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Review by Arnaldo October 30, 2009 (9 of 10 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics (S): |
One way to define Exton's recording engineers, is that they are masters at the art of deconstructing and reconstructing an orchestral landscape. Case in point is this disc with Jaap van Zweden conducting the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and Chamber Orchestras in Igor Stravinsky's Petrushka (1911 version), the suite from Pulcinella, and the Symphonies of Wind Instruments. By literally disassembling the orchestra with multi-miking techniques and then reassembling it together, Exton's wizards manage to paint a musical picture with an unparalleled degree of detail, which is not unexpected, but also with perfect integration of all parts, which is rather surprising.
Cue to the passages where Zweden's commands the full orchestra to just let it all out in Petrushka, and one can still discern individual instruments from the massive wall of sound, although I'll have to disagree with myself here, as this is no wall of sound. Even in stereo, there's a tri-dimensional presentation with precise perception of width, depth and height. One example is the important piano part in Petrushka, which seems to hover freely from just behind the second violins, complementing rather than overpowering them. In other recordings, the large sound of the piano is confined to a very narrow and localized spot, like trying to squeeze an elephant into a shoebox. The prominent percussion section is also perfectly recorded here, in perfect balance with the more delicate sections of the orchestra. The end result is a perfect canvas for Zweden to paint Stravinsky's always very precise colors, with beautiful brushstrokes provided by the Dutch musicians.
The program itself is also very successful in that both Pulcinella, an adaptation of music by Pergolesi, and the Symphonies of Wind Instruments, help to portray Stravinsky's first steps in the transition from large scale ballets to a smaller neoclassical style. Well, I know that at this point of the review I should really compare this Petrushka to others in my arsenal, but out of fear of breaking the spell, I'll instead just briefly mention Paavo Järvi's lucid but rather polite SACD from Telarc, or Pierre Boulez's metronomic reading on a RBCD from DG. As for Pulcinella, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe's SACD from Linn Records feels a bit frigid in comparison, with a slightly metallic string tone and a diffuse recording perspective. But getting back to Zweden and company, there's more good news at hand. First, this release is part of the lot that Exton is making available internationally. And second, the companion disc to this one, Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring - Zweden, is highly recommendable as well.
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