Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Introduction
2. Scene 1. Kashchei's enchanted garden
3. Scene 1. The Firebird appears, pursued by Ivan Tsarevich
4. Scene 1. Dance of the Firebird
5. Scene 1. Ivan Tsarevich captures the Firebird
6. Scene 1. The Firebird's entreaty
7. Scene 1. The appearance of the thirteen enchanted princesses
8. Scene 1. The princesses' game with apples of gold
9. Scene 1. The sudden appearance of Ivan Tsarevich
10. Scene 1. The Princesses' Round
11. Scene 1. Dawn (Ivan Tsarevich enters Kashchei's palace)
12. Scene 1. The sound of enchanted bells; monsters appear, Kashchei's guards, and take Ivan Tsarevitch
13. Scene 1. The arrival of Kaschchei the Immortal
14. Scene 1. Kashchei's dialogue with Ivan Tsarevich
15. Scene 1. The princesses intercede
16. Scene 1. The appearance of the Firebird
17. Scene 1. Kashchei's followers dance under the Firebird's spell
18. Scene 1. Infernal dance of Kaschei's subjects
19. Scene 1. Lullaby (The Firebird)
20. Scene 1. Kashchei awakens
21. Scene 1. Death of Kaschei - profound darkness
22. Scene 2. Kashchei's spells are broken; his palace disappears, the stone knight returns to life, joy

Disc 2:

1. Scene 1. No. 1. The Shrove-tide Fair
2. Scene 1. No. 2. The Crowds
3. Scene 1. No. 3. The Charlatan's Booth
4. Scene 1. No. 4. Russian Dance
5. Scene 2. Petrushka's Room
6. Scene 3. No. 1. The Moor's Room
7. Scene 3. No. 2. Dance of the Ballerina
8. Scene 3. No. 3. Waltz (Ballerina and Moor)
9. Scene 4. No. 1. The Shrove-tide Fair (near evening)
10. Scene 4. No. 2. Dance of the Wet Nurses
11. Scene 4. No. 3. Dance of the Peasant and the Bear
12. Scene 4. No. 4. Dance of the Gypsy Girls
13. Scene 4. No. 5. Dance of the Coachmen and Grooms
14. Scene 4. No. 6. The Masqueraders
15. Scene 4. No. 7. Conclusion (Petrushka's Death)
16. Part One: The Adoration of the Earth, Introduction
17. Part One: The Adoration of the Earth, The Augurs of Spring (Dance of the Young Girls)
18. Part One: The Adoration of the Earth, Mock Abduction
19. Part One: The Adoration of the Earth, Spring Round Dances
20. Part One: The Adoration of the Earth, Games of the Rival Tribes
21. Part One: The Adoration of the Earth, Procession of the Wise Elder
22. Part One: The Adoration of the Earth, Adoration of the Earth (The Wise Elder)
23. Part One: The Adoration of the Earth, Dance of the Earth
24. Part Two: The Sacrifice, Introduction
25. Part Two: The Sacrifice, Mystical Circles of the Young Girls
26. Part Two: The Sacrifice, Glorification of the Chosen Victim
27. Part Two: The Sacrifice, Summoning of the Ancestors
28. Part Two: The Sacrifice, Ritual of the Ancestors
29. Part Two: The Sacrifice, Sacrificial Dance (The Chosen Victim)

Disc 3:

1. Part One, Scene 1. The Bride's Chamber
2. Part One, Scene 2. At the Bridegroom's
3. Part One, Scene 3. The Bride's Departure
4. Part Two, Scene 4. The Wedding Feast
5. The Soldier's March
6. Scene 1. Airs by a Stream
7. Scene 2. Pastorale
8. Scene 2. The Royal March
9. Scene 2. The Little Concert
10. Scene 2. Three Dances (Tango, Waltz , Ragtime)
11. Scene 2. The Devil's Dance
12. Scene 2. The Great Chorale
13. Scene 2. Triumphal March of the Devil

Disc 4:

1. Scene 1. The Birth of Apollo. Largo - Allegro - Tempo 1
2. Scene 2. Variation d'Apollon (Apollon et les Muses)
3. Pas d'action (Apollon et les trois Muses: Calliope, Polymnie, et Terpsichore) Moderato
4. Scene 2. Variation de Calliope (l'Alexandrin) Allegretto
5. Scene 2. Variation de Polymnie. Allegro
6. Scene 2. Variation de Terpsichore. Allegretto
7. Scene 2. Variation d'Apollon. Lento
8. Scene 2. Pas de deux (Apollon et Terpsichore) Adagio
9. Scene 2. Coda (Apollon et les Muses) Vivo - Tempo sostenuto - Agitato
10. Scene 2. Apothéose. Largo et tranquillo
11. Pas de quatre
12. Double Pas de quatre
13. Triple Pas de quatre
14. Prélude
15. First Pas de trois. Saraband Step
16. First Pas de trois. Gaillarde
17. First Pas de trois. Coda
18. First Pas de trois. Interlude
19. Second Pas de trois. Bransle simple
20. Second Pas de trois. Bransle gay
21. Second Pas de trois. Bransle double
22. Second Pas de trois. Interlude
23. Second Pas de trois. Pas de deux
24. Second Pas de trois. Coda
25. Second Pas de trois. Four Duos
26. Second Pas de trois. Four trios
27. First Deal
28. Second Deal
29. Third Deal

Disc 5:

1. Introduction
2. Danses (Corps de ballet & Ballerine)
3. Pantomime
4. Pas de deux
5. Pantomime
6. Variations: Danseur & Ballerine
7. Pantomime
8. Danses (Corps de ballet)
9. Apothéose
10. Adagio
11. Variation 1
12. Variation 2
13. Coda
14. Scene 1. Prologue
15. Scene 2. A Village Fête
16. Scene 3. At the Mill
17. Scene 3. Pas de deux
18. Scene 3. Adagio
19. Scene 3. Variation
20. Scene 3. Coda
21. Scene 3. Scene
22. Scene 4. Épilogue: The Lullaby of the Land beyond Time and Place

Disc 6:

1. Overture
2. Serenata
3. Scherzino
4. Tarantella
5. Gavotte With Two Variations
6. Scene 1: Orphée
7. Scene 1: Air de danse
8. Scene 1: Dance of the Angel of Death
9. Scene 1: Interlude
10. Scene 2: The Furies
11. Scene 2: Air de danse - Interlude - Air de danse
12. Scene 2: Pas d'action
13. Scene 2: Pas de deux
14. Scene 2: Interlude
15. Scene 2: Pas d'action
16. Scene 3: Apothéose d'Orphée

Disc 7:

1. Scene 1. No. 1. The Shrove-tide Fair
2. Scene 1. No. 2. The Crowds
3. Scene 1. No. 3. The Charlatan's Booth
4. Scene 1. No. 4. Russian Dance
5. Scene 2. Petrushka's Room
6. Scene 4. No. 1. The Shrove-tide Fair (near evening)
7. Scene 4. No. 2. Dance of the Wet Nurses
8. Scene 4. No. 3. Dance of the Peasant and the Bear
9. Scene 4. No. 4. Dance of the Gypsy Girls
10. Scene 4. No. 5. Dance of the Coachmen
11. Scene 4. No. 6. The Masqueraders
12. 1. Sinfonia (Ouverture)
13. 2. Serenata
14. 3. a) Scherzino
15. 3. b) Allegro
16. 3. c) Andantino
17. 4. Tarantella
18. 5. Toccata
19. 6. Gavotta con due variazioni
20. 7. Vivo (Duetto)
21. 8. a) Minuetto
22. 8. b) Finale
23. Introduction
24. Prelude and Dance of the Firebird
25. Variations (The Firebird)
26. Pantomime 1
27. Pas de deux (The Firebird and Ivan Tsarevitch)
28. Pantomime 2
29. Scherzo. Dance of the Princesses
30. Pantomime 3
31. Rondo (Corovod)
32. Infernal Dance
33. Lullaby (The Firebird)
34. Final Hymn

Disc 8:

1. 1. Allegro moderato
2. 2. Scherzo. Allegretto
3. 3. Largo
4. 4. Finale. Allegro molto
5. rehearsal extract
6. rehearsal extract
7. rehearsal extract
8. rehearsal extract
9. rehearsal extract
10. rehearsal extract

Disc 9:

1. 1. Overture. Allegro
2. 2. Andante - Interlude: L'istesso tempo
3. 3. Con moto
4. 1. Moderato alla breve
5. 2. Larghetto concertante
6. 3. Allegretto
7. 4. Largo - Tempo giusto, alla breve
8. Part 1
9. Part 2
10. Part 3

Disc 10:

1. 1. Largo. Allegro - Maestoso
2. 2. Largo
3. 3. Allegro
4. 1. Eighth note = 110
5. 2. Eighth note = 52
6. 3. Eighth note = 72
7. 4. Eighth note = 80
8. 5. Eighth note = 104
9. 1. Presto
10. 2. Andante rapsodico
11. 3. Allegro capriccioso ma tempo giusto
12. 1. Toccata
13. 2. Aria 1
14. 3. Aria 2
15. 4. Capriccio

Disc 11:

1. 1. Andante
2. 2. Napolitana
3. 3. Española
4. 4. Balalaika
5. 1. Marche
6. 2. Valse
7. 3. Polka
8. 4. Galop
9. 1. Tempo giusto
10. 2. Allegretto
11. 3. Con moto
12. 1. Intrada
13. 2. Song
14. 3. Wedding Dance
15. 4. Cortège
16. 1. Vivace
17. 2. Arioso. Andantino
18. 3. Rondo. Allegro
19. 1. Andantino
20. 2. Vivace
21. 3. Lento
22. 4. Allegretto
23. 5. Moderato alla breve
24. 6. Tempo di Marcia
25. 7. Larghetto
26. 8. Tempo di Tango
27. 1. Danse
28. 2. Excentrique
29. 3. Cantique
30. 4. Madrid

Disc 12:

1. 1. Sinfonia
2. 2. Tema con variazioni
3. 3. Finale
4. 1. Eighth note = 88
5. 2. Passacaglia
6. 3. Gigue
7. 1. Allegro Moderato
8. 2. Andante
9. 3. Moderato; Con moto

Disc 13:

1. 1. Cantilène
2. 2. Eclogue 1
3. 3. Eclogue 2
4. 4. Gigue
5. 5. Dithyrambe
6. 1. Hymne
7. 2. Romanza
8. 3. Rondoletto
9. 4. Cadenza finale
10. 1. Con moto
11. 2. Notturno. Adagietto
12. 3. Quattro variazioni
13. 4. Preludio e fuga
14. 1. Moderato
15. 2. Theme with Variations
16. 3. Allegretto
17. 1. Eighth Note = 112
18. 2. Adagietto
19. 3. Eighth Note = 112

Disc 14:

1. Act 1. Introduction
2. Act 2. Entr'acte: Breezes
3. Act 2. Chinese March
4. Act 2. Song Of The Nightingale
5. Act 2. The Courtiers
6. Act 2. Three Japanese Envoys
7. Act 2. Performance of the Mechanical Nightingale
8. Act 2. Conclusion, Larghetto
9. Act 3. Prelude
10. Act 3. A Room in the Palace of the Emperor
11. Act 3. The Return of the Nightingale
12. Act 3. Solemn Procession
13. Act 3. The Emperor's Recovery

Disc 15:

1. 1. The Shepherdess
2. 2. The Faun
3. 3. The Torrent
4. The white moon shines in the woods
5. Sleep
6. 1. The Flower
7. 2. The Dove
8. 1. Akahito
9. 2. Mazatsumi
10. 3. Tsaraiuki
11. 1. The Magpie
12. 2. The Rock
13. 3. The Jackdaw
14. 1. Uncle Armand
15. 2. The Oven
16. 3. The Colonel
17. 4. The Old Man and the Hare
18. 1. On The Stove
19. 2. At Home
20. 3. Bye bye
21. 4. The Cat has...
22. 1. On Saints' Day in Chigisakh
23. 2. Ovsen
24. 3. The Pike
25. 4. Master Portly
26. 1. The Drake
27. 2. A Russian Spiritual
28. 3. Geese and Swans
29. 4. Tilim-bom
30. 1. Music to hear
31. 2. Full fathom five
32. 3. When daisies pied
33. Dirge-Canons
34. Do not go gentle into that good night
35. Dirge-Canons

Disc 16:

1. Act One, Scene One, The Garden of Truelove's house in the country. Prelude
2. Act One, Scene One, The Garden of Truelove's house in the country. "The woods are green"
3. Act One, Scene One, The Garden of Truelove's house in the country. "Here I stand"
4. Act One, Scene One, The Garden of Truelove's house in the country. "Tom Rakewell?"
5. Act One, Scene One, The Garden of Truelove's house in the country. "Farewell for now"
6. Act One, Scene Two, Mother Goose's Brothel, London. "With air commanding"
7. Act One, Scene Two, Mother Goose's Brothel, London. "Come, Tom"
8. Act One, Scene Two, Mother Goose's Brothel, London. "Love too frequently betrayed" (Cavatina)
9. Act One, Scene Two, Mother Goose's Brothel, London. "The sun is bright"
10. Act One, Scene Three, Autumn. The garden of Truelove's house in the country. "No word from Tom"
11. Act One, Scene Three, Autumn. The garden of Truelove's house in the country. "I'll go to him" (Caba
12. Act Two, Scene One, The morning room of Rakewell's house in a London square. "Vary the song, O Lond
13. Act Two, Scene One, The morning room of Rakewell's house in a London square. "Master, are you alone
14. Act Two, Scene One, The morning room of Rakewell's house in a London square. "My tale shall be told
15. Act Two, Scene Two, The street in front of Rakewell's house. "How strange!"
16. Act Two, Scene Two, The street in front of Rakewell's house. "Anne, Here!" (Duet)
17. Act Two, Scene Two, The street in front of Rakewell's house. "Could it then have been known" (Trio)

Disc 17:

1. Act Two, Scene Three, The morning room in Rakewell's house. "As I was saying"
2. Act Two, Scene Three, The morning room in Rakewell's house. "You! O Nick! I've had the strangest dr
3. Act Three, Scene One, The morning room in Rakewell's house. "What Curious phenomena..."
4. Act Three, Scene One, The morning room in Rakewell's house. "Aha!"
5. Act Three, Scene One, The morning room in Rakewell's house. "Sold! Annoyed! I've caught you Thievin
6. Act Three, Scene One, The morning room in Rakewell's house. "I go to him."
7. Act Three, Scene Two, A starless night. A Churchyard. Prelude
8. Act Three, Scene Two, A starless night. A Churchyard. "How dark and dreadful is this place"
9. Act Three, Scene Two, A starless night. A Churchyard. "Very well, then, my dear"
10. Act Three, Scene Two, A starless night. A Churchyard. "I burn! I freeze!"
11. Act Three, Scene Three, Bedlam. "Prepare yourselves, heroic shades."
12. Act Three, Scene Three, Bedlam. "There he is. Have no fear. He is not dangerous."
13. Act Three, Scene Three, Bedlam. "Gently, little boat" (Lullaby)
14. Act Three, Scene Three, Bedlam. "Where art thou, Venus?"
15. Act Three, Scene Three, Bedlam. Epilogue "Good people, just a moment"

Disc 18:

1. Prologue - Act 1
2. Act 2
3. Prelude
4. Melodrama
5. The Building of the Ark (Choreography)
6. The Catalogue of the Animals
7. The Comedy (Noah and his wife)
8. The Flood (Choreography)
9. The Covenant of the Rainbow

Disc 19:

1. 1. Persephone Abducted
2. 2. Persephone in the Underworld
3. 3. Persephone Restored
4. 1. Eulogy
5. 2. Eclogue
6. 3. Epitaph
7. 1. Asciugate i begli occhi. Madrigale 14, Libro quinto
8. 2. Ma tu, cagion di quella. Madrigale 18, Libro quinto
9. 3. Belta poi che t'assenti. Madrigale 2, Libro sesto

Disc 20:

1. Choral
2. Variation 1 (In canone all'Ottava)
3. Variation 2 (Alio modo canone alla Quinta)
4. Variation 3 (In canone alla Settima)
5. Variation 4 (In canone all' Ottava per augmentationem)
6. Variation 5 (L'altra sorte del canone al rovescio)
7. A Lyke-Wake Dirge (Versus 1. Prelude)
8. Ricercar 1 (Soprano) The maidens came
9. A Lyke-Wake Dirge (Versus 2. 1st Interlude)
10. Ricercar 2 (Tenor) Tommorrow shall be (Sacred History)
11. A Lyke-Wake Dirge (Versus 3. 2nd Interlude)
12. Westron Wind (Soprano and Tenor)
13. A Lyke-Wake Dirge (Versus 4. Postlude)
14. Kyrie
15. Gloria
16. Credo
17. Sanctus
18. Agnus Dei

Disc 21:

1. Dedicatio
2. 1. Euntes in Mundum
3. 2. Surge, aquilo
4. 3. Ad Tres Virtutes Hortationes (Caritas, Spes, Fides)
5. 4. Jesus autem ait illi
6. 5. Illi autem profecti
7. 1. A Sermon (from St. Paul)
8. 2. A Narrative, The Stoning of St. Stephen (Acts 6-7)
9. 3. A Prayer (from Thomas Dekker)
10. Incipit
11. De Elegia Prima
12. De Elegia Terita: 1. Querimonia / 2. Sensus Spei / 3. Solacium
13. De Elegia Quinta: Oratorio Jeremiae Prophetae

Disc 22:

1. 1. Prelude
2. 2. Exaudi
3. 3. Dies Irae
4. 4. Tuba mirum
5. 5. Interude
6. 6. Rex tremendae
7. 7. Lacrimosa
8. 8. Libera me
9. 9. Postlude

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8941 in Music
• Released on: 2007-07-23
• Number of discs: 22
• Formats: Box set, Import

Album Details
2007 Issue of 22 CDs Filled with the Works of the Great Composer Drawn from the Vaults of Columbia Records.

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Customer Reviews

Igor and I: 53 years and 22 CDs: a lifetime in a box.
I began listening to the works of Igor Stravinsky about 53 years ago, when I was 13. Over my lifetime I've listened to every work ever recorded and each in as many versions as possible. A highlight of my life was singing the Symphony of Psalms as a member of the Oberlin College Choir under Stravinsky's direction in 1963. It was half an hour outside of time and space. I remember him in his tuxedo, sitting on a stool with a white turkish towel about his shoulders, like a prize fighter, smiling at each of us as we passed by to take our places on the stage. I remember how everyone in the concert hall rose as one person when he set foot on the stage. I remember the total silence that fell upon the hall before the music began. I remember him, old and rather hunched over, raising his arthritic hands to lead us, to lead us ... and then suddenly a torrent of time and sound rushed in; it was over and there was clapping and shouting and crying. Later he said to our conductor, Robert Fountain, "Your chorus makes a most delicious sound."

And now SONY has issued this giant bargain box of the great majority of the recorded performances to which that mega-corporation now has access - and at an amazingly low price. Thank you, SONY/BMG! But also: shame on you, SONY/BMG! The annotation is terribly inadequate, even for a bargain box. The casual listener doesn't have necessary information; the serious listener doesn't have important information; and the musician / scholar who knows the scores by heart hears what the annotations do not tell. Which version of the Firebird is it? The 1910 original or the 1945 revision? We are told much later that the suite excerpted from the ballet is the 1919 version. We read that Petrouchka is done in the original 1911 version, but actually it is the 1947 version. Stravinsky recorded the 1911 version earlier, in mono, with the New York Philharmonic. The same disc contains the Rite of Spring without indication of which version, the original of 1913 or the 1947 scaled down revision. And so on and on. This is vital information that it would have taken an editor but a few hours to add to the skimpy booklet included in the big box.

There is no indication that any of the performances that first appeared on CD as early as 1986 or so have been remastered. All have of course been transferred from some analogue master at some time or another, but nowhere do we find the standard information telling us whether a recording is AAD or ADD. To my ears the recordings sound the same as the original CD releases in the mid to late 1980s or the "original cover" release about 1991 (the most recent (P) date to appear anywhere in the present box). The sound varies from recording to recording in matters of bass resonance or harshness in the higher ranges, especially in the strings.

Particularly disappointing in this 22 CD collection is the use yet again of the 1961 stereo recording of Oedipus Rex. The sound is raw, the soloists strain their voices, the chorus sounds small and over-miked, and the orchestral sound is muddy. Altogether preferable as a greater performance and a far better recording is the 1951 Oedipus Rex with Stravinsky conducting the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. The superb soloists include Peter Pears, Martha Moedl and Heinz Rehfuss, the chorus sings spot on pitch and tempo and is clearly but not too closely miked, and the orhcestral sound is rich and detailed. Moreover, Stravinsky brings greater energy and nuance to his conducting. The narration is given a somewhat over the top presentation in French by Jean Cocteau. Perhaps because it is a monophonic recording, SONY has let it sit in the vaults, to the best of my knowledge never reissuing it on CD. This is true as well of other fine monophonic recordings from the 1950s, including great performances in fine sound with Stravinsky conducting the Cleveland Orchestra. In some cases these would have been musically preferable to the later stereo remakes. They might even have been included alongside of the remakes for purposes of comparison.

Although ballet suites are included in addition to complete ballets, the variant orchestrations of a major work such as Les Noces are not included (as they were on the LP, under Craft's direction). This gift horse is a fine thoroughbred and a grand prize winner, but when you look it in the mouth, some of the teeth are missing.

Every performance is a revelation and worth repeated listening, but as I have indicated, that doesn't mean that every or any performance is the best or even one of the best of the recorded versions available. As other reviewers have noted, it is well to explore other versions on CD and DVD, some more recent and some recorded even earlier than those in this box. I think of conductors such as Tilson Thomas, Salonen, Gergiev, Gardiner, Colin Davis, Kondrashin, Haitink, Boulez, Markevitch, Monteux, Koussevitzky, and Van Beinum, and I am sure readers will think of others. But works of genius require many interpretations and many performances to reveal the fullness of their beauty, and so it is with most of Stravinsky's compositions.

Stravinsky left us what is surely one of the greatest musical legacies of the 20th century; some would argue the greatest, because his compositions track the stylistic developments of the century from its beginning to 1966 and explore nearly the complete range of known musical forms. Indeed, he absorbed the entire course of western music history into his art, but whether he is paying homage to Machaut, Gabrieli, Monteverdi, Bach, Mozart, Verdi, Tchaikovsky, Russian folk songs, Louis Armstrong, Schoenberg or Webern, his works always sound like Stravinsky.

For goodness' sake: buy the box, listen, and let the music make you new again.

The prime Stravinsky collection
Stravinsky conducted by Stravinsky - this super bargain set collects the famous recordings that Stravinsky made of his own works for CBS (now owned by SONY). Even if there are many fine recordings of the core of Stravinsky's works, for instance Ansermet's (Decca) and Ancerl's (Supraphon), the composer's own legacy must be seen as the first choice for any Stravinsky collector - or, indeed, by anyone who wants to have the basic Stravinsky repertoire at home.

This boxed set of 22 CDs contains more Stravinsky music than any other contemporary box, and the price is a complete steal (less than $2.5 for each CD, and even cheaper if you buy it used).

Here are some examples of what you get for your money:

- The early ballets: Firebird, Petroushka, Rite of Spring, Les Noces, Pulcinella, and the later, neo-classical ones (e.g., Agon, Apollon).
- The symphonies (in E and in C and in Three Movements).
- Oedipus Rex and The Rake's Progress.
- Chamber music, such as Ragtime, Septet and Octet.
- Jazz suites, and the piano concerto.
- Songs and choral works, such as the Mass, the Cantata and the Symphony of Psalms.
- Later works, such as Threni.
- And much more... (including the Robert Craft recordings that Stravinsky supervised).

(For a complete listing of the content on each CD, see SONY's German Webpage.)

Sound quality is vintage analogue from the sixties, generally very fine and remastered as well. In addition, the box is of the slim cardboard kind, with each CD in a cardboard sleeve. Booklet is included, but (unfortunately) no texts and translations of libretti.

In short, this is an essential set. Warmly recommended even if you already have individual Stravinsky by Stravinsky recordings - I suggest you use them as presents to friends and relatives. Grab and save this one!

Yes, Yes, OMG yes
Here we have an extraordinary set that belongs in everyone's music library---twenty-two CDs, the entire catalog of the recordings Stravinsky made for Columbia, at an amazing bargain price. Everything is here: the ballets, songs, symphonies, chamber music, short pieces, cantatas and operas, including the complete Rake's Progress. The Firebird, Pulcinella and Petrushka ballets appear both in full versions and as suites. With a few exceptions (A Soldier's Tale appears only as a suite, without narration), it's all the Stravinky you will ever need.
The collection includes some historic performances from as early as the 1930s, with the composer at the piano, but most of the pressings date from the late fifties to mid-sixties, and the stereo sound remains fresh. Some individual pieces are better recorded elsewhere --- listeners would do well to seek out Rite of Springs by Gergiev, Solti, or Abbado --- but as a group, they make a strong impression, and I have not found better, more infectious readings of the Symphony in C, Jeu des Cartes or the Symphony in Three Movements. The voices of Adrienne Albert in the Cantata and the Gregg Smith Singers in the Mass deserve special mention. For me, they make the recordings offered here definitive. (Some other personnel is surprising. The piano quartet in Les Noces consists of the composers Aaron Copland, Roger Sessions, Samuel Barber and Lukas Foss.)
Stravinsky was getting along in years when he arrived at the Columbia studios, and he was not generally well regarded as a conductor in any case, but his performances benefit from the steady guiding hand of Robert Craft, who rehearsed the musicians in advance of the recording sessions, and who is indeed a fine conductor, as he has proven in his own recordings of Webern and Varese. "Robert is my ears," Stravinsky said. There is no higher compliment, I suppose, and Craft deserved it. These recordings are his greatest contribution to Stravinsky's legacy.
The brief notes in the booklet are not everything one could wish, but they never are in bargain boxes like this. Sony has been sitting for years on a treasure trove of historic Columbia recordings it has not seen fit to release on CD. We should be grateful that for once, they did something right.