Sinfonieorchester Basel, Dennis Russell Davies, Maki Namekawa - Igor Stravinsky: Ballet Music (2016)

Tracklist

CD1
01. The Rite of Spring: Pt. 1, Adoration of the Earth
02. The Rite of Spring: Pt. 2, The Sacrifice
03. The Rite of Spring (Version for Piano Duo): Pt. 1, Adoration of the Earth
04. The Rite of Spring (Version for Piano Duo): Pt. 2, The Sacrifice

CD2
01. The Firebird: The Firebird Enters, Pursued by Ivan Tsarevich
02. The Firebird: The Firebird's Dance
03. The Firebird: Ivan Tsarevich Captures the Firebird
04. The Firebird: The Firebird Begs to Be Released
05. The Firebird: Entrance of the Thirteen Enchanted Princesses
06. The Firebird: The Princesses Play with the Golden Apples (Scherzo)
07. The Firebird: Ivan Tsarevich Appears
08. The Firebird: The Princesses' Khorovod (Round Dance)
09. The Firebird: Daybreak
10. The Firebird: Ivan Tsarevich, Entering Kastchei's Palace
11. The Firebird: Magic Carillon - Appearance of Kastchei's Guardian Monsters - Capture of Ivan Tsarevich
12. The Firebird: The Entrance of Kastchei the Immortal
13. The Firebird: Dialogue Between Kastchei and Ivan Tsarevich
14. The Firebird: The Princesses Plead for Mercy
15. The Firebird: The Firebird Enters
16. The Firebird: Dance of Kastchei's Retinue Under the Firebird's Magic Spell
17. The Firebird: Infernal Dance of Kastchei and His Subjects Under the Firebird's Magic Spell
18. The Firebird: The Firebird's Lullaby
19. The Firebird: Kastchei Awakens
20. The Firebird: Kastchei's Spell Is Broken, His Palace Disappears, and the Petrified Knights Return to Life. General Thanksgiving
21. The Firebird: Kastchei's Death - Profonds tenebres
22. The Firebird: Introduction - Night. Kastchei's Enchanted Garden

CD3
01. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): Introduction
02. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): Night. Kastchei's Enchanted Garden
03. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): The Firebird Enters, Pursued by Ivan Tsarevich
04. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): The Firebird's Dance
05. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): Ivan Tsarevich Captures the Firebird
06. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): The Firebird Begs to Be Released
07. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): Entrance of the Thirteen Enchanted Princesses
08. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): The Princesses Play with the Golden Apples [Scherzo]
09. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): Ivan Tsarevich Appears
10. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): The Princesses' Khorovod [Round Dance]
11. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): Daybreak
12. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): Ivan Tsarevich, Entering Kastchei's Palace
13. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): Magic Carillon - Appearance of Kastchei's Guardian Monsters - Capture of Ivan Tsarevich
14. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): The Entrance of Kastchei the Immortal
15. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): Dialogue Between Kastchei and Ivan Tsarevich
16. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): The Princesses Plead for Mercy
17. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): The Firebird Enters
18. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): Dance of Kastchei's Retinue Under the Firebird's Magic Spell
19. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): Infernal Dance of Kastchei and His Subjects Under the Firebird's Magic Spell
20. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): The Firebird's Lullaby
21. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): Kastchei Awakens
22. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): Kastchei's Death - Profonds tenebres
23. The Firebird (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands): Kastchei's Spell Is Broken, His Palace Disappears, and the Petrified Knights Return to Life. General Thanksgiving

CD4
01. Petrushka, Tableau 1: Russian Dance
02. Petrushka, Tableau 2: Petrushka's Room
03. Petrushka, Tableau 3: The Moor's Room
04. Petrushka, Tableau 1: The Shrovetide Fair
05. Petrushka, Tableau 3: Dance of the Ballerina
06. Petrushka, Tableau 3: Waltz
07. Petrushka, Tableau 3: The Moor and the Ballerina Prick Up Their Ears - The Fight Between the Moor and Petrushka
08. Petrushka, Tableau 1: The Charlatan's Booth
09. Petrushka, Tableau 4: The Shrovetide Fair
10. Petrushka, Tableau 4: Wet Nurses' Dance
11. Petrushka, Tableau 4: Dance of the Coachmen and Ostlers
12. Petrushka, Tableau 4: The Masqueraders
13. Petrushka, Tableau 1 (Version for Piano 4 Hands): The Shrovetide Fair
14. Petrushka, Tableau 2 (Version for Piano 4 Hands): Petrushka's Room
15. Petrushka, Tableau 3 (Version for Piano 4 Hands): The Moor's Room
16. Petrushka, Tableau 1 (Version for Piano 4 Hands): The Charlatan's Booth
17. Petrushka, Tableau 1 (Version for Piano 4 Hands): Russian Dance
18. Petrushka, Tableau 3 (Version for Piano 4 Hands): Dance of the Ballerina
19. Petrushka, Tableau 4 (Version for Piano 4 Hands): The Shrovetide Fair
20. Petrushka, Tableau 4 (Version for Piano 4 Hands): Dance of the Coachmen and Ostlers
21. Petrushka, Tableau 4 (Version for Piano 4 Hands): Wet Nurses' Dance
22. Petrushka, Tableau 4 (Version for Piano 4 Hands): The Masqueraders
23. Petrushka, Tableau 3 (Version for Piano 4 Hands): Waltz
24. Petrushka, Tableau 3 (Version for Piano 4 Hands): The Moor and the Ballerina Prick Up Their Ears - The Fight Between the Moor and Petrushka

Recordings of Igor Stravinsky's great ballets in their original orchestral versions are numerous, and piano transcriptions are increasingly found on disc, though these different presentations are usually released under separate covers and seldom side by side in a box set. Because Dennis Russell Davies is equally gifted as a conductor and a pianist, and has mastered the technical and interpretive difficulties of L'Oiseau de feu, Pétrouchka, and Le Sacre du printemps, he makes the orchestral and keyboard performances cohere and complement each other in this remarkable four-CD box set. Performing the orchestral scores with the Sinfonieorchester Basel, and the piano reductions with his wife and musical partner, Maki Namekawa, Davies supplies the clarity and rigor demanded by these challenging works, while exploiting all the coloristic possibilities. The orchestral recordings are vibrant and lush, while the piano interpretations are notable for incisive attacks, nuanced phrasing, and clean textures, which Davies and Namekawa deliver meticulously. Davies uses his own transcription for piano four hands of L'Oiseau de feu, which he prepared from Stravinsky's solo piano arrangement, and the published piano four hands arrangements of Pétrouchka and Le Sacre du printemps, which have long since left the ballet rehearsal room to become staples of the recital hall. Highly recommended.

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