Back in the early 1990s when all was well with the classical music record world and Chandos “house” conductor Neeme Järvi was recording everything in sight, this five-disc set went largely unnoticed. This is a pity, as it contains some superb performances by an orchestra with a long Stravinsky tradition, and Järvi’s dedication to this composer has produced some of his finest efforts. In his typically direct and exciting way, he turns in outstanding performances of the 1911 Petrushka, The Rite of Spring, and all three symphonies (the early E-flat, “in Three Movements”, and “in C”). Song of the Nightingale and the Piano Concerto and Capriccio (with Boris Berman and Geoffrey Tozer respectively) also rank with the best, as do the Symphony of Psalms and the Violin Concerto (with Lydia Mordkovitch).
It also was very enterprising of Chandos to include the late choral works Canticum Sacrum and Requiem Canticles. In fact, the only real weakness here occurs in Oedipus Rex, not because of Järvi but on account of some less than attractive solo singing (especially Gabriele Schnaut’s Jocasta). Excellent recorded sound tops off a very solid package, though the programming strikes me more as a grab-bag assortment than an “essential” collection, and the lack of texts further reduces this set’s claims. But if you like Stravinsky and missed these performances the first time around, you should give Järvi a second chance.
