Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; Stokowski: Bach Transcriptions cover

Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; Stokowski: Bach Transcriptions

Released

Montreal-born conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin consistently conducts with illuminating authority.  His reading of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring complements his penchant for aggressive, vivid, and precise sonority; the performance is equal parts ferocity and panache. The Rite is here paired with the deluxe Bach orchestral transcriptions by Leopold Stokowski, the most famous of which — the “Toccata and Fugue in D minor” — most will recognize from its appearance in Fantasia.  While the transcriptions sound as though they were originally designed to titillate the Gilded-Age heirs and heiresses in the 1920’s Philadelphia crowd, they are retro-fabulous in the best way possible. Historical-performance enthusiasts will either look on in horror or give in to the mayhem.

Sean Wood

Suggestions
Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; The Firebird (Suite 1919) cover

Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; The Firebird (Suite 1919)

Frankfurt Symphony Orchestra, Andrés Orozco-Estrada
Holst: Orchestral Works, Vol. 3 cover

Holst: Orchestral Works, Vol. 3

Susan Gritton, Andrew Davis
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 3 cover

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 3

Anna Larsson, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Claudio Abbado
Holmboe: Chamber Symphonies cover

Holmboe: Chamber Symphonies

John Storgårds, Chamber Orchestra of Lapland
Joshua Bell Conducts Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 4 & 7 cover

Joshua Bell Conducts Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 4 & 7

Joshua Bell, Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields
Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms cover

Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Pierre Boulez
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1; Ballades cover

Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1; Ballades

London Symphony Orchestra, Gianandrea Noseda, Seong-Jin Cho
The Asia Tour cover

The Asia Tour

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Simon Rattle, Seong-Jin Cho, Yuja Wang
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 (Live) cover

Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 (Live)

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Mariss Jansons