Review: Chailly's Mostly Formidable Stravinsky Box

Yet another celebration of Stravinsky's 50th deathiversary, this 11-CD set contains mostly splendid recordings of many of the major works, plus a couple of duds. Check out the Vid for a blow-by-blow description of each disc.

[HenkvanElst]

One of the best unboxing video's I have seen in a long time!

[mancal]

The son of the box of doom. It won't kill you, just annoy you.

[joseluisherreralepron]

I need to pick up Chailly's "Le Sacre, " the good one. I have not heard it and have many, many recordings. I like Chailly's Varese recordings very much, and beautiful sonics.

[鄭凱元-zi]

Thank you for reviewing yet another intriguing item! I have not made a track-by-track comparison between this box and the Decca Stravinsky Ballets and Symphonies box (7CDs) but there seem to be a lot of overlappings.
Apart from the 6 or so pieces by Chailly that are included in both boxes, many other pieces are also repeated (but by different conductors/orchestras). While the new box has more CDs it also contains two versions of several works. In your opinion will I miss out on a lot if I stick to my old Decca box and pass on the new one?

[johnwright]

I also have real admiration for Chailly’s Stravinsky. That Decca two-fer contains many of my favorite performances, especially the terrific Cleveland Rite. For Jeux de Cartes, though, I actually prefer Stravinsky’s own recording with Cleveland that is drier and crisper. The Chailly Renard I have is on a disc with Walton’s Facade with Jeremy Irons and Peggy Ashcroft and is equally good.

[alvinkupersmith]

Great commentary as usual. One nit to pick, Game of Cards quotes the Barber of Seville overture.

[murraylow]

Agree about the Oedipus Rex, but its not the first release. Its in the final Anthology of the Concertgebouw box which came out some years ago now. Its a radio recording and I enjoyed it perfectly well there, in the spirit of the whole enterprise, but yes there are better!

[secondbanana]

Original LP issues? Anyway I'd love to hear a discussion of your current take on LPs being issued with no CD equivalent.

[allthisuselessbeauty-kr]

Glad to see all the London Sinfonietta stuff included. Strange they didn't include his Symphony of Psalms with the Deutsch Radio forces and his Cleveland Jeu De Cartes (both wonderful). As you said all his Concertgebouw stuff is fabulous!

[davidfloyd]

Couldn't agree more about 'Jeu de cartes' - enormous fun! Fabulous writing for the woodwind and horns. I got to know the work from Stravinsky's own 1964 recording played by the Cleveland Orchestra. One of the numerous things to listen out for in any performance is how well the tuba player copes with a whole string of bottom Es in the third 'deal', to be played staccato - obviously no easy note to target. In that Cleveland recording the first one is too high in pitch, the second too low, before it's a case of third time lucky! Even in Chailly's recording with the Concertgebouw, the player doesn't quite achieve100% success! Just goes to prove that even the finest orchestras are still populated by humans - thank goodness!

[finylvinyl]

I love your posts but must point out that Waltraud Meier is considered by many to be one of the great Wagner sopranos of any era.