a 3 note figure instead of 4..
again, neither of these details is going to disqualify a recording, or performance, but they are those details that add up...Stravinsky's great score is filled with such wonderful details....


----------



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

My personal favorite:









Leonard Bernstein/New York Philharmonic
[Rec. 1958]

Has always stood out to me and is just everything I could want, there are lots of excellent ones out there though.


----------



## chill782002 (Jan 12, 2017)

My favourite section has to be the "Spring Rounds". Again, I urge people who like this work and have not done so to listen to Stokowski's 1930 recording with the Philadelphia Orchestra. The second part of the repeated, hypnotic motif a little way in is unusual as he makes it of a similar volume to the first part and quite strident, whereas most conductors treat it as more of a quieter "echo". I think this more effective, as it acts as more of a ominous dirge (to my mind) with an extremely sinister feel to it. The pacing is also the most perfect (again, in my opinion) of the 25+ recordings of this work that I've heard. 

The sound and mono recording might not be to everyone's taste, but the version available on the Sony 10 CD box set is an extremely good transfer and highly listenable considering when it was made. However, I prefer Ward Marston's transfer done for RCA Gold Seal in the early 90s as it is more true to the original vinyl while keeping background noise to a very acceptable level. My favourite of all though, is a transfer done directly from 78s by an aficionado which has a lovely, warm sound and good spatial presence (for an early electrical recording). However, I fear the background surface noise on that might be unacceptable to some.


----------



## perdido34 (Mar 11, 2015)

KenOC said:


> When Stravinsky conducted his "big works" for Columbia, there were rumors that many or most were really conducted by his sidekick, Robert Craft. This was supposedly due to Stravinsky's increasing infirmity, not for any musical reasons.
> 
> Don't know if there's any truth in this.


Whatever Craft conducted for Stravinsky in stereo, Craft did NOT play any role in conducting Stravinsky's 1940 Rite of Spring with the NY Philharmonic because Craft didn't meet Stravinsky until 1948. You can hear the 1940 recording here, starting at 26:20:


----------



## Vronsky (Jan 5, 2015)

My favourite Rite of Spring is Ormandy and The Philadelphia Orchestra in 1955. The second favourite is Boulez and Cleveland Orchestra from 1969.


----------



## Skakner (Oct 8, 2020)

*Stravinsky - Rite of spring*

Over the years I have collected >40 recordings looking for the definitive one. I recall making a spreadsheet with the results of my comparative listenings. Of course the term definitive is something quite theoretical but as we speak I have narrowed the number of my favorite recordings.
The other day I was browsing David Hurwitz videos and I stumbled onto the one called "_The BEST Stravinsky Rite of Spring Among the Many_". I sat and watched it carefully, being curious about his recommendations. I was very glad to see that he agrees with me (OK, I agree with him ) about the best or the 2-3 of the best.
*Chailly* and *Bernstein*.
If I had to choose one that would be Chailly's.
Well played, well recorded with clear percussion and deep bass.
Bernstein's recording is full of extreme primitivism with magnificent, almost terrifying, brass.


















Here is the video...


----------



## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

I don't care much for the score but, of the recordings I know, this one has the best combination of artistry and sound:

https://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-R...+gergiev+SHM+CD&qid=1606992123&s=music&sr=1-1


----------



## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

My top recommendation is the Dorati/Detroit on Decca, coupled with an excellent Petrushka.

If you don’t mind older sound, Monteux/San Francisco from 1951 is excellent, as is the 1929 Stokowski/Philadelphia. Lots of fire and swagger in both interpretations.


----------



## SearsPoncho (Sep 23, 2020)

Stravinsky conducting the Columbia Symphony Orchestra


----------



## Axter (Jan 15, 2020)

For me CSO/Solti 1974 is the best Rite of Springs out there.


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Axter said:


> For me CSO/Solti 1974 is the best Rite of Springs out there.


That's a great version - one of my 3 favorites, probably #1 for me.....the orchestral execution is stunning.


----------



## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

I grew up with the composer conducting the Columbia Symphony and never considered getting any other one. But I always had a problem trying to follow it with a score for the final "Sacrificial Dance". 

Then a few years ago I got the Boulez/Cleveland recording & oh my! What a breeze it was to follow that same finale.


----------



## adriesba (Dec 30, 2019)

Le Sacre has been blessed with an extremely large discography with many pleasing and varied interpretations. Hurwitz (if I'm not misinterpreting the video) seems to say that there are not many ways to interpret this piece, but I disagree. A listen to several different recordings (don't neglect those with inferior sound!) will reveal many different nuances that work so well. This isn't a work that I want to listen to only one recording of without exploring others.

Nevertheless, my favorite definitely remains the recording with Ozawa conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. It is just bursting with energy and terror. And I agree that Chailly's recording (the first one he made) is really good, probably my second choice (how in the world did Hurwitz pick my two favorites?). Bernstein's NY Philharmonic recording is a classic and definitely worth listening to, although his recording with the London Symphony Orchestra, which is overall neater but with basically the same amount of drama, is unfairly overlooked.

I also like Ansermet's recordings. They aren't as dramatic as others, but they have interesting color that distinguishes them.

Dorati made three recordings, and all three are really good! The third one has the best sound and is (compared to his other ones) more controlled while still being dramatic. His second one, which might be my favorite of his three, is known for being one of the fastest recordings there is of the work.

Monteux's recordings are worth hearing since he conducted the premiere. I really like his recording with the Paris Conservatoire. It's lively and colorful in stereo (his other ones are mono recordings).

I disagree with Hurwitz's opinion that Stravinsky's own recordings are "lousy". While they certainly aren't my favorites, they do have a unique sound that others don't have. I love a fiery performance as much as anyone else does, but there is more to _Le Sacre_ than relentless turmoil. Stravinsky's writing is so brilliant that looking at recordings that aren't as bursting with chaos but which offer other insights are definitely worth hearing. But I am a huge fan of this work, so maybe others disagree.


----------



## adriesba (Dec 30, 2019)

Vasks said:


> I grew up with the composer conducting the Columbia Symphony and never considered getting any other one. But I always had a problem trying to follow it with a score for the final "Sacrificial Dance".
> 
> Then a few years ago I got the Boulez/Cleveland recording & oh my! What a breeze it was to follow that same finale.


Stravinsky reworked the sacrificial dance so that the tempi were different, making it easier for him to conduct. I believe that revision was what he used to conduct most of his performances.


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

adriesba said:


> Stravinsky reworked the sacrificial dance so that the tempi were different, making it easier for him to conduct. I believe that revision was what he used to conduct most of his performances.


I've been trying to find on-line IS' 1947 revision of the Sacrificial Dance...so far not successful...some YouTube, Spotify sites with performances, but I'm looking for an actual score.


----------



## Knorf (Jan 16, 2020)

adriesba said:


> Bernstein's NY Philharmonic recording is a classic and definitely worth listening to, although his recording with the London Symphony Orchestra, which is overall neater but with basically the same amount of drama, is unfairly overlooked.


I totally agree with this. Bernstein's NYPO account for me crosses the border into too ragged, too sloppy. The LSO version is just as intense but far better played. I actually agree everything you posted. (Except for the apparent need to refer to that hack Hurwitz.)


----------



## adriesba (Dec 30, 2019)

Knorf said:


> I totally agree with this. Bernstein's NYPO account for me crosses the border into too ragged, too sloppy. The LSO version is just as intense but far better played. I actually agree everything you posted. (Except for the apparent need to refer to that hack Hurwitz.)


Yeah, I know. :lol: It's just that his video is right there, and I thought his comment about Stravinsky's recordings was unfair and excessively dismissive. Anytime we have a recording of a piece with the composer conducting or performing, it's absolutely worth hearing. While Stravinsky's _Le Sacre _recordings wouldn't be my first recommendation for enjoying the piece, they certainly have aspects that make them interesting.


----------



## adriesba (Dec 30, 2019)

Heck148 said:


> I've been trying to find on-line IS' 1947 revision of the Sacrificial Dance...so far not successful...some YouTube, Spotify sites with performances, but I'm looking for an actual score.


Is it possibly still in copyright?


----------



## Knorf (Jan 16, 2020)

adriesba said:


> ...I thought his comment about Stravinsky's recordings was unfair and excessively dismissive. Anytime we have a recording of a piece with the composer conducting or performing, it's absolutely worth hearing. While Stravinsky's _Le Sacre _recordings wouldn't be my first recommendation for enjoying the piece, they certainly have aspects that make them interesting.


Absolutely in agreement, here.


----------



## Handelian (Nov 18, 2020)

adriesba said:


> Yeah, I know. :lol: It's just that his video is right there, and I thought his comment about Stravinsky's recordings was unfair and excessively dismissive. Anytime we have a recording of a piece with the composer conducting or performing, it's absolutely worth hearing. While Stravinsky's _Le Sacre _recordings wouldn't be my first recommendation for enjoying the piece, they certainly have aspects that make them interesting.


Actually I have the Stravinsky and it's one of the very best


----------



## adriesba (Dec 30, 2019)

Handelian said:


> Actually I have the Stravinsky and it's one of the very best


Some people like it a lot (the Columbia one in stereo at least), but it's not one of my favorites. I wouldn't disregard it though. Stravinsky brings out some unique textures, and it's interesting to hear how he conducted the sacrificial dance differently. The sacrificial dance from the performance was actually one of the things sent into space on the Voyager Golden Record.


----------

