STRAVINSKY: Le sacre du printemps. Symphony of Psalms. POULENC: Gloria
London Symphony Orchestra/Leonar Bernstein, cond. (Sacre /Symphony). English Bach Festival Chorus (Symphny). Judith Blegen, soprano (Poulenc)
DUTTON EPOCH CDLX 7383 TT: 83:48
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DE FALLA: The Three Cornered Hat. Harpsichord Concerto. DUKAS: La Peri
Jan De Gaetani, mezzo-soprano (Hat). Igor Kipnis, harpsichrd. Paige Brook, flute. Stanley Drucker, clarinet. Harold Gomberg, oboe. Eliot Chapo, vioin. Lorne Monroe, cello.New York Philharmonic / Pierre Boulez, cond.
DUTTON EPOCH SACD CDLX 7394 TT: 71:10
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RAVEL: Daphnis and Chloe .STRAVINSKY: The Song of the Nightingale
Camerata Singers. New York Philharmonic / Pierre Boulez, cond.
DUTTON EPOCH SACD cdlx 7381 TT: 75:06
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Leonard Bernstein has made several recordings of The Rite of Spring including a video of a live 1966 performance with the London Symphony (REVIEW).Sonically this CBS recording made in london's Abbey Road Studios April 1, 1972, surely is the conductor's finest, with imaginative use of the quad channels spreading the instruments throughput the listening area. A week later, with the assistance of the English Bach Festival Chorus, he made this recording of Symphony of Psalms. The Poulenc was recorded in New York's Manhattan Center December 20/21, 1976. Judith Blegen's pure voice is perfect for this lovely music, and we also have the Westminster Choir. Effective audio throughout, and complete texts and translations are provided. Some collectors including yours truly would prefer to have separate tracks for each section of Sacre instead of only two, but that is a minor point An outstanding issue!

Pierre Boulez is the perfect conductor for Ravel and here we have his splendid performance of the complete Daphnis and Chloe. It is played by the New York Philharmonic assisted by Camerata Singers, a recording made in the rich acoustics of New York's Manhattan Center in March 1974. Also included is the Boulez / New York Philharmonic recording of Stravinsky's Song of the Nightingale made in Manhattan Center in 1975. There are 13 cuing tracks for the Ravel, 4 for the Stravinsky. Both of these are superb quad recordings beautifully engineered

Boulez shows his versatilityy by conduct music of Manuel De Falla; he presents an exciting account of thi the complete ballet The Three-Cornered Hat. Mezzo-soprano Jan Degaetani sings the two brief solos along with an enthusiastic New York Philharmonic. First-desk players of the orchestra are featured in Falla's Harpsichord concerto, and as a considerable bonus we have Paul Dukas' exotic tone poem La Peri sounding more voluptuous than ever in multi-channel audio. This, like other SACDs mentioned above, is essential in an audiophile collection.

RE.B.(February 2021)

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