What's your favourite recording of 'The Rite of Spring'?

My favorite set is a bargain. On DGG, Abbado and the London Philharmonic do all the great Stravinsky Ballets in a 2 CD set that's less than $20.

The recording is beautiful, the orchestra spectacular and the interpretation spot on the money.

The London Philharmonic has never sounded better.

Highly recommended.

Abbado with LSO on DGG (same CD as Firebird Suite).

Sorry, I meant LSO. The same one Dan Carney recommends. The 2 cd set is well worth it to get Petrouchka and Pulcinella as well.

quote:

In the meantime, what do people here think is the best recording (Musically and sonically)of 'The Rite of Spring' on CD.

Pierre Boulez , Cleveland Orchestra (1969)

Well, you can't go wrong with Boulez and Cleveland doing Stravinsky.

I too like Abbado and LSO but then I've not heard Boulez recordings. Any reason why Boulez and Stravinsky are special?

Boulez has a special affinity for Stravinsky. I have him on DVD with Berlin doing the Rite, and that is really something special.

The Abbado/London on DGG is just perfect, and it's the full set of early ballets.

Certainly worth looking at is Stravinsky's own recording.

A bit off topic -- the two piano version of the Rite is super.

Igor Markevitch/ Philharmonia Orchestra(Testament)
Stravinsky/ Columbia Symphony Orchestra(Columbia/ Sony)

I agree with Sister E about the Testament issue with Markevitch, and would add also the RCA issue with the Boston Symphony Orchestra with Pierre Monteux. [I have the Monteux set]. Both performances are fantastic - authentic feeling readings - that are a mile away from the chromium plated virtuosic perfection of today's modern US style performances, that convey musclular ability and sheer volume of perfected sound whereas these older perfrmances reveal both contrast, human warmth and angst.

Paradoxically a certain technical frailness that affects older performances is actually part of the picture in the sense that, like Beethoven's fiendishly difficult [to play and some would say to listen to] late String quartets, Stravinski's music was not written to be easy! The very struggle is an essential ingredient in the aspect of angst that is present in the very score ...

ATB from George

I would vote for Abbado & the LSO too.

I originally bought this as an LP, being one of my first Classical records. Later, when I started buying CD's, I got the suppossed 'best' version - Dutoit & the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, on Decca. However, there was something about the Abbado/LSO version - and it was a 'bargain' CD - so I bought that as well!!

Just put it on the CDX2 & it sounds great...!!

IanM

Another vote for Abbado & LSO. Everything is just right.

But there many good recordings around... Stravinsky's own recording with Columbia Symphony Orch. is pretty good, not great playing but the tempos are superb and the tension at the end is almost unbearable. Spectacular sound from 1960-ish too, especially if you can hear the SACD release on a good system.

Although I do take GFFJ's point about over-powering orchestralism, another good one is Ricardo Chailly and Cleveland Orch on Decca from early 1980s. The bass drum & timpani thwacks are quite a delight!

It is a great piece to drive others mad if they're not prepared for it.

Solti conducting the Chicago on Decca SXL 6691 (vinyl). Sound and performance stunning.