# Your favourite Russian ballet by Stravinsky



## DrKilroy (Sep 29, 2012)

Yay, another Stravinsky poll.

I believe I can predict the results, but let's see. 

Best regards, Dr


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## Winterreisender (Jul 13, 2013)

I voted for the Rite of Spring, which is one of the most endlessly fascinating pieces there is. That said, I am not familiar with Les Noces so perhaps I should consult my complete Stravinsky box set to remedy that deficiency .


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Winterreisender said:


> That said, I am not familiar with Les Noces so perhaps I should consult my complete Stravinsky box set to remedy that deficiency .


Stop everything and do so immediately! Prepare to be amazed!! It really doesn't get better than that!!!

I voted Petrouchka in the poll.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I'll go with Petrouchka; it's been a favorite of mine since the 1960's.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

I'm partial to the Firebird.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Stravinsky couldn't have written the Firebird; it's not in the poll.


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

Winterreisender said:


> I voted for the Rite of Spring, which is one of the most endlessly fascinating pieces there is. That said, I am not familiar with Les Noces so perhaps I should consult my complete Stravinsky box set to remedy that deficiency .


Actually, the Les Noces in the box is one of the lesser performances. You should get one performed in Russian for full effect.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

Now this is a poll where I have no idea which would be the most popular.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Really? Le Sacre du printemps is the greatest thing he ever wrote and after Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet is my favorite 20th century Russian ballet.


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

I've only ever seen _Le sacre du printemps_ as done by the Joffrey Ballet. There was a lot of stomping and primitivist costumery. It was a long time ago, 1988 to be exact. My favourite Stravinsky ballet, as far as the music goes, has long been _Apollon musagète_. I think it is likely more classical in style.


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## Piwikiwi (Apr 1, 2011)

I voted les noces but I really couldn't decide. I only picked it because I thought it would be the underdog


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Winterreisender said:


> I voted for the Rite of Spring, which is one of the most endlessly fascinating pieces there is. That said, I am not familiar with Les Noces so perhaps I should consult my complete Stravinsky box set to remedy that deficiency .


Your Stravinsky box set has one of the more horrendous recordings of Les Noces in existence.

You are far better off with (if you can find it) the recording with the Greg Smith Singers, conducted by Robert Kraft under the supervision of the composer. Later Robert Kraft recordings (to me) are maddeningly fast by comparison.

Another good (and available) alternative is this recording, with Karl Ancerl conducting
http://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-Cantata-Karel-Czech-Po/dp/B0001NPU5Q/ref=sr_1_8?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1392105212&sr=1-8&keywords=stravinsky+les+noces

The Stravinsky box set recording has an 'all star' composer / pianist cast at the keyboards (including o.a. Aaron Copland and Lucas Foss), and I found the whole near disastrous, i.e. you won't be hearing it much the way Igor might really want it, as in the earlier supervised Robert Kraft recording.

It is, imo, one of not only Stravinsky's greatest of masterworks, but a masterpiece 'for the ages.'

ADD P.s. Whatever recording you settle upon,_ if the singing is not in Russian, forget it._ (I think the Bernstein / Stravinsky box set recording is, _horrors,_ sung in English.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

L'oiseau de feu
Petrouchka
Le sacre du printemps
Les noces

Tough call for me, having seen Petrouchka in the replicated original staging and choreography with full orchestra in the pit (Geoffry Ballet) and being very familiar with the score... which I consider, full-length, a masterpiece. The staging and choreography are, as is often said, as near perfect a marriage of music, visuals, story and action as any ballet has ever come near. I believe that ranking still holds.

Being also way familiar with Les Noces and considering it an even greater masterpiece, but having only seen its original staging and choreography on film, once, I would not, with that little experience, dare to guess its measure as integrated success as ballet. Musically, I think it a masterpiece 'for the ages,' and more 'avant' than Petrushka, perhaps making it 'more important' a work. 

With Stravinsky one problem is there are only a few works, large or small, which are not masterpieces.

Someone mentioned Apollo, not the Russian period, one of the most serenely beautiful scores around (imo) but I have not seen the ballet performed, the original Balanchine choreography, the costumes by Coco Chanel.


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## GioCar (Oct 30, 2013)

I voted Le sacre du printemps, and if you have never seen it, try to get the full Pina Bausch choreography, with her Tanztheater Wuppertal.

I could just find some extracts on YouTube. This is the longest one (unfortunately the quality is quite poor)






But you can get the DVD from amazon.










Be prepared... the DVD is not so cheap....

But IMO this is the most thrilling choreography of Le sacre I have ever seen.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

hpowders said:


> Really? Le Sacre du printemps is the greatest thing he ever wrote and after Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet is my favorite 20th century Russian ballet.


Yes, but.

YES, yet another masterpiece,

BUT, as a ballet, i.e. music working in context with stage story, setting, choreography, it is now a footnoted period piece, severely dated, and nearly laughable while it is very interesting. This score is famous for so overpowering the original stage setting and choreography, and every subsequent attempts to choreograph and stage it.

Le Sacre has distanced itself from working as theater and taken its (imo rightful) place as an abstract concert piece.

P.s. I see this follows a commendation of the Pina Bausch choreographed production. I'm thinking 'historically correct' as per the original production, along with the unaltered score, when 'rating' for this thread


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## GioCar (Oct 30, 2013)

PetrB said:


> Yes, but.
> 
> YES, yet another masterpiece,
> 
> ...


Yes, I agree with you when you say that, as most of the Stravinsky ballets (I'd add), Le sacre can be effectively performed alone as a concert piece, and actually this is the most common way to perform it.

No, I don't agree with you when you say that Le Sacre, if performed as a ballet, it is "a footnoted period piece, severely dated, and nearly laughable..." I'd almost think the same for Wagner's operas  if performed "historically correct as per the original production"

IMO Le Sacre is a masterpiece tout court (as a concert piece or as a ballet), and they have been (and of course will be) several ballet productions (Maurice Bejart, Kenneth McMillan, Pina Bausch just to mention a few) which are masterpieces as well, not so "decrepit" as the original Nijinsky.

Finally, I don't remember of any sort of alteration of the score in Pina Bausch's production, but possibly I'm wrong.
Anyway, who loves contemporary ballet shouldn't miss this one, imo.


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## DrKilroy (Sep 29, 2012)

I meant ballet music, not ballet with staging etc. But never mind. 

As for Les noces (which is my favourite), I am partial to this recording with Daniel Reuss, Ensemble Musikfabrik and RIAS Kammerchor. It was the first recording of Les Noces I have heard, so I naturally imprinted it, but recently I checked out samples of a few other recordings and I found the timbre of voices in Reuss recording the most satisfactory (if there is a vocal part in a piece, vocal timbre is an important matter of consideration for me). I read a review saying that the execution is too pretty for a not-pretty piece such as Les noces. I think it works for me. 

Best regards, Dr


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

GioCar said:


> .No, I don't agree with you when you say that Le Sacre, if performed as a ballet, it is "a footnoted period piece, severely dated, and nearly laughable..." I'd almost think the same for Wagner's operas  if performed "historically correct as per the original production"


I was going with the original production, and that is a hoot, as well as fantastic and interesting. There is no criterion in the OP about 'original stage production vs. later productions,' but with Stravinsky so strongly allied with Diaghilev, the ballet Russes, and with the original staging of L'oiseau / Petruschka / and Les Noces all still outstanding in their original states, the original of Le Sacre now comes off as silly / affected.

If you're going with later contemporary choreography, it is not horrible long odds someone has effectively made the ballet work with the music.


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## maestro267 (Jul 25, 2009)

The Firebird. As much as I love Rite, Firebird is just so rich and luxurious in its scoring.


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## csacks (Dec 5, 2013)

To me, Petrushka. There is a record by Boulez and the Cleveland Orchestra which is outstanding.
I love The rite as well, and to listen it, I would recommend Antal Dorati and the Detroit Symphonic Orchestra. 

Sorry about my ignorance, but I am just buying Les Noces. It is being downloaded just now.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Rite of Spring
Petrushka
Firebird

Les Noces has never really clicked with me for some reason but I won't abandon it. I never abandon any work by Stravinsky!


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