wimpel69
03-28-2013, 11:57 AM
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the premiere of the single most important work
of classical music in the 20th century: Igor Stravinsky's ground breaking ballet
Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring).
Reason enough to celebrate it with an upload of one of the finest-ever recordings
of this extraordinary work, by Iv�n Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra.
Also included are a suite from another super ballet by the composer, L'Oiseau du Feu
(The Firebird, Suite), the Scherzo � la Russe and a rare, short Tango (No.72).
There are separate uploads of the full original score as well as of Stravinsky's own
arrangement for piano-4 hands.
As usual, you will find the mp3/320 link below. Request the FLAC version here if you want it!
You will also get a recording of the piano 4-hands version as a bonus :)
Music Composed by Igor Stravinsky
Played by the Budapest Festival Orchestra
Conducted by Iv�n Fischer
"The countless admirers of Ivan Fischer and his marvellous Budapest Festival Orchestra will be delighted by the
appearance of this magnificently executed and spectacularly recorded Stravinsky SACD.
Writing about 'The Rite of Spring' in the liner notes Ivan Fischer says that even after 100 years “it still sounds
fresh, pagan, scary, new and beautiful”. His gripping account of this much-recorded work that opens the disc
triumphantly translates each of these five adjectives into a spine tingling musical realisation of this iconic work
that will surely place it amongst the finest versions in the catalogue.
Fischer's pacing of Part 1 'Adoration of the Earth' demonstrates his unerring ability to draw the listener into
his interpretation within the first few bars of the 'Introduction'. In the stamping rhythms of 'The Augurs of
Spring' that follow, the horns have notably more forward presence and savagery than on Litton's recent BIS
version with the Bergen P O. In contrast Fischer gives 'Spring Rounds' (marked Sostenuto e pesante) extra
solemnity by adopting a markedly slower tempo than Litton . Throughout the work there are many such
illuminating differences in balances and tempi to be savoured between these two excellent recordings of the
ballet - differences due not only to the decisions of their respective interpreters but also the contrasting
seating arrangements of their respective orchestras and acoustics of the recording venues etc.
Part 2 'The Sacrifice' opens with a ravishing evocation of a pagan night whose mystery and stillness is
given a hypnotic beauty in Fisher's hands thanks to to Budapest Festival Orchestra's supremely seductive
playing. The eleven heavy chords that open the 'Glorification of the Chosen One' have terrific punch and
Fischer pushes forward to thrilling effect in the 'Evocation of the Ancestors'. When finally the 'Sacrificial
Dance (The Chosen One)' is reached , its rhythmic complexity and frenetic drive causes no problems of
execution for this supremely talented body of players.
Fischer's performance of the 1919 suite from 'The Firebird ' is equally compelling particularly for the sensual
beauty of the collective orchestral sound and individual solos by oboe, flute, bassoon and horn in the
'Princess's Round Dance' and 'Berceuse' as well as the precision and excitement of the 'Infernal Dance' with
its incisive brass and thrilling percussion. The transparency and depth of the recording is especially
apparent in the 'Introduction' with its muted string basses and eerie string harmonic glissandi which can
often sound muddy on record, but not here. One's only minor regret is that he has not recorded the
complete ballet rather than just this suite.
The other two short fill-ups allow Fischer and the orchestra to let their collective hair-down. A rousing
account of the 'Scherzo � la Russe' in its orchestral version of 1944 is followed by a sinuously sultry
account of 'Tango' (1940) originally written for piano but played here in the Stravinsky approved
orchestration by Felix Guenther.
As has already been indicated the 5.0 DSD recording is terrific, with a spread that extends way beyond
the front speakers and to the rear of one's listening room. The bass drum is more naturally integrated
into the orchestral texture than on the recent BIS recording though it definitely does not lack
impact. This is something that will please some listeners and maybe disappoint others –
� chacun son go�t.
The acoustic of the Palace of Arts Budapest provides just the right degree of reverberation to
add warmth to the sound without masking orchestral detail and in multi-channel an additional
sense of space is convincingly created. Unlike the recent recording of the Rite on BIS, this one
helpfully provides a separate track for each of the ballet's 14 sections. The 'Firebird Suite' is
also allotted 7 tracks.
How ever many recordings of these works you have in your collection you should certainly
investigate this one – another undoubted triumph for Channel Classics."
SACD Net
The sharing period of this item has ended!
of classical music in the 20th century: Igor Stravinsky's ground breaking ballet
Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring).
Reason enough to celebrate it with an upload of one of the finest-ever recordings
of this extraordinary work, by Iv�n Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra.
Also included are a suite from another super ballet by the composer, L'Oiseau du Feu
(The Firebird, Suite), the Scherzo � la Russe and a rare, short Tango (No.72).
There are separate uploads of the full original score as well as of Stravinsky's own
arrangement for piano-4 hands.
As usual, you will find the mp3/320 link below. Request the FLAC version here if you want it!
You will also get a recording of the piano 4-hands version as a bonus :)
Music Composed by Igor Stravinsky
Played by the Budapest Festival Orchestra
Conducted by Iv�n Fischer
"The countless admirers of Ivan Fischer and his marvellous Budapest Festival Orchestra will be delighted by the
appearance of this magnificently executed and spectacularly recorded Stravinsky SACD.
Writing about 'The Rite of Spring' in the liner notes Ivan Fischer says that even after 100 years “it still sounds
fresh, pagan, scary, new and beautiful”. His gripping account of this much-recorded work that opens the disc
triumphantly translates each of these five adjectives into a spine tingling musical realisation of this iconic work
that will surely place it amongst the finest versions in the catalogue.
Fischer's pacing of Part 1 'Adoration of the Earth' demonstrates his unerring ability to draw the listener into
his interpretation within the first few bars of the 'Introduction'. In the stamping rhythms of 'The Augurs of
Spring' that follow, the horns have notably more forward presence and savagery than on Litton's recent BIS
version with the Bergen P O. In contrast Fischer gives 'Spring Rounds' (marked Sostenuto e pesante) extra
solemnity by adopting a markedly slower tempo than Litton . Throughout the work there are many such
illuminating differences in balances and tempi to be savoured between these two excellent recordings of the
ballet - differences due not only to the decisions of their respective interpreters but also the contrasting
seating arrangements of their respective orchestras and acoustics of the recording venues etc.
Part 2 'The Sacrifice' opens with a ravishing evocation of a pagan night whose mystery and stillness is
given a hypnotic beauty in Fisher's hands thanks to to Budapest Festival Orchestra's supremely seductive
playing. The eleven heavy chords that open the 'Glorification of the Chosen One' have terrific punch and
Fischer pushes forward to thrilling effect in the 'Evocation of the Ancestors'. When finally the 'Sacrificial
Dance (The Chosen One)' is reached , its rhythmic complexity and frenetic drive causes no problems of
execution for this supremely talented body of players.
Fischer's performance of the 1919 suite from 'The Firebird ' is equally compelling particularly for the sensual
beauty of the collective orchestral sound and individual solos by oboe, flute, bassoon and horn in the
'Princess's Round Dance' and 'Berceuse' as well as the precision and excitement of the 'Infernal Dance' with
its incisive brass and thrilling percussion. The transparency and depth of the recording is especially
apparent in the 'Introduction' with its muted string basses and eerie string harmonic glissandi which can
often sound muddy on record, but not here. One's only minor regret is that he has not recorded the
complete ballet rather than just this suite.
The other two short fill-ups allow Fischer and the orchestra to let their collective hair-down. A rousing
account of the 'Scherzo � la Russe' in its orchestral version of 1944 is followed by a sinuously sultry
account of 'Tango' (1940) originally written for piano but played here in the Stravinsky approved
orchestration by Felix Guenther.
As has already been indicated the 5.0 DSD recording is terrific, with a spread that extends way beyond
the front speakers and to the rear of one's listening room. The bass drum is more naturally integrated
into the orchestral texture than on the recent BIS recording though it definitely does not lack
impact. This is something that will please some listeners and maybe disappoint others –
� chacun son go�t.
The acoustic of the Palace of Arts Budapest provides just the right degree of reverberation to
add warmth to the sound without masking orchestral detail and in multi-channel an additional
sense of space is convincingly created. Unlike the recent recording of the Rite on BIS, this one
helpfully provides a separate track for each of the ballet's 14 sections. The 'Firebird Suite' is
also allotted 7 tracks.
How ever many recordings of these works you have in your collection you should certainly
investigate this one – another undoubted triumph for Channel Classics."
SACD Net
The sharing period of this item has ended!