Le Sacre du Printemps New York Philharmonic Orchestra & Leonard Bernstein

• Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971): Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring)
• 1Première partie - L'Adoration de la terre (Part One - Adoration of the Earth): Introduction. Lento (1913 Version)03:27
• 2Les augures printaniers (Danses des adolescentes) [The Augurs of Spring (Dance of the Young Girls)]03:18
• 3Jeu du rapt (Mock Abduction)01:17
• 4Rondes printanières (Spring Round Dances) (1913 Version)03:42
• 5Jeux des cités rivales (Games of the Rival Tribes) (1913 Version)01:52
• 6Cortège du Sage (Procession of the Wise Elder) (1913 Version)00:39
• 7Adoration de la terre (Le Sage) [Adoration of the Earth (The Wise Elder)]00:22
• 8Danse de la terre (Dance of the Earth)01:10
• 9Seconde partie - Le Sacrifice (Part Two - The Sacrifice): Introduction. Largo05:10
• 10Cercles mystérieux des adolescentes (Mystical Circles of the Young Girls) (1913 Version)03:18
• 11Glorification de l'Élue (Glorification of the Chosen Victim) (1913 Version)01:31
• 12Évocation des ancêtres (Summoning of the Ancestors) (1913 Version)00:52
• 13Action rituelle des ancêtres (Ritual of the Ancestors) (1913 Version)03:23
• 14Danse sacrale (L'Élue) [Sacrificial Dance (The Chosen Victim)] (1913 Version)04:29
• Total Runtime34:30

Info for Le Sacre du Printemps

Quoted by Bernstein himself that the century-old Le Sacre du Printemps is 'one your everyday volcanic masterpieces...of such originality and power that it still overwhelms us.' Of course, this 1958 recording with Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic is a tour de force performance of the piece that was so 'volcanic' at its Paris premiere that it started a legendary riot. This wonderful new audio transfer is accompanied by photos of Bernstein and Igor Stravinsky from the recording sessions and more.

„Leonard Bernstein's 1958 recording of Igor Stravinsky's 'Le Sacre du printemps' with the New York Philharmonic is ranked among the most exciting renditions ever recorded. Indeed, Stravinsky was sufficiently impressed with this recording to exclaim, 'Wow!' Additionally, it was one of the best sounding stereo versions available on a major label. Reissued by Sony for the centennial of the ballet's notorious 1913 premiere in Paris, Bernstein's legendary performance has been remastered from the original analog tapes, and though there is occasional background noise and tape hiss in exposed passages, nothing essential seems to have been lost in the transfer to digital. Some things sound better than others: the undulating chords of the Introduction to Part II have rarely sounded this full and rich, the eruptions in Glorification de l'élue are shockingly vivid, and the Danse sacrale is pungent and incisive. However, the percussion is surprisingly thin in spots in Part I, with the timpani often sounding more prominent than the bass drum, and the entire battery is somewhat underwhelming in the Danse de la terre. There are many all-digital CDs and SACDs that offer superior audio, especially in terms of a wider dynamic range and acoustic resonance, and even acknowledging the excellence of this recording for its time, Columbia didn't have the technology to match today's state-of-the-art audio. All the same, Bernstein certainly gets the orchestra to play in top form, and his elastic tempos in the slow sections and driven pacing in the fast ones keep the listener spellbound. There are no perfect recordings of 'Le Sacre du printemps,' but it's easy to see why this one has stood the test of time and become a favorite of many.“ (Blair Sanderson, AMG)

New York Philharmonic Orchestra
Leonard Bernstein, Dirigent

No biography found.

Booklet for Le Sacre du Printemps