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Site review by Castor February 5, 2012
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Performance: Sonics (MC): |
The countless admirers of Ivan Fischer and his marvellous Budapest Festival Orchestra will be delighted by the appearance of this magnificently executed and spectacularly recorded Stravinsky SACD.
Writing about 'The Rite of Spring' in the liner notes Ivan Fischer says that even after 100 years “it still sounds fresh, pagan, scary, new and beautiful”. His gripping account of this much-recorded work that opens the disc triumphantly translates each of these five adjectives into a spine tingling musical realisation of this iconic work that will surely place it amongst the finest versions in the catalogue.
Fischer's pacing of Part 1 'Adoration of the Earth' demonstrates his unerring ability to draw the listener into his interpretation within the first few bars of the 'Introduction'. In the stamping rhythms of 'The Augurs of Spring' that follow, the horns have notably more forward presence and savagery than on Litton's recent BIS version with the Bergen P O. In contrast Fischer gives 'Spring Rounds' (marked Sostenuto e pesante) extra solemnity by adopting a markedly slower tempo than Litton . Throughout the work there are many such illuminating differences in balances and tempi to be savoured between these two excellent recordings of the ballet - differences due not only to the decisions of their respective interpreters but also the contrasting seating arrangements of their respective orchestras and acoustics of the recording venues etc.
Part 2 'The Sacrifice' opens with a ravishing evocation of a pagan night whose mystery and stillness is given a hypnotic beauty in Fisher's hands thanks to to Budapest Festival Orchestra's supremely seductive playing. The eleven heavy chords that open the 'Glorification of the Chosen One' have terrific punch and Fischer pushes forward to thrilling effect in the 'Evocation of the Ancestors'. When finally the 'Sacrificial Dance (The Chosen One)' is reached , its rhythmic complexity and frenetic drive causes no problems of execution for this supremely talented body of players.
Fischer's performance of the 1919 suite from 'The Firebird ' is equally compelling particularly for the sensual beauty of the collective orchestral sound and individual solos by oboe, flute, bassoon and horn in the 'Princess's Round Dance' and 'Berceuse' as well as the precision and excitement of the 'Infernal Dance' with its incisive brass and thrilling percussion. The transparency and depth of the recording is especially apparent in the 'Introduction' with its muted string basses and eerie string harmonic glissandi which can often sound muddy on record, but not here. One's only minor regret is that he has not recorded the complete ballet rather than just this suite.
The other two short fill-ups allow Fischer and the orchestra to let their collective hair-down. A rousing account of the 'Scherzo à la Russe' in its orchestral version of 1944 is followed by a sinuously sultry account of 'Tango' (1940) originally written for piano but played here in the Stravinsky approved orchestration by Felix Guenther.
As has already been indicated the 5.0 DSD recording is terrific, with a spread that extends way beyond the front speakers and to the rear of one's listening room. The bass drum is more naturally integrated into the orchestral texture than on the recent BIS recording though it definitely does not lack impact. This is something that will please some listeners and maybe disappoint others – à chacun son goût.
The acoustic of the Palace of Arts Budapest provides just the right degree of reverberation to add warmth to the sound without masking orchestral detail and in multi-channel an additional sense of space is convincingly created. Unlike the recent recording of the Rite on BIS, this one helpfully provides a separate track for each of the ballet's 14 sections. The 'Firebird Suite' is also allotted 7 tracks.
How ever many recordings of these works you have in your collection you should certainly investigate this one – another undoubted triumph for Channel Classics.
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Copyright © 2012 Graham Williams and SA-CD.net
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Review by fausto K March 16, 2012 (16 of 20 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics (S): |
I haven't really listened carefully enough to the Firebird yet, so will confine myself to the Sacre. Despite generally very positive reviews and my own high expectations, I find Fischer's recording of the Sacre underwhelming; quite a problem considering the nature of this work. Although certainly not a bad disc, Fischer's interpretation lacks the mandatory ferociousness and clarity of for example Boulez's first recording of the Rite with the Cleveland SO (1969) Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps - Boulez, let alone the sheer power of Antal Dorati's 1982 recording with the Detroit SO. The Sacre must give you the impression that the forces of nature are unleashed and I venture to say that Fischer's way with the more intense parts of the score pales by comparison with the aforementioned interpretations and also compared to more recent recordings by Salonen (Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring - Esa-Pekka Salonen) and Jansons (Stravinsky: L'Oiseau de Feu, Le Sacre du Printemps - Jansons), both on SACD (both PCM). I have got the Dorati on vinyl, albeit a digital recording, but given that it is Decca recorded under producer James Mallinson, it completely lives up to what you expect from a dynamic recording of the Rite that captures the savagery as well as instrumental details. At the time, it received the Grand Prix du Disque. Although of course not from an analogue source, it would be great to have this on SACD. The Boulez is DSD remastered, although I listened to a recent Japanese RBCD reissue of the DSD master, but still I prefer it to Fischer's DSD: much more clarity, more dynamics, more 'in-your-face' -- but maybe this has got to do with interpretation as much as engineering. Notwithstanding some refined features, Fischer's reading misses the modernism that is central to the Sacre as an Orchesterstück, precisely what marks out Dorati's, Boulez's, Salonen's and Jansonss' recordings, unsurprisingly all of them modernists of sorts. Fischer seems to treat it as if it concerned a 19th century chamber symphony and as a result he doesn't emphasize the savagery of the soundworld of the Sacre enough. Fischer says in the accompanying booklet that the Sacre 'still sounds fresh, pagan, scary, new and beautiful'. Well, if I want 'pagan' and 'scary' Stravinsky, it is not his recording that comes to mind. Although I shall give it some more tries, I'm afraid I won't play it often, when I want to hear the Sacre.
Note: I listened to the disc in stereo, so perhaps that makes a difference. My system is not set-up for multi-channel.
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Review by aaron September 22, 2012 (8 of 12 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics (S): |
First I have to say I totally agree with (Castor)Graham Williams' review.
This a Rite like I have never heard before, never! Like the Devil him(her?)self had something to do with it. Scary is the word. Hair-raising experience, really. What energy, what pagan-dance. Stamping rhythms, crying oboes,flutes.
This Stravinsky figure surely was some sort of genius and Fischer made a modern, dynamic and furious version.
Than the recording. I have to say that I had to get used to Channels newest recordings.
Let me explain;
Normally I listen to a recording and think; this is a good recording. And if I go to a concert I always think that it sound so different than that good recording at home.
Gone!
Totally different experience at home, so much detail,clarity,depth&direction. I can't wait to hear this in MC. But I think you must have a really good audio-set to fully appreciate this Superb Recording.
One of my best(top5) sacd's and have more than 800 sacd's!
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