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| Stravinsky: L'Oiseau De Feu Ballet; Symphonies of Wind Instruments | 
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| Creators: Bela Bartok, Igor Stravinsky, Franz Welser-moest, London Philharmonic Orchestra
Label: Angel Records
Category: Music
Buy New: $27.41
Buy Used from $27.41
Avg. Customer Rating:  (1 reviews)
Sales Rank: 939534
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
UPC: 724357210324
EAN: 0724357210324
ASIN: B00000631O
Release Date: April 7, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | The Firebird, Intro | | • | The Firebird, Scene I: Kashchei's enchanted garden | | • | The Firebird, Scene I: The Firebird appears, persued by Ivan Tsarevitch | | • | The Firebird, Scene I: Dance of the Firebird | | • | The Firebird, Scene I: Ivan Tsarevitch captures the Firebird | | • | The Firebird, Scene I: The Firebird's entreaty | | • | The Firebird, Scene I: The appearance of the 13 enchanted princesses | | • | The Firebird, Scene I: The princesses game with apples of gold | | • | The Firebird, Scene I: The sudden appearance of Ivan Tsarevitch | | • | The Firebird, Scene I: The princesses' round | | • | The Firebird, Scene I: Dawn | | • | The Firebird, Scene I: Ivan Tsarevitch enters Kashchei's palace | | • | The Firebird, Scene I: The sound of enchanted bells; monsters appear, Kaschei's guards, & take... | | • | The Firebird, Scene I: The arrival of Kashchei the Immortal | | • | The Firebird, Scene I: Kashchei's dialogue with Ivan Tsarevitch | | • | The Firebird, Scene I: The princesses' intercede | | • | The Firebird, Scene I: The appearance of the Firebird | | • | The Firebird, Scene I: Kashchei's followers dance under the Firebird's spell | | • | The Firebird, Scene I: Infernal Dance of Kashchei's subjects | | • | The Firebird, Scene I: Lullaby (The Firebird) | | • | The Firebird, Scene I: Kashchei awakes | | • | The Firebird, Scene I: Death of Kashchei | | • | The Firebird, Scene I: Profound darkness | | • | The Firebird, Scene II: Kashchei's spells are broken; his palace disappears, the stone knights... | | • | Sym. of Wind Insts | | • | Dance Ste (Sz 77): I. Moderato | | • | Dance Ste (Sz 77): II. Allegro molto | | • | Dance Ste (Sz 77): III. Allegro vivace | | • | Dance Ste (Sz 77): IV. Molto tranquillo | | • | Dance Ste (Sz 77): V. Comodo- | | • | Dance Ste (Sz 77): Finale. Allegro |
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| Customer Reviews:
A born Stravinsky conductor--Britain's loss is America's gain December 31, 2005
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Now that he is firmly ensconced in Cleveland and making music on a par with Levine in Boston, one can appreciate Welser-Most's great gifts. They certainly weren't apparent to British critics, who sniffed at him during his brief tenure with the London Phil. a decade ago--no doubt the competition for Simon Rattle was too much. EMI had faith in the young Austrain, however, and allowed him to make many recordings over a short period.
This very generous (72 min.) bargain CD gives us three works: Stravinsky's complete Firebird and Symphonies of Wind Instruments, and Bartok's Dance Suite. His exciting recording of Oedipus Rex showed Welser-Most to be a very accomplished Stravinsky conductor, and this Firebird is marvelously natural and engaging. I'm not sure that the complete score sustains interest without seeing the dancers--there are a lot of quiet, unremarkable moments--but this account is recorded very well and played to the hilt. W-M has an innate gift for phrasisng that shows up everywhere. As a bargain issue his Firebird is obviously a first choice.
The Symphonies of Wind Instruments is given an outspoken, assured reading, far removed from the composer's own clinical approach. Simon Rattle's account is also strong, but I think W-M is more vital and less stiff. The rhythms jump, the textures sting.
Bartok's Dance Suite is a very approachable pastiche of elements from Bulgarian, Romanian, Hungarian, and Arabic dance (the composer had paid a visit to North Africa), and W-M gives an alert, vigorous, extroverted reading. It's much more natural and warm than Boulez's on DG with the Chicago Sym., although a thousand listeners probably know that recording for every one who knows this one.
I risk becoming a one-man cheering section for Welser-Most, but Cleveland knew a gem when they saw one, and with luck his reputation will spread. Certainly this wonderful colleciton deserves to be widely heard and appreciated.
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