# Stravinsky: Essential Recordings and Works



## brotagonist

Which recordings of works by Igor Stravinsky do you consider to be the most important, the essential, or the finest?

Which works do you consider to be the ones that no Stravinsky collection could be without?


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## joen_cph

It seems to me that Stravinsky´s very style (superficially speaking, somewhat "episodic", even "chaotic") leaves an unusual lot of room to individual interpretations of equal interest and value.

But one should check out some of the extremes in interpretation, at least, to know the possible differences.

Concerning "_Sacre_" for example, I´d suggest the rawness and speediness of Ormandy´s mono and Dorati/Minneapolis, as opposed to say, Dutoit/Decca and its modern, broad sound. 
Plus Stravinsky´s later, rather "bucolic" but still intense stereo version.

Except from the 3 most famous ballets, some of my favourite - and I´d say representative - works of the different periods would be

- _Capriccio_. Lots of interesting recordings. 
- _Psalm Symphony _/ Bertini/Orfeo
- _Apollo_ 
- _Orpheus_ /Stravinsky(Craft) stereo
- _Symphony in 3 Movements _/ Stravinsky(Craft), or Gibson/Chandos
- _Agon_ / Atherton/Argo-Decca
- _Movements_. Several interesting recordings.
- _Variations for Orchestra _/ Stravinsky(Craft)

BTW, the "Stravinsky in Moscow" set is generally disappointing and incoherent as regards the recordings.

("Craft") above because it seems that Craft worked as an assistant at Stravinsky´s recordings & I don´t really know/mind to what extent in the individual cases.


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## SimonNZ

Oooh...I'm glad to see this, as I'm still looking to beef up my Stravinsky collection.

I know a great many people have recommended the recordings by the composer himself, and I've taken that on board, but I'll still be keen to hear which non-composer recordings people - even the same people, as second choices - might recommend.


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## PetrB

SimonNZ said:


> Oooh...I'm glad to see this, as I'm still looking to beef up my Stravinsky collection.
> 
> I know a great many people have recommended the recordings by the composer himself, and I've taken that on board, but I'll still be keen to hear which non-composer recordings people - even the same people, as second choices - might recommend.


My second take on these scores, and second near reflexive 'go-to' choices were / still are with Karel Ančerl conducting Czech orchestras and ensembles (the record label, Supraphon.) These are intelligent renderings (hey, Karel Ančerl!), 'different' while I feel they are still very much on the money!

The vertical harmonies in Stravinsky, any period, are very crucial in what and how one hears his music... ergo my 1st choice of his late 1960's - early 70's Columbia recordings. The slightest shift in dynamic balance, and you get, well -- Leonard Bernstein's recording of the _Mass_ which sounds more like cheesy harmonies from show music -- because of different dynamic balance -- I find that one intolerable, btw 

I will admit to being so used to the Stravinsky Conducts Columbia series that even those fine enough recordings conducted by Essa-Pekka Salonen can sound 'off' enough to be 'incorrect / not quite or at all Stravinsky to me, whether that is a fault of my conditioning or 'the truth.' LOL.

Mahlerian has rightly pointed out that some of the late period serial works as conducted by Stravinsky and recorded on Columbia are fairly lacking in luster and polish, that due to the era still having many a professional musician less than familiarly conversant or fluent in that musical vocabulary, and I suppose coupled with very little rehearsal time prior the studio recording date. Ergo, he and I are still hoping / wishing for, example, a much better recorded performance of the profoundly fine Cantata _Threni._

The Stravinsky supervised recording of _Les Noces,_ with the Gregg Smith Singers and Robert Craft conducting, is to me still the best on record [Columbia Masterworks M 33201] that is not, however, part of the Columbia Stravinsky catalogue, box set or otherwise. Columbia, rather miserly and shirking what I would consider an ethical duty when 'archiving Stravinsky,' pulled a few fast ones as well as just made some 'vulgar choices,' i.e. the _Les Noces_ of the box set is not the fine one as done with Craft and the Gregg Smith singers, but instead one _not in Russian,_ and with an 'interesting' all-star cast of four American composer-pianists. Bluntly, it sucks, and the Craft / Gregg Smith ensemble recording would have been the responsible choice... that was sung in Russian, which is an absolute must in my book. Again, for this piece, my favored alternate reverts to the Karel Ančerl recording.

The other rather bait and switcheroo part of the Columbia Box set is _Petrushka_! An earlier take recorded in Hollywood and with the 1911 version, while fun for its lush double woodwind contingents; it is far less taut, and without the much improved and extended piano part of the later 1947 revised version _which was the one recorded by Stravinsky in that later Columbia series._ The earlier version avoids paying copyright, the revised version recording is electrifyingly ebullient, buoyant, beautifully clarified, and overall better (_the ********!_)

Also, _Le Rossignol,_ the composer conducting the Washington D.C. Opera company, a mono recording, with Reri Grist as the nightingale (who was invited by Stravinsky to sing that role), is also mighty fine. Not owning the box set, and not having a catalogue listing of all it contains, it may or may not be included in the box set collection.

When it comes to the complete _Pulcinella,_ the Stravinsky conducted Columbia is perfection, and really imo can not be bettered.

For the mighty masterpiece which is his _Concerto per due pianoforti soli_, there are numerous recordings, including one of 'archival interest' with the composer and his son Soulima (I believe the one which comes with the Columbia box set) but to me the best rendering of it on record (I believe out of print) is the recording on Nonesuch with Ursula Oppens and Paul Jacobs; this included the _Sonata for two pianos,_ and an ingenious arrangement of his "Hispaniola" -- written originally for three player pianos, and with a bit of re-working by Oppens and Jacobs, these virtuosi did a fine and impressive work of transcribing this very brief and fun character piece for two pianos.)

Additionally, and I think important, _the 'document' of a slight but important revision by the composer_ of the ending of that _Concerto per due pianoforti soli_ -- he was consulted by the pianists about the recording, and he instructed them _to omit the final chord of the piece, and instead end on the penultimate chord as it still appears in the score_. (This is the only instance I know of where there is no other 'official' revision, and no other source other than the one related in the liner notes, written by the pianists as coming from the composer -- a 20th century milestone, I believe, liner notes as the only source in a musicological matter

P.s. I have yet to find to my liking any of the later Robert Craft / St. Luke's Orchestra recordings, the main objection (and this is consistent) is they are all a bit too fast, and sound oddly rushed. Too, sometimes Craft's control of the balance of pitches in the vertical harmonies seems very 'not Stravinsky' to me.


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## Blancrocher

This is only advice for newcomers to Stravinsky, but I'd recommend a careful perusal of his complete works and investigation with youtube: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Igor_Stravinsky Many gems in the canon are very short and relatively difficult to acquire, since they're often used as filler on albums containing incessantly-recorded material or works by other composers. In addition to Stravinsky's own set, Boulez's 6-cd set collects good recordings of rarer material. http://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-Ig...=1419932546&sr=8-1&keywords=stravinsky+boulez Of the famous pieces, I think his Symphony of Psalms recording is a true standout--one of my favorite recordings.

Another thing to keep in mind is there are numerous arrangements of many of his works, both by the composer and by others. You never know what you might like best. For example, I love the 4-hand piano versions of Firebird and the Rite, though I know many Stravinsky-lovers who can't stand them. Dag Achatz's 2-hand transcriptions are desert-island for me. http://www.amazon.com/Rite-Spring-I...9932855&sr=8-3&keywords=dag+achatz+stravinsky Another favorite disk including some lighter pieces features the Boston Symphony Chamber Players: http://www.amazon.com/Strauss-trans...17&sr=8-9&keywords=boston+symphony+stravinsky

My most recent Stravinskian acquisition has Gielen conducting the Canticum sacrum (which I learned about from Mahlerian): http://www.amazon.com/Canticum-Sacr...=1419932112&sr=8-3&keywords=gielen+stravinsky Be sure to look at Stravinsky's liner notes for this one!

Just a few personal preferences: numerous higher priorities have already been mentioned in this thread.


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## elgar's ghost

'Which works do you consider to be the ones that no Stravinsky collection could be without?'

My suggestion for a trio of recordings to serve as a collective 'starter pack' would be these:


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## ptr

Hare's a few recordings I think is essential:







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Still dissatisfied at the five image limit! Continued below.

/ptr


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## ptr

...







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And of course, getting the complete Columbia edition (Sony) were he conducts himself migth well be an essential first buy! (And I say, avoid Craft (now on Naxos), He might have all Stravinsky's own scores for reference, but his interpretations are generally utterly unimaginative, and his conducting skills are just above those of Gilbert Kaplan... :devil: )

/ptr


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## brotagonist

Thanks for all of the suggestions! I just spent the entire morning and the start of the afternoon relentlessly sampling, considering, pricing, shopping... these suggestions and more 

I think the historical recordings are not for me. As for ballets, it was exactly Orpheus and Agon that I was after, but I haven't located the right album(s). Maybe someone is recording them as I write? The songs are contenders (but not as strong at this time), but Boulez/EI is out of print, so the price is presently prohibitive.

The Boulez/BerlinerPO Symphony of Psalms was mentioned a number of times. I also located a Karajan/BerlinerPO Symphony of Psalms. I cannot decide between them  I am almost thinking it would be nice to have them both! I would end up with three recordings of Psalms and at least two of each of the others. I am going to have to ponder some....

But one album seemed just the thing to expand my collection a bit:









This is a repackaging of:









Rossignol, Renard
Conlon/Opéra de Paris









Oedipus Rex
Welser-Möst/London Philharmonic

I am very excited about these, especially (so far) Renard and Oedipus Rex!


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## bigshot

Stoki/Philadelphia Rite of Spring is right at the top of my essentials list. Stoki/Philadelphia Petroushka too.


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## Blancrocher

brotagonist said:


> The Boulez/BerlinerPO Symphony of Psalms was mentioned a number of times. I also located a Karajan/BerlinerPO Symphony of Psalms. I cannot decide between them


They're very different approaches, that's for sure. I could never get used to Karajan's, as a result of his operatic, warbling choir. It's a big contrast with Stravinsky's own recording, in which he particularly admired the clean singing of his boy choir. I think that Stravinsky would have disapproved of Karajan's version--not that that matters, of course, since one should use one's own judgment in these things.


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## Dirge

_Pétrouchka_ (1911 version) • Stokowski/Leopold Stokowki Symphony Orchestra [RCA/Testament]
Stokowski's is the Mr. Toad's Wild Ride of _Pétrouchka_ performances, but there's a method to the madness that holds the inspired lunacy/risk-taking together for me; it's by far the most entertaining account of _Pétrouchka_ that I know and probably my favorite Stokowski-led performance on record. The 1950 recorded sound is somewhat primitive, with some garish instrumental balances. Listen at your own risk. For a saner alternative, I'd opt for Ancerl/CzPO [Supraphon] in the somewhat pared-down 1947 version.

Trois Mouvements de "Pétrouchka" • Pollini [DG]
Pollini simply plays the bejesus out of these movements.

_Le Sacre du printemps_ • Ancerl/CzPO [Supraphon]
Although Markevitch and others hit you over the head with more visceral impact at any given moment, Ancerl relentlessly builds and builds, packing the most cumulative punch by work's end, with the CzPO playing superbly throughout.

_L'Histoire du soldat_ • ?
I've never found a wholly satisfying recording of this work, but I like the general spirit of the account by Christopher Lee with Lionel Friend and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra [Nimbus]; Lee is naturally balanced rather than being way out front, but the recording is too distant and reverberant, diffusing instrumental impact and making Lee hard to hear at times.

_Symphonies of Wind Instruments_ • Pesek/Prague Chamber Harmony [Supraphon]
This is the most unusual and interesting recording I've heard of the unusual and interesting _Symphonies of Wind Instruments_. Rather than considering the work a stepping stone between _Le Sacre du printemps_ and _Symphony of Psalms_ and taking Stravinsky's "austere ritual" description as gospel, Pesek seems to consider it a stepping stone between _L'Histoire du soldat_ and _Ebony Concerto_, investing it with a certain punchy energy and jazzy spirit that, while not at all irreverent, causes one to sit up and take notice-and the characteristic Czech piquancy of the Prague winds just spices things up all the more. The uncommon energy that the Czechs pour into the first two thirds of the work makes the serenely somber take on the archaic closing chorale that much more effective, I think.

_Symphony of Psalms_ • Ancerl/CzPO & Chorus [Supraphon]
This slyly understated performance is more insidiously seductive than overtly attention-grabbing, relying on the cumulative effect of unflagging concentration and superb execution to make its impact-Ancerl & Company's modus operandi in the studio. The chorus deserves special mention for the sheer precision and unanimity of the singing, which is as good as choral singing gets in my experience. The characterful Czech woodwinds strike me as ideal in the Bach-like second movement, what with its _Musical Offering_-like theme and atmosphere, and the deftly Slavic brass authoritatively punctuate the third movement without sticking out like a sore (Russian) thumb. This is one of the great recordings of 20th-century music.

Duo Concertant • Keulen & Mustonen [Philips] or (?) Lin & Schub [CBS]
Mustonen is too bold and prominent, both balance-wise and musically, and Keulen is a too classically cool, but they play very well within that mismatched context. The curious little work-perhaps the most pointed and quirky of Stravinsky's neoclassical works-comes off well, but I can't hear this performance without being a bit bothered by the imbalance. I vaguely recall the Lin/Schub account being better in such respects, but I haven't heard that recording since the Reagan years.

Concerto "Dumbarton Oaks" • Stravinsky/Orchestra della RTSI [RTSI/Aura, live 1954]
The composer leads a robust, highly charged account of his 20th-century take on the _Brandenburg Concertos_, one that makes other accounts sound like they're whiling away the time.

_Agon_ • Rosbaud/SWF Baden-Baden [Westminster/Adès]
My favorite Rosbaud recording is his 1957 Baden-Baden account of Stravinsky's _Agon_, the most compelling performance of this precarious neoclassical-to-serial work that I've heard. Rosbaud directs a detailed, precise, transparent performance that somehow doesn't sound clinical-think Boulez with a heart.


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## PetrB

ptr said:


> ... I say, avoid Craft (now on Naxos), He might have all Stravinsky's own scores for reference, but his interpretations are generally utterly unimaginative..../ptr


Strongly seconding this!


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## brotagonist

Blancrocher said:


> [Boulez and Karajan]'re very different approaches-one should use one's own judgment in these things.


All the more reason to have them both! :tiphat:

I haven't been considering Craft. I thought that his were archival recordings from the '50s  So, they're modern ones on Naxos?

I'm going to see if I can give Ancerl a listen!


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## PetrB

brotagonist said:


> All the more reason to have them both! :tiphat:
> 
> I haven't been considering Craft. I thought that his were archival recordings from the '50s  So, they're modern ones on Naxos?
> 
> I'm going to see if I can give Ancerl a listen!


As great as he was with a lot of music, I wouldn't want no Karajan doing Stravinsky -- I find it just 'meh.'

Truly, first auditions / acquired recordings of at least _Oedipus Rex_ (a powerful masterpiece), _Symphony of Psalms_ and the resplendently wonderful opera, _The Rake's Progress_, are better had via those Stravinsky conducted recordings from the late sixties. Unless you are of a stripe to think that _Star Wars_ is a really old movie with unacceptably backward technology, those Columbia recordings from the sixties sound just fine, not merely 'adequate.'

Stravinsky is one of those composer - conductors who really knew how it went and how he wanted it, phrasing, articulation, balance, and even more critical, the tempo, including the overall set of relationships of the tempi from one segment or movement to the next. (As an aside, John Adams is another such composer-conductor.) Stravinsky was not, earlier, the greatest conductor, even of his own works, but by the time that Columbia collection was being done, he was completely on top of his music and conducting it.

After that, survey other recordings at both your whim and leisure. As I have already mentioned, also mentioned by a number of others, the recordings conducted by Karel Ančerl are often very fine, and are my recommended second acquisition.

Just one guy's opinion, but...


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## Morimur

01. Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring / Alexander Scriabin: The Poem of Ecstasy - Valery Gergiev / Kirov Orchestra

02. Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps; The Firebird; Pétrouchka; Pulcinella; Jeu de cartes - Claudio Abbado / LSO


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## MoonlightSonata

My favourites:
Le Sacre du Printemps 
Petrushka
Violin Concerto
Pulcinella
The Firebird
Symphony of Psalms

This is just from what I've heard though.


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## brotagonist

PetrB said:


> As great as he was with a lot of music, I wouldn't want no Karajan doing Stravinsky -- I find it just 'meh.'


I'm thinking that 3 versions of Psalms would be a bit much at this point in time, as much as I do actually like the Karajan. That would leave either Boulez, Ančerl or Stravinsky himself 



PetrB said:


> Truly, first auditions / acquired recordings of at least _Oedipus Rex_ (a powerful masterpiece), _Symphony of Psalms_ and the resplendently wonderful opera, _The Rake's Progress_, are better had via those Stravinsky conducted recordings from the late sixties. Stravinsky is one of those composer - conductors who really knew how it went and how he wanted it, phrasing, articulation, balance, and even more critical, the tempo, including the overall set of relationships of the tempi from one segment or movement to the next. Stravinsky was not, earlier, the greatest conductor, even of his own works, but by the time that Columbia collection was being done, he was completely on top of his music and conducting it.


Thanks for clearing that up  I have often read that, while a brilliant composer, Stravinsky was not a good conductor. This is good to know, since Gardiner's Rake is prohibitively expensive at this time. While I already committed to Oedipus, the Rake could be on the near-distant horizon. The storyline sounds excellent, being yet another telling, albeit a very unique one, of the Faust tale.

I just noticed that there are 2 Rakes conducted by Stravinsky: the mono on Naxos (very cheap) and the later stereo on Sony (horrifically expensive, double the price of Gardiner  ).


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## PetrB

brotagonist said:


> I'm thinking that 3 versions of Psalms would be a bit much at this point in time, as much as I do actually like the Karajan. That would leave either Boulez, Ančerl or Stravinsky himself
> 
> Thanks for clearing that up  I have often read that, while a brilliant composer, Stravinsky was not a good conductor. This is good to know, since Gardiner's Rake is prohibitively expensive at this time. While I already committed to Oedipus, the Rake could be on the near-distant horizon. The storyline sounds excellent, being yet another telling, albeit a very unique one, of the Faust tale.
> 
> I just noticed that there are 2 Rakes conducted by Stravinsky: the mono on Naxos (very cheap) and the later stereo on Sony (horrifically expensive, double the price of Gardiner  ).


Sorry, dude, but it is the Sony recording with the Sadler's Wells Opera company that you want. If you go for less cost, and it is also that much less, you _will_ end up purchasing another, and then the overall cost is _not saving you a penny._

Best regards.

P.s. part of that high cost of recorded opera rep is that small but full book of the libretto you get with it. In this case, the particular recording is also beyond extraordinary in that you can readily understand just about every word sung, including when the chorus is involved, so unusually precise is the diction, but you will -- really -- want the libretto along with the disc.


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## brotagonist

I listened to a couple of 30-second Amazon samples from Oedipus Rex (1927). I was just a- I knew I had to have it. No need to sample further! 30 seconds and I was hooked.

When I sampled Gardiner's Rake's Progress (1951), I thought, "What's this?  It sounds like a television sit-com. Maybe Stravinsky had gotten too Americanized by the time he wrote it?" :lol: Now, I did read a bit about the work—libretto by Auden, based on Hogarth's satirical etchings, etc.—but I think I would need to hear this one from start to finish. It sounded completely unlike anything I would have expected from Stravinsky. I'll definitely need to locate Stravinsky's recording online, the one with Sadler's Wells Opera company.

And, honestly, I'm not prepared to spend $52 (plus shipping) for a double CD set, no matter who conducted it. Even the Gardiner at $23 (plus shipping) seems very steep. I've noticed that operas are far more expensive than top-notch orchestral music. Perhaps it is the libretto that adds so much to the cost, as you said.


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## Morimur

Nothing to do with the OP, but no matter how many times I listen to the Rite, it never gets old. The piece still manages to thrill me as it first did when I 'discovered' Stravinsky in my early 20s. Captain Obvious: Stravinsky is truly one of the absolute greatest artists of our time.


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## brotagonist

Morimur said:


> Nothing to do with the OP, but no matter how many times I listen to the Rite, it never gets old. The piece still manages to thrill me as it first did when I 'discovered' Stravinsky in my early 20s. Captain Obvious: Stravinsky is truly one of the absolute greatest artists of our time.


I have actually seen the Joffrey Ballet's Sacre live! I've had countless copies of the piece since many decades 

It's _because_ "Stravinsky [was] truly one of the absolute greatest artists of our time" that I want to find more of the essential works. My aim was to dig deeper, to go beyond the ballets, and into the marvellous era of the symphonies and orchestral music, to find a trove of things I had missed. When I did dig deeper, these last few days, I had to concede that I hadn't missed much after all, except for the operas and the later ballets.


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## Jobis

The Pokrovsky ensemble singing Les Noces is the best out there vocally - sounds like authentic Russian folk singing rather than a group of classical singers. However the orchestra is replaced by midi instruments, which sucks in a major way, but its a great recording to have nonetheless, purely for the vibrancy and depth of the singing.


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## JACE

These are the Stravinsky works/recordings that I turn to most frequently:









The Firebird (Complete Ballet) / Dorati, LSO









The Rite of Spring; Petroushka / Boulez, NYPO, Cleveland O (Sony)


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## Mahlerian

brotagonist said:


> And, honestly, I'm not prepared to spend $52 (plus shipping) for a double CD set, no matter who conducted it. Even the Gardiner at $23 (plus shipping) seems very steep. I've noticed that operas are far more expensive than top-notch orchestral music. Perhaps it is the libretto that adds so much to the cost, as you said.


Get the Stravinsky/Sony box for about the same price (or less), and you'll get that exact recording. There's no libretto, but the work is in English and very clearly enunciated, so it's not strictly necessary.


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## elgar's ghost

Brotagonist, there are two copies of the Sony Rake's Progress going for a measly £2.73 plus p & p on Amazon UK right now - if you don't object to a used copy why not snap one up? Both sellers describe the condition as thus:

'Your item will be previously owned but still in great condition. The disc will play perfectly without interruption and the case, inlay notes and sleeve may show limited signs of wear.'

Hope this helps.


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## brotagonist

elgars ghost said:


> Brotagonist, there are two copies of the Sony Rake's Progress... on Amazon UK right now - if you don't object to a used copy why not snap one up?


I don't object to used recordings, provided that they are honestly rated as _like new_ or _very good_ and that the cover and inserts are in the same condition. However, I'm not currently considering the Rake's Progress :tiphat: I don't know where anyone got that idea  I sampled Rake, but it didn't appeal to me, judging by the _brief_ snippets I heard. I would need to hear it in its _entirety_ first. I agree that it sounds completely intelligible, so a libretto wouldn't be mandatory, but a 22CD boxed set vastly exceeds my current requirements and would unnecessarily duplicate _all_ of my current assets.

It was the chamber/orchestral music I was after, but I think I've already gotten most of the major stuff, judging by the complete list of compositions on Wikipedia and the user favourites on this thread. I think my Stravinsky collection is at the point where all that remains is to get additional versions of the orchestral works... or get more of the ballets. This takes me back to Post #9, where I concluded that the Karajan or Boulez versions were the most likely candidates, and to Post #14, where I acknowledged that Ančerl is an interesting consideration.

Curiously, joen_cph makes mention of a couple of works that are not yet in my collection: Capriccio and Variations for Orchestra. There are a handful of other such orchestral and concertante works that I wouldn't mind adding. It's just a matter of locating the right set. One or two discs would likely take care of it.


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## starthrower




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## aajj

For the violin concerto, two essential recordings for me are Hilary Hahn/Marriner-St. Martins and Gil Shaham/David Robertson-BBC Symphony.


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