The playing on this disc is absolutely outstanding. It’s amazing to hear the Infernal Dance from The Firebird with every note clearly articulated by the strings, and the woodwind solos in the Ronde des princesses and Berceuse are beyond gorgeous. However, both here and in the first part of The Rite you might feel that Mariss Jansons (who has recorded this music before for EMI with the Oslo Philharmonic) lacks a measure of sheer energy and rhythmic punch. In the latter work the entire section following the Spring Rounds could have more bite, more violence from the brass, and the horns are balanced a touch backwardly despite generally excellent engineering in all other respects.
That said, the second half of The Rite is pretty spectacular, culminating in a very exciting Sacrificial Dance and conclusion. The Firebird also oozes the necessary dark and exotic atmosphere, and it’s only because so much that happens goes supremely right that I wish Jansons had urged his players to give that last ounce of force at climactic points. There’s one odd textual note: the Firebird’s Infernal Dance includes a very out-of-place part for tubular bell on those loud, crunching chords at the start (and later) which is not in the 1919 score. I used to think that this was a Stokowski-ism, since he exaggerates the effect more than anyone else, but since Ormandy and now Jansons does it too, I wonder if there isn’t an old, corrupt set of parts out there? Anyway, this is a mostly wonderful disc, even if it could have been just that much better still. For the playing alone, it’s a keeper.
