As you can see from the head note, there is more music here than just the ballets, not that I’m complaining. Many of these performances have already been reviewed here, either on Naxos or in one of their prior incarnations, so I’ll be brief. Robert Craft has no peer as a conductor of Stravinsky’s neo-classical work, and he’s more than competitive everywhere else. The only real dud here is The Firebird (simply dull). Petrushka and The Rite of Spring aren’t bad, and the rest is pretty terrific. Outstanding performances include Les Noces, Oedipus Rex, Orpheus, Agon, Jeux de Cartes, Pulcinella, and The Fairy’s Kiss. Soloists, whether vocal or instrumental, are uniformly impressive, as are the sonics and the orchestral playing. So if you’re looking for an easy way to acquire the most important body of ballet music ever composed in the history of the universe (and you probably have the three early ballets anyway), this set is a great deal. [5/1/2009]
