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Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps - Järvi

Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps - Järvi

Sony Classical (Japan)  SICC-19055

Stereo Hybrid

Classical - Orchestral


Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps, Feu d'artifice, Scherzo fantastique, Scherzo à la russe, Chant funèbre

NHK Symphony Orchestra
Paavo Järvi (conductor)

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Comment by hiredfox - August 30, 2021 (1 of 4)

Eagerly awaited, the next instalment of the Jarvi / NHK love-in

Comment by hiredfox - October 8, 2021 (2 of 4)

This recording is available from CD Japan which lists it as follows;

SICC-19055 Paavo Jarvi (conductor) / NHK Symphony Orchestra.Tokyo / Stravinsky: The Rite Of Spring
SACD 3200yen Released: September 01, 2021

Comment by hiredfox - October 18, 2021 (3 of 4)

Järvi and his ever supportive NHK Symphony players deliver a hugely powerful and unsettling performance of frightening rhythmic intensity that is spell binding and unnerving in equal measure, the maestro intent on revealing the profound pagan rituals of the ballet.

Recorded at Suntory Hall on 20/21 February 2019 by the legendary Japanese engineer, Tomoyoshi Ezaki - of Octavia/Exton HR fame - the recording is a master class of the recording art with a thoroughly convincing soundstage both laterally and in depth and inner detail and dynamics to die for. Almost faultless and thrilling beyond measure. (OK playing the curmudgeon, there were a couple of occasions when first trumpet and first trombone appeared to be sitting in the same chair!)

The accompanying early works are treated no less savagely in a 65 minute programme that leaves the listener stunned, bewildered and thoroughly discombobulated! No doubt the conductor would say "Job well done!"

Ecstatically recommended with a single reservation, this is a stereo only recording as there is no mention of mch on the packaging. On the other hand if your stereo system is good enough you will sense a glimpse of audio heaven.

Comment by aubullience - September 13, 2022 (4 of 4)

I'll second hiredfox's comments re. audio quality- exceedingly balanced and realistic even by SACD standards, a true pleasure to listen to, though it does need to be cranked up a little bit to truly reveal all of its splendors. Re. the music, while I'm often underwhelmed by Paavo Jarvi's conducting, I really love this recording overall. First, the selection of early works including Fireworks, Scherzo Fantastique, and Chant Funebre, offers a nice sampling of early/'proto'-Stravinsky with more romantic influence from Rimsky-Korsakov, his teacher, than almost the entirety of Igor's later work. Just as a side note, Stravinsky's musical evolution is really quite extraordinary, from his early late-romantic works, to his groundbreaking early ballets, particularly the Rite, to his long and diverse 'neo-classical' phase, through to his later serialist-influenced pieces. But back to the topic at hand- I don't believe that these very early works are much available/replicated in SACD format, and certainly not all clumped together as they are here, which presents an appealing listening program. Plus, Jarvi adroitly portrays all of these aforementioned works, including the later Scherzo a la Russe. For these reasons alone, it's a disc worth having if you're a real Stravinsky fan.

Re. the Rite of Spring- the second half of the disc- IMO it's a perfectly capable rendition by Jarvi and the NHK, with its own nuances, but nothing particularly special within the vast history of interpretations of this work, and so not a first, second, or third choice for the piece- at first listen, at least, 3.5 to 4 stars out of 5- good, not bad, but not a superlative interpretation. The tempo strikes me as a tad slow, plus it lacks a certain sustained vigor and passion that Bernstein, Dorati (in Detroit), Ozawa, MTT, Salonen and others bring to it; without any remarkable qualities, such as Boulez/Cleveland's cool precision, Suitner's relentlessness, or Litton's delicacy and subtlety- but that being said, the acoustic quality of this recording is so good, that if you avidly collect this piece (as I do), it's at least worth getting this one on the merits of the audio quality, not to mention the splendid first half of the disc.