|
Works of Igor Stravinsky [22cd] | ![Works of Igor Stravinsky [22cd]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ffzhvDpuL._SL500_.jpg)
| Artist: Igor Stravinsky
Label: Sony Classical
Category: Music
List Price: £29.99
Buy New: £17.99
You Save: £12.00 (40%)
New (14) Used (1) from £17.99
Rating:  9 reviews
Sales Rank: 230
Format: Box Set
Media: Audio CD
Running Time: 76
Discs: 22
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 5 x 2.3
MPN: 710311
UPC: 886971031126
EAN: 0886971031126
ASIN: B000PTYUQG
Release Date: July 2, 2007
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
Stravinsky conducts Stravinsky August 23, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
It's common to find good value box sets from labels such as EMI Classics, Brilliant Classics and Warner Classics, but not so often on the Sony label.
In general, the bigger the set the better the value, with collections of more than ten discs often falling into the bargain category of under 1 a disc.
This collection though represents not only value for money but also provides pretty much all of Stravinsky's lifetime works (he composed around 127 pieces) in a compact box of just 5cm width thanks to the CDs being supplied in card sleeves.
The enclosed 24 booklet provides a biography of the composer, and more importantly full recording dates, venues, orchestras, soloists and conductors, and if this doesn't sound reason enough to own the set, maybe the fact that all of the recordings are conducted by Stravinsky himself should put the final seal of approval on this most comprehensive of lifetime recording achievements.
The best Stravinsky set available I think by a long, long way.
A tremendous set.... June 10, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
the master himself-why SONY/BMG dont do this with other artists is curious;
but the playing is excellent as well as the sound, for the dates of recording-and Im
exposed to pieces ive never heard, or even heard of before.
Who knew IS stuck his big toe in to the water of Jazz...?
The shoddy booklet is a real shame, but I cannot complain,
its a box set that doesnt require a fork lift to bring into the house-
and I spent EXACTLY $26.00 USD for it at TOWER Mail Order
true value for money.
Five Stars, with only a little disappointment... January 18, 2008
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
I obviously agree with the enthusiasm shown by the preceding reviewers. Well beyond the bargain, this is a real cornerstone of the recording history. Many years have passed since the useless discussions in the Sixties about Stravinsky skills as a conductor, and with the grace of time we can honour now a neat, logical, unemphatic rendition of his masterworks.
However... (there is always a however), whilst the lack of the spoken and sung texts may be easily filled up with web services, Sony have not grabbed the opportunity of this compact re-edition of the 1991 Recorded Legacy megabox to heal an annoying flaw with respect to the original 1982 Centenary Edition in 31 LPs: the cancellation of ten works, which well depicted the artistic flavour of the Stravinsky years. One of the reviewers spoke of the discovery of a great pianist, Charles Rosen; well, many of the cancelled works gave exactly this type of information and feeling.
If someone is interested in knowing the details, the omitted works are: Pastorale for voice and piano (Tourel/Rogers); Tango for two pianos and Concerto for two pianos (Vronsky and Babin, the concerto however being substituted by a very old EMI recording by the Stravinskys); Serenade for piano (Rosen, also substituted by another old EMI recording by Stravinsky); Three Easy Pieces and Five Easy Pieces for four-hands piano (Gold and Fizdale); finally, and above all, the Pastorale for violin and wind quartet (Szigeti with Stravinsky and an unspecified wind quartet), the arrangement of The Star-spangled Banner (Stravinsky), the short Fanfare for a new Theatre (Heinrich and Nagel), and the Chanson Russe for violin and piano (Szigeti and Stravinsky).
Five stars, no doubt, also taking into account this imperfection. By the way, the Fanfare, the Star-spangled Banner, and the Chanson Russe are contained in another Sony box, the well known Original Jacket Collection - Stravinsky conducts Stravinsky (SX9K 64136).
What a magnificent collection ! October 27, 2007
5 out of 10 found this review helpful
I have always regarded Stravinsky as one of the most outstanding composers I have ever listened to but had not, until now, quite realised what a stunning variety of music he had written during his lifetime.
Sony have always been a reliable name to count on for top quality products and this box set has not failed to delight.
I only wish some of the other recording companies could produce similar high quality box sets at such bargain prices.
Congratulations to Sony and if the maestro is listening upstairs - bravo !!
Discs 3, 12, 13 and 20 ... October 20, 2007
8 out of 12 found this review helpful
This extraordinary gathering of the main body of Stravinsky's works, substantially conducted by the composer, is an obvious eye-catcher, especially at the very appealing pricing. It is indeed wonderful, but inevitably there are some drawbacks. Few listeners will want to sit down to listen to 22 CD's of one composer's output in a row; most listeners will find their ears wearying somewhat at the very dated sound quality - the majority of the recordings are from the 1960's, and although many come up surprisingly well, the sound is often plummy and sometimes worse. Crucially, the harsh truth is that the majority of the conducting took place when Stravinsky was in his eighties. We love the feel of the authenticity, but I am sure I will not be the only listener who pines for greater energetic impact.
The four CD's I have sampled so far are the 3rd (of 7 discs devoted to Ballet music), the 12th and 13th (the two "chamber and historic" CD's) and the 20th (first of two on "sacred works").
From the 3rd, Les Noces is sung in some kind of English translation. If you are used to this in Russian, the words are sure to sound perverse at times. But the four pianists are an amazing line-up - Barber, Copland, Foss and Sessions, and the singing is pleasantly clean-voiced in a piece that glistens with some of Stravinsky's finest ensemble writing. Less successful is Renard the Fox, a piece of entirely different cultural positioning which nonetheless is made to sound bizarrely similar to Les Noces. The disc closes with a rendering of The Soldier's Tale whose cheerfulness comes across despite the limited qualities of the sound.
Discs 12 and 13 give a different slant, with the composer himself at the keyboard (recordings from 1934, 1938 and, with Szigeti in the Duo Concertant, 1945). The sound from 1934 (the Serenade in A) is really too poor to make much of, but the 1938 take of the Concerto for Two Solo Pianos (Igor and son Soulima Stravinsky) has an undeniable sense of father and son enjoying themselves without stretching too hard to get all the notes exactly right. Szigeti sounds happy enough to be with the great composer to be too worried about his accompanist's fingers. The solo piano works only really come to life as true interpretative performances when Charles Rosen steps up to do the Sonata, which as you would expect is done with huge refinement and intelligence.
The bigger chamber works are also a mixed bag. Best for me was the Symphonies of Wind Instruments, where the playing is full of sympathy and I found myself forgetting the 1951 sound quality. Some of the other light pieces left me with eyebrows raised as to why the great man troubled to write down some of the limp ideas - the Tango for example is surely too lugubrious even to be taken as ironic.
The Sacred music disc however includes some fine things. The Mass is probably best of these - the performance had me wondering anew at Stravinsky's intriguing choice of double wind quintet to accompany the choral writing. I have long loved the Cantata, but there are few surprises here (apart from "Right Mighty Elizabeth" being tossed away like a scrumpled sweetwrapper) and most afficionados of this fine work will want something much better recorded for regular listening or study. Lastly I really wonder why the Bach "Chorale Variations" arrangement was included at all - the choir sound almost as though they are sight-singing and the work is of very limited interest in relation to Stravinsky's wider achievements.
But I am not cavilling overall - just cautioning listeners that this fantastic offer is not all fresh caviare. I am listening on with enthusiasm !
|
|
|
|
| |
