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21 of 22 found the following review helpful:
 Stravinsky as only Stravinsky could conduct StravinskyMar 09, 2002
By A. Michaelson
"A. Michaelson"
Now that I've said the name Stravinsky three times, I do believe I ought to get to the review. Well, I must say that there are many great versions and different interpretations of Petruchka and The Rite of Spring, Stravinsky's two greatest ballets. And though many come close, none quite match Stravinsky's own interpretations of his own works. For one, no other conductor (except for perhaps Leonard Bernstein) could conduct this music quite as intensely. Stravinsky wrings out every last ounce of emotion and passion from the orchestra. Never before or since has there been anybody who could conduct the music as rythmically precise as Stravinsky. Pierre Boulez comes the closest, but he's not quite there. Stravinsky's sense of rhythym is a bit more precise and as a result the interpretation is sharper and more incisive(as it was meant to be). Another interesting fact about the recording is that the music is played much more playfully than under the baton of most other conductors, who play these pieces as if they suffered from Wagnerian heaviness. It is rather refreshing to hear the music played in a 20th century, not over romanticized, fashion. The sound quality is also quite good, and excellent considering that these are recordings from the 60s. I must say the only drawback that this album suffers from is the fact that Stravinsky's revised score for the Rite of Spring is used rather than the full original version. It's not much different, but if you know the ballet you'll notice. Not to say you won't enjoy it, because quite simply, this is one of the best Stravinsky recordings available. The Petrouchka is especially amazing and extremeley catchy. This is a great CD. Enough Said.
34 of 39 found the following review helpful:
From the MasterMar 29, 2004
By Good Stuff
"noreasonableofferrefused"
I had the great good fortune to attend a concert of Stravinsky's music partially conducted by Stravinsky himself in Beverly Hills, CA. I don't remember the exact year, but it would have been in the late '60s. In other words, just a few years before his passing.
He shared conducting duties with his long-time associate, Robert Craft.Because of his obvious age and frailty, it was expected he would sort of ceremoniously conduct one or perhaps two of his shorter works, leaving the bulk of the concert to Craft. Imagine my, and the audience's astonishment when we saw in the program that Maestro Stravinsky would be the conductor for several works, culminating in the concluding work on the program, "Le Sacre du printemps". When the time came for "Le Sacre", the maestro, assisted and with some difficulty, made his way to the podium, at which he, not surprisingly, sat. He gazed at the score for a long moment. Slowly, his gaze rose from the score to his orchestra, which he observed for a few seconds, which seemed like hours. The audience grew silent with expectation. Slowly, deliberately, he raised his baton. And it began. What followed for the next 30 plus minutes was one of the most electrifying, galvanizing, and thrilling performances of anything I have ever seen or heard in my life, before or since. After the concert I made it a point to chat with several friends of mine who were in the orchetra. I suggested that the orchestra must have been well prepared by Robert Craft so that Maestro Stravinsky would be better able to conserve his energy. To a man (and woman) they assured me that absolutely the opposite was the case. The portions of the concert, including "Le Sacre" that Stravinsky was to conduct were rehearsed, in total, by Stravinsky himself. In addition, Stravinsky attended the rehearsals for the balance of the program and had no problem contributing whatever he felt was necessary to the procedings. They also found him to be extremely alert and utterly charming. How can I recommend anyone else's performance of "Le Sacre du printemps"? There is only one, and this is it.
15 of 16 found the following review helpful:
It's still a classicApr 27, 2000
By Ray Barnes
Whatever reservations one may have about the transparency of the recording, although it's pretty good, Stravinsky's own reading of Le Sacre has a level of savagery and almost daemonic power that has been imitated many times since but never quite duplicated. Petrushka is also played in a very bracing, invigorating manner. The Columbia Symphony Orchestra was a select group of top-drawer musicians, many of whom came from the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, who were recruited expressly for the purpose of making recordings. These musicians are the same as those on Bruno Walter's legendary accounts of the Bruckner 9th and the Mahler 1st and 2nd. At medium price this should be an essential part of every collection. Strongly recommended.
21 of 25 found the following review helpful:
FANTASTIC soul healing stuffAug 23, 2000
By TUCO H.
"H. TUCO"
The greatest music of the 20th century conducted by the greatest composer of the same century and, in my opinion, of all time. There are 100s of recordings out there of these two famous pieces but you will never find a better performace of either. Stokowski's 'Petrushka' comes close but still no cigar. As for Stravinsky's famous version of 'Rite' nothing else even approaches it (not even Antal Dorati's versions). I've never ever heard such complete mastery of an orchestra before; Stravinsky operates it as if it were a hurricane in the palm of his hand. It is more ferocious than the heaviest of rock music, a 1000 times more complicated and so subtle, you can listen to it a 100 times and still find it gets better.
11 of 12 found the following review helpful:
One of the finest scores of the 20th century...Jan 08, 2001
By John Delany
I first heard this CD over a year ago, but have now finally got around to purchasing it online (as it's not available in Australia where I live) and have just finished listening to it right through. What can I say? On this particular CD, "The Rite Of Spring" is easily the most dynamic, moving performance of it I have ever heard. Even though these compositions will soon be near to 100 years old, it never fails to amaze me what Stravinsky could achieve with his orchestrations. While there is a good dose of complexity, there's also an excellent 'space' around the pieces and the music truly has the ability to make one sit up and listen. Thoroughly recommended listening.
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