Igor Stravinsky - The Firebird and The Rite Of Spring - RCO 08002 (2008) SACD rip via PS3 to iso (GB) | 24bit/88.2kHz flac | 5ch (2.29GB) DR13 (+3.96dB gain) | 2ch (1.09GB) DR13 (+3.90dB gain) | Classical (live) This is quite the best you can get I think. On both levels, of performance & sound quality. Strongly recommended. The multi-channel is just incredibly involving, it seems to deliver power without aggressiveness with a very succulent depth. On the performance level, expect to find a myriad nuances both in articulation & sound sculpting. That's what they do, they transform sound in a powerful & artistic way. Tempi are so well kept in all tracks, Jansons' ideas are extremely clear & the Concertgebouw Orchestra perform them with a delicious & contagious eagerness. What a SACD! ~SA-CD.net ------------------------------------------ The Rite of Spring, French title Le Sacre du Printemps (Russian: Весна священная, Vesna svyashchennaya) is a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1913 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes company, with choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky and stage designs and costumes by Nikolai Roerich. When the ballet was first performed, at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées on 29 May 1913, the avant-garde nature of the music and choreography caused a near-riot in the audience. Nevertheless, Stravinsky's music achieved rapid success as a concert piece and became recognised as one of the most influential musical works of the 20th century. It is very widely performed in the concert hall and is frequently revived on the stage. Stravinsky was a young, virtually unknown composer when Diaghilev recruited him to create works for the Ballets Russes. The Rite was the third such project, after the acclaimed The Firebird and Petrushka. The concept behind The Rite, developed by Roerich from Stravinsky's outline idea, is suggested by its subtitle, "Pictures of Pagan Russia"; in the scenario, after various primitive rituals celebrating the advent of spring, a young girl is chosen as a sacrificial victim and dances herself to death. After a mixed critical reception for its original run and a short London tour, the ballet was unperformed until the 1920s, when a version choreographed by Leonide Massine replaced Nijinsky's original. Massine's was the forerunner of many innovative productions directed by the world's leading ballet-masters, which gained the work worldwide acceptance. In the 1980s, Nijinsky's original choreography, long believed lost, was reconstructed by the Joffrey Ballet in Los Angeles. Stravinsky's score contains many features that were novel for its time, including experiments in tonality, metre, rhythm, stress and dissonance. Analysts have noted in the score a significant grounding in Russian folk music, a relationship which Stravinsky tended to deny. The music has influenced many of the 20th century's leading composers and is one of the most recorded works in the classical repertoire. More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rite_of_Spring SA-CD.net review by Geohominid July 8, 2008: The Polyhymnia recording team have got the measure of recording in the superb acoustic of the Concertgebouw by now. Even though this is an 88.2 kHz PCM production, the use of the finest microphones and custom pre-amps, wisely-placed, results in a stunningly realistic multichannel sound picture of the orchestra. There is a very wide dynamic range, with some of the finest soft detail coming through, especially in Firebird, and a truly deep and detailed bass foundation. Never congested, there is complete textural transparency even in the loudest climaxes. I should mention that the bass drum, placed at the back of the orchestra, certainly makes itself both heard and felt in these works, more than a rival to the famous Telarc drum. The Firebird Suite, in this less often-heard version (re-orchestrated in 1919), is masterly. Full of life and colour, it echoes the exotic and heady sensuality of Stravinsky's first successful ballet score. Having just watched a 1970's film of the Kirov production at the time, my head was full of images to go along with the music. Jansons makes the influence of Stravinsky's teacher, Rimsky-Korsakov, clearer than many other performances, and one also detects the shades of Scriabin, Ravel and Tchaikovsky. Beginning in the domain of Katchai the Immortal Ogre, the softest of crepuscular string basses underpinned with a visceral roll of the bass drum immediately catches the attention and establishes a magical atmosphere. There are flickers of vivid orchestral colour, and as the Firebird gains her freedom, her shimmering flight is graphically depicted with fantastic delicacy and precision of ensemble. Katchai's Infernal Dance shocks with its huge whiplash chords, bouncing back thrillingly from the Concertebouw's walls. A tender, hazily somnolent and impressionistic Lullaby, with exquisitely tender playing, leads into the distant horn's introduction of the Big Tune, and a blazingly resplendent Finale brings the Suite to a compelling and deeply impressive conclusion. One of the best Firebird performances available, always informed by the ballet and not just an orchestral showpiece. Itself increasingly divorced from the physicality of ballet performance, Stravinsky's revolutionary score for The Rite of Spring now tends to be treated as a concerto for orchestra. This staggeringly complex score, after all the decades since its first disastrous appearance in 1913, still poses a great challenge even for the great orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw. Relatively few conductors survive its fiendishness unscathed, with time signatures often changing in every bar. Jansons has recorded a notable 'Rite' with the Oslo Philharmonic. In terms of fidelity to the score, building of tension and relaying at least the impression of dance, this new one is a thrilling ride, with impeccably disciplined orchestral ensemble. The transparency of the recording here is a key component of this performance, for the multi-layered poly-rhythmic ostinati are heard more clearly than ever before, even in Stravinsky's own recordings. Orchestral timbres are also depicted with stark clarity, especially the quintuple woodwind section, who blend into a glorious liquid ensemble in the first pages of the Introduction. However, having enjoyed this as an orchestral spectacular, I am still left with the feeling that some of the danger, raw earthiness and primitive eroticism of the original ballet is missing. Jansons does manage to persuade many of his players to abuse their instruments and produce nasty, violent noises (Bernstein used to instruct his trombonists to play their glissandi as if they were vomiting!). However, he needs to take the orchestra farther out of their comfort zone and take more risks, especially in the final Danse Sacrale, to produce a truly great performance like those of Bernstein and Stravinsky himself. There is 25 seconds of applause following the Rite, which some may enjoy and think appropriate with its enveloping surround sound. Dissenters will be able to programme it out as it has a separate track. An odd feature of the RCO Live series is the lack of indication of content on the disc label - inconvenient if you do not store discs in their jewel-boxes. A fine pairing then, and a notable Stravinsky experience, with some reservation about the otherwise impressive Rite of Spring. The recording is stunningly realistic, demonstration-worthy and as good as a seat at the performance. Don't miss this one. AUDAD review: http://audaud.com/2008/08/stravinsky-firebird-1910-version-the-rite-of-spring-1911-13-royal-concertgebouw-orchestra-mariss-jansons-rco-live/ ....& what the Telegraph has to say: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/3556237/Classical-CDs-Stravinsky-Mussorgsky-and-more....html ---------------------------------------------- Checksum for iso: fe74b954bd18c3627393fe4b649c60a4 *RCO - Stravinsky - L'oiseau de feu - Le sacre du printemps.iso Checksums for flac tracks 5ch: 75d85126f76cf3f7d9a15a706e9a0ab6 *01 L'oiseau De Feu - Introduction.flac e4ef7d6e79cd73b5ae984b6841a95b62 *02 L'oiseau De Feu - L'oiseau De Feu Et Sa Danse.flac 7c7093c795f6c3f9df951fff0ccd46ed *03 L'oiseau De Feu - Variation De L'oiseau De Feu.flac 2213517d1a64648d05aba73fccfbfb03 *04 L'oiseau De Feu - Ronde Des Princesses.flac 53305db94f031c3f39a29c3c57371669 *05 L'oiseau De Feu - Danse Infernale Du Roi Kasche´.flac fc25a3757222d8d2f71dac7ab8d6bae1 *06 L'oiseau De Feu - Berceuse.flac 174da909ac5a78f66ba85b26644df053 *07 L'oiseau De Feu - Final.flac 4ede65f034fa3bcfa6f1c720c3dc3f16 *08 Rite of Spring - 1st part - Adoration of Earth - Introduction.flac b1c4d4854fd6ff1790f81920ecec2635 *09 Rite of Spring - 1st part - Adoration of Earth - Les Augures Printaniers - Danses Des Adolescentes.flac b816aaa34dc826e558d915a1c43fbe8c *10 Rite of Spring - 1st part - Adoration of Earth - Jeu Du Rapt.flac 45095bc35078565791f609672a991b3e *11 Rite of Spring - 1st part - Adoration of Earth - Rondes Printaniþres.flac 0a6adc1f4e6a6fe9df46817491a4bfd7 *12 Rite of Spring - 1st part - Adoration of Earth - Jeux Des Citús Rivales.flac c6456376155c4aa64a8595cf33c6bdd7 *13 Rite of Spring - 1st part - Adoration of Earth - Cortþge Du Sage.flac 5b3ef64d4f9a23cef1e754c98daadbb9 *14 Rite of Spring - 1st part - Adoration of Earth - Le Sage.flac f3b7f76f2b8d0633e047c20c4a1f4976 *15 Rite of Spring - 1st part - Adoration of Earth - Danse De La Terre.flac 383a851e351ac411f976a1a4184220b3 *16 Rite of Spring - 1st part - Adoration of Earth - Introduction.flac b3babf17cf80795b004a612a2934ef21 *17 Rite of Spring - 2nd part - Sacrifice - Cercles Mysterieux Des Adolescentes.flac a31166dd4773dd4f9821adc00ef7d5ba *18 Rite of Spring - 2nd part - Sacrifice - Glorification De L'úlue.flac e961fd1ff27708b509f11e260ac754a6 *19 Rite of Spring - 2nd part - Sacrifice - Evocation Des Ancûtres.flac 37c9027fac162d4a0920c883b8a4f052 *20 Rite of Spring - 2nd part - Sacrifice - Action Rituelle Des Ancûtres.flac f604ca74c27c8030128525d3f43986b3 *21 Rite of Spring - 2nd part - Sacrifice - Danse Sacrale (L'úlue).flac Checksums for flac tracks 2ch: 49d20e50817e7960aa2baff9f8413588 *01 L'oiseau De Feu - Introduction.flac 03d16081ac832f178e14346cdfb39726 *02 L'oiseau De Feu - L'oiseau De Feu Et Sa Danse.flac 807baf54be44f7a6e8a5ca7181015be3 *03 L'oiseau De Feu - Variation De L'oiseau De Feu.flac 3c4b451a1cbcbbb1fe7fe3dbd8857e99 *04 L'oiseau De Feu - Ronde Des Princesses.flac 8dc3b2bb82cd69023fd160681b529cc1 *05 L'oiseau De Feu - Danse Infernale Du Roi Kasche´.flac 6e9da3818fdf8242a35a61bfee673495 *06 L'oiseau De Feu - Berceuse.flac d5b8fa8e285435c8b674360fdbbaeadc *07 L'oiseau De Feu - Final.flac b52c0e2128674ee375d0779d4ea6e375 *08 Rite of Spring - 1st part - Adoration of Earth - Introduction.flac a35a6b91e3c04533d936fca5f3c46dc6 *09 Rite of Spring - 1st part - Adoration of Earth - Les Augures Printaniers - Danses Des Adolescentes.flac 371bfd2e9065bfaad12f57011b24809d *10 Rite of Spring - 1st part - Adoration of Earth - Jeu Du Rapt.flac 7971af48f26ba79ed70a3eed95ba650d *11 Rite of Spring - 1st part - Adoration of Earth - Rondes Printaniþres.flac 5a7ba5c075f05dcff44815e100f5cb7f *12 Rite of Spring - 1st part - Adoration of Earth - Jeux Des Citús Rivales.flac 74e1a96426b5a209f6b3c08914507558 *13 Rite of Spring - 1st part - Adoration of Earth - Cortþge Du Sage.flac 004b197b3dfdfaba244c293e45febc4c *14 Rite of Spring - 1st part - Adoration of Earth - Le Sage.flac 60bfbc1e4c2fa432936fea733cf5d07c *15 Rite of Spring - 1st part - Adoration of Earth - Danse De La Terre.flac 21cd3eae6d7b51843ba08f07292feaa8 *16 Rite of Spring - 1st part - Adoration of Earth - Introduction.flac e43118973fe9248c582cba1b5e46f5bc *17 Rite of Spring - 2nd part - Sacrifice - Cercles Mysterieux Des Adolescentes.flac fcaefc7952eb08fb8645f413c8119dce *18 Rite of Spring - 2nd part - Sacrifice - Glorification De L'úlue.flac ada592539bc069038a98fbc8c412f91f *19 Rite of Spring - 2nd part - Sacrifice - Evocation Des Ancûtres.flac 32df3a1d3fcae8407cb746e8fe81ae20 *20 Rite of Spring - 2nd part - Sacrifice - Action Rituelle Des Ancûtres.flac 0572cee97125036adf37a017feb7f264 *21 Rite of Spring - 2nd part - Sacrifice - Danse Sacrale (L'úlue).flac