Stravinsky's Sacred Toilet Seat

Posted by: herm on 04 April 2002

I have noticed there's quite a bunch of members who are into Stravinsky. So why don&rsquot we compare what works we like best?

Let's start right away with saying I'm not a big fan of the Sacre du Printemps. Too thumpy. It's too much a manifesto. You don't listen to the Sacre without thinking: at the same time Elgar was writing his Violin Cto with its windflower wistfulness, poor old bastard.

To me Stravinsky is, together with Tchaikovksy, the supreme maker of ballet music. Usually I'm not too hot about strings-only orchestras, but Apollon Musagète (Saraste / Scottish) is a wonderful piece of music. The same kind of raptness is heard in Orpheus (Salonen / Phil). It's a full orchestra, but only once there'os a big sound.

This is the one ballet I've never seen, but I've seen pictures of Orpheus with the blindfold which, among the dance crowd, is called the sacred toilet seat. (It looks sturdy for a blindfold.) Thirdly there's the spare Agon (MTThomas / LSO), which features some serialist techniques near the end, and castagnets and a mandolin. One of the most intriguing pieces I.S. wrote.

The Violin Concerto (Lin / Salonen) was, obviously, not written for Balanchine'os ballet, but Mr B turned it into a ballet anyhow, including a sort of cheerleader parade in the finale. It's a hoot. The music is among the very best Stravinsky wrote. That single chord opening each movement; it's such a stroke of genius.

Symphony in Three Movements - another piece of pure music turned into a great Balanchine ballet. It's like Beethoven 7: one great show of power.

Lastly two sacred works: the Symphony of Psalms (Järvi / Suisse Romande) and the Mass (Reinbert de Leeuw).

It's funny to realize compiling a list like this, that all these works are about raptness and mystery. Even the violent Symphony has these moments of breathlessness (originally composed for a movie on a Maria theme).

So please tell me what kind of Stravinsky do you listen to?

Herman

Posted on: 04 April 2002 by Todd A

Well, let's see, what do I like:

The Rite of Spring - conducted by either Igor himself or Esa-Pekka Salonen (the greatest living Stravinsky conductor)

Petrushka - perhaps even more favored than The Rite of Spring. Same conductors as above.

Three Movements From Petrushka for piano. Pollini's version is incredible. Compared to Peter Hill's more recent version and, well, there is no comparison.

Dumbarton Oaks

Ebony Concerto (with Benny Goodman doing the honors)

Violin Concerto again with Stravinsky conducting - this time with Isaac Stern on the violin, though Mutter's version is mighty fine.

Symphony in Three Movements - Salonen's recording is splendid, and even Ashkenazy does well here.

Symphony of Psalms with the composer leading the way.

Octet, and . . .

And these are just off the top of my head. I don't necessarily like everything Stravinsky wrote, but most of it is fine.

Posted on: 04 April 2002 by herm

neo-classical is best

Nick wrote:

"For years I never "got" Stravinsky. I seems inconceivable to me now that it just seemed like noise....until one day it just clicked.
Still, I am just a weenie-boy (or is that girlie-man, I get confused) - I prefer the neo-classical stuff."

You mean sissie boy.

Well, I feel the same way. I took a long while to get into Stravinsky: Dumbarton Oaks and the Psalm Symphony suddenly pulled the trigger.

I agree, Todd, that Salonen is at the very top of the Sacred Toilet Seat - I would add Michael Tilson Thomas and Riccardo Chailly

However there's very few Stravinsky-conducted recordings that turn me on. Even a splendid orchestra like the Cleveland, in a splendid score like Jeux de Cartes (forgot that one) just pales in comparison with Järvi with the Concertgebouw (and I don't even like Järvi) or Salonen with a so so London Philharmonia.

However, Nick, do tell us which works you have gotten to like.

Herman

Posted on: 05 April 2002 by David Hobbs-Mallyon

The Rite of Spring is a truly great work. I've heard quite a few versions, but the Stravinsky Sony version is still the best IMHO. It's certainly one of the tamer versions (quite suprising after Stravinsky's barbed comments about Karajan's version), but really brings out the logic of the piece. Incidentally the best live version I have heard of this was at the Proms a few years ago with Bernard Haitink and a European Youth Orchestra - the worst was the Vienna Philharmonic a few years back who made a phenomenal number of errors, and really sounded as though they didn't want to play the music.

From the same period in his career, I also really like Les Noces for 4 pianos - this is a very individual piece - I have the Berstein version which has a very starry cast of pianists. Well worth getting if you haven't heard it. This comes coupled with the Mass.

Most of the other works mentioned above, I like, although I find Orpheus and Agon, a bit too spare.

From the serial works I would also highlight Threni as a highlight.

David

Posted on: 05 April 2002 by David Hobbs-Mallyon

Jonathan,

I missed that concert, but Haitink was conducting.

David

Posted on: 05 April 2002 by herm

Haitink's Stravinsky

Haitink at the Proms is always stellar. So much so that his recordings pale beside the concerts. I have a 1989 Firebird with the Berlin Phil, on Philips, and it just doesn't work.

And remember that early nineties Mahler 6 Prom with the Berliner? It went through the roof.

I have the same Bernstein disc with the Mass and the Noces, David. The latter is one of the few pieces I still don't get (even after seeing the ballet and reading Niinska's memoirs).

Herman