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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | Stravinsky: Symphonies & Concertos
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) caused a sensation early on in the 20th century with the first performance in 1913 of his ballet Le sacre du printemps (The rite of Spring). This event marked the composer as a musician of the new century and throughout his life Stravinsky remained at the forefront of the musical avant-garde, keeping abreast of musical developments right up to he time of his death. All of the works in this set of orchestral pieces were written during Stravinsky's neo-classical period, which lasted from around 1920 until about 1953, after which he adopted the serial technique first developed by Arnold Schoenberg. “Highlights in this rather miscellaneous collection are Rattle's expert account of the Symphony in Three Movements, Michel Béroff's characterful performance of the Capriccio, and a sprightly complete Pulcinella from Neville Marriner.” BBC Music Magazine, April 2011 **** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Ravel & Gershwin: Piano Concertos
Magnetic, easy-going and delightfully articulate, Canadian pianist Ian Parker captivates audiences wherever he goes. An enthusiastic recitalist, he has performed across the United States, Western Europe, Israel and throughout Canada on tours with Debut Atlantic and Jeunesses Musicales du Canada. A stunning performance by both soloist and the London Symphony Orchestra. “Parker has just the right deft touch and insouciance to show this most entertaining of [Stravinsky's] works in its best light, especially the last movement, redolent of some vaudeville routine.” Gramophone Magazine, January 2011 “The Stravinsky...is the most satisfying performance here, punchy, expressive and vital, full of wit, fantasy and the spirit of the dance. Parker finds much character in the music and brings it off with style, with the LSO and Francis pointing and complementing to great effect.” International Record Review, December 2010 | | | (also available to download from $10.50) | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Stravinsky: Complete music for piano & orchestra
A new album from the Gramophone Award-winning team of Steven Osborne, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Ilan Volkov. Here they present Stravinsky’s complete music for piano and orchestra as a rare complete set, plus the Concerto in D for string orchestra. The taut rhythmic brilliance of this music is perfectly suited to the particular artistry of these performers. Volkov’s mastery of Stravinsky’s neo-classical idiom is clear from the ecstatic critical response to his recordings of many of the composer’s orchestral works. “Osborne plays all with diamantine brilliance.” Sunday Times, 19th May 2013 | 
| | | Scheduled for release on 3 June 2013. Order it now and we will deliver it as soon as it is available. |
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| |  | Igor Stravinsky, Vol. 31930-1950
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| |  | Igor Stravinsky performs Stravinsky
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| |  | Balanchine - JewelsRecorded live at the Opéra national de Paris, October & November 2005.
Choreography: George Balanchine Set & costume design: Christian Lacroix In 2000, seventeen years after George Balanchine’s death, a rare and precious ballet arrived at the Paris Opéra: Jewels, a work first performed by the New York City Ballet in 1967. This alluring, abstract ballet, a triptych in which each piece sparkles with the brilliance of a precious stone, is a lyric tribute to women and to the capital cities of the great dance schools. Couturier, painter and craftsman Christian Lacroix created the glorious costumes and sets which, together with the outstanding performances of the dancers and the sensitive musical direction of Paul Connelly, results in a celebration of sumptuous splendour. Note: This Blu-ray Disc (BD) is not compatible with standard DVD players PICTURE FORMAT: 1080i
LENGTH: 162 Mins
SOUND: 2.0 & 5.0 PCM AUDIO
SUBTITLES: EN/FR/DE/ES/IT
“A gem of dazzling brilliance” The Independent | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Stravinsky - Later Ballets
Stravinsky: | Jeu de cartes Commissioned by George Balanchine, Jeu de cartes is a prime example of melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic ideas emerging helter-skelter from Stravinsky’s imagination. Unlike his other ballets, it contains no slow music and no lovers’ pas-de-deux adagio. Philharmonia Orchestra Danses Concertantes Danses concertantes was the first large-scale piece composed entirely in what was to be Stravinsky’s Hollywood home for the next 24 years. Twentieth Century Classics Ensemble Scènes de ballet Orchestra of St. Luke’s Variations London Philharmonic Orchestra Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra (Rubies from the ballet Jewels) Mark Wait (piano) Orchestra of St. Luke’s |
First performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Robert Craft, Variations are the densest music Stravinsky ever wrote, yet the ingenious rhythmic structures allow every note to be heard. Ezra Pound, in a balcony at the Teatro La Fenice for a September 1934 performance of the Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra, wrote: “the piano and orchestra are as two shells of a walnut”. Alban Berg, who had shared the same concert with Stravinsky, remarked to the latter: “I wish I could write such happy music” “There are times when Craft brings a welcome rhythmic drive to the music, as in parts of Jeu de cartes and quite a lot of Danses concertantes. But energy, nervous excitement, biting wit - all these seem in short supply.” BBC Music Magazine, February 2008 *** “This collection of Stravinsky's later ballets represents the composer in lighter mood, making a delightful sequence, very well played and recorded under the authoritative direction of the composer's principal amanuensis. Jeux de cartes ('The Card Game') of 1936 points directly forward to Stravinsky's style in his opera The Rake'sProgress, the piece reflecting his love of the game of poker: the three main sections of the ballet represent first, second and third deals, with the Joker figuring in each. The piece was written for the great choreographer Georges Balanchine.
Craft's performance with the Philharmonia has an aptly clean attack, with the chugging rhythms well lifted, very suitable for ballet.
Danses concertantes represents Stravinsky in even lighter mood, the first major work he wrote after his arrival in the United States. It's fun music full of playfulness, ending with a jolly galloping theme in compound time. Scènes de ballet of 1944 was commissioned for a Broadway show, but sadly, the bars in 5/4 time were too difficult for the theatre orchestra to play, and it had to be abandoned for its original purpose, only to emerge later as a full concert piece and ballet.
Variations, much the shortest item on the disc, represents Stravinsky using 12-tone technique, an uncompromising, densely packed five minutes which makes for difficult listening, while the Capriccio for piano and orchestra of 1929 returns to his jolly and light-hearted mood, the popular rhythms jauntily presented. Mark Wait is an outstanding soloist. Altogether, a delightful collection brilliantly played and recorded.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 “…a delightful collection brilliantly played and recorded.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2008 | | | (also available to download from $6.00) | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. (Available now to download.) |
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| |  | Stravinsky conducts Stravinsky
recorded 21/5/1954 | | | (also available to download from $21.00) | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. (Available now to download.) |
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| |  | George Balanchine’s JewelsSet and costume design Christian Lacroix
Bonus Feature: George Balanchine forever - A film by Reiner E. Moritz, including interviews with Barbara Horgan, chairman of the Balanchine Foundation, Brigitte Lefèvre, director of Ballet de L’Opéra, designer Christian Lacroix and star dancers Laëtitia Pujol, Clairemarie Osta, Aurélie Dupont, Agnès Letestu and Marie-Agnès Gillot. PICTURE FORMAT: 16:9 LENGTH: 0 Mins SOUND: DTS SURROUND / LPCM STEREO SUBTITLES: EN/FR/DE/ES/IT (Extra Feature only) ‘A gem of dazzling brilliance.’ The Independent | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Ansermet conducts Falla, Mozart & Stravinsky
| | | (also available to download from $10.50) | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. (Available now to download.) |
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