[ EMI The Opera Series / 23 CD Box Set ]
Release Date: Friday 12 March 2021
This item is only available to us via Special Import.
Does any other composer of the 20th century offer such varied riches? If The Firebird, glowing with the iridescence of his teacher Rimsky-Korsakov, brought him his international breakthrough in 1910, The Rite of Spring sealed his fame and set him on the long path towards the terse archaism of Agon in 1957. Chameleon-like and with tireless creativity, Stravinsky kept pace with the aesthetic evolutions, convolutions and dislocations of his times. In his evocation of the Russia of history and prehistory, in the insolently virtuosic elegance of his pastiches, in his adaptations of Classical myths, in his rediscovery of his faith, and in his late conversion to serialism, he transformed every challenge into an opportunity.
The release of this edition marks 50 years since the death of Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971), the most influential composer of the 20th century.
After he died in New York on 6th April 1971, the New York Times wrote:
"When the history of 20th‐century music comes to be written, Igor Stravinsky will occupy the most prominent position in the period from about 1910 to the beginning of World War II. More than any other composer, he put his mark on an entire generation. He was a shaper, a seminal force, a creator who was the symbol of the musical avant‐garde not only in the public eye but also … in the estimation of his fellow musicians."
Igor Stravinsky Edition: An authoritative and representative survey of Stravinsky's music in superlative interpretations by an array of outstanding musicians, including some of today's leading Erato / Warner Classics artists and Stravinsky himself as historical bonuses
23CDs
The recordings span nearly a century of history, from 2019 back as far as 1928.
The edition comprises all major works and less frequently heard smaller works. Certain works appear in both their original orchestral versions and in transcriptions, by Stravinsky himself and by other musicians e.g. for solo piano, piano duo, piano and violin, accordion duo.
3CDs are devoted to historical recordings, dating from the late 1920s and 1930s, with Stravinsky appearing as conductor and as pianist.
"A fine recording of Stravinsky's colourful ballet, The Nightingale, with Natalie Dessay perfect in the title-role. The rest of the cast is fully up to Dessay's and Grivnov's standard; Marie McLaughlin's Russian diction being particularly commendable." (Gramophone on The Nightingale)
"Muti presents the violence with red-blooded conviction ... I shall be surprised if this interpretation doesn't remain top of my list, next to the composer's own."
(Gramophone on Le Sacre)
"Dawn Upshaw creates a wholly convincing portrait: both vulnerable and purposeful. Kent Nagano keeps the music alive and his rhythmic acuity gives springiness to the performance that is irresistible." MusicWeb on The Rake's Progress
"Rattle focuses each episode without sounding episodic and shapes the Larghetto's opening most poetically. Rattle gives us both urgency and tonal body. Henceforth, his is a digital front-runner." Gramophone on Symphony in C
Stravinsky: Scherzo Fantastique, Op. 3
Philharmonia Orchestra
Eliahu Inbal
Stravinsky: Fireworks, Op. 4
Philharmonia Orchestra
Eliahu Inbal
Stravinsky: The Firebird
Philharmonia Orchestra, Eliahu Inbal
Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite
Philadelphia Orchestra
Riccardo Muti
Stravinsky: Petrushka
Philharmonia Orchestra
Eliahu Inbal
Stravinsky: Petrushka (1947 version)
Philadelphia Orchestra, Riccardo Muti
Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra
Mariss Jansons
Stravinsky: Le Chant du Rossignol
Orchestre National de France
Pierre Boulez
Stravinsky: Pulcinella
Ensemble Intercontemporain (chamber ensemble), Pierre Boulez
Stravinsky: Suite No. 2
Academy of St Martin in the Fields
Sir Neville Marriner
Stravinsky: Suite No. 1
Academy of St Martin in the Fields
Sir Neville Marriner
Stravinsky: Les Noces
Grand Chœur de l'Université de Lausanne
Charles Dutoit
Stravinsky: Four Russian Peasant Songs
Chœur de Radio-France, Jacques Jouineau
Stravinsky: Le Baiser de la Fée
Philharmonia Orchestra
André Vandernoot
Stravinsky: Apollon musagète
Berliner Philharmoniker
Sir Simon Rattle
Stravinsky: Études (4) for orchestra
Orchestre National de France
Pierre Boulez
Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms
Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir Simon Rattle
Rundfunkchor Berlin
Stravinsky: Concerto in E flat for chamber orchestra 'Dumbarton Oaks'
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Jukka-Pekka Saraste
Stravinsky: Credo
Choir of King's College Cambridge
Stephen Cleobury
Stravinsky: Ave Maria
Choir of King's College Cambridge
Stephen Cleobury
Stravinsky: Jeu de cartes
Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra
James Conlon
Stravinsky: Symphony in C
Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir Simon Rattle
Stravinsky: Danses Concertantes
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
Sir Neville Marriner
Stravinsky: Four Norwegian Moods
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Dmitri Kitayenko
Stravinsky: Circus Polka
Philharmonia Orchestra
Eliahu Inbal
Stravinsky: Scherzo a la Russe
Sir Simon Rattle
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Stravinsky: Scherzo a la Russe
Sir Simon Rattle
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Stravinsky: Symphony in 3 movements
New York Philharmonic
Zubin Mehta
Stravinsky: Concerto in D for string orchestra 'Basler'
Yehudi Menuhin (violin)
Bath Festival Orchestra
Stravinsky: Greeting Prelude
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Sir Charles Mackerras
Stravinsky: Agon 'Ballet for Twelve Dancers'
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Hiroyuki Iwaki
Stravinsky: Pastorale
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano), Geoffrey Parsons (piano)
Stravinsky: Deux Poèmes de Paul Verlaine
François Le Roux (baritone)
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
John Nelson
Stravinsky: The Nightingale
Natalie Dessay (soprano), Marie McLaughlin (soprano), Violeta Urmana (soprano), Opéra national de Paris (opera company)
James Conlon
Stravinsky: Renard
Ensemble instrumental
Charles Dutoit
Stravinsky: L'Histoire du Soldat
Ensemble instrumental
Charles Dutoit
Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex
Anthony Rolfe Johnson (tenor), Marjana Lipovsek (contralto), John Tomlinson (bass)
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Franz Welser-Möst
Stravinsky: Perséphone
Anthony Rolfe Johnson, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Franz Welser-Möst
Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress
Robert Lloyd (bass), Dawn Upshaw (soprano), Jerry Hadley (tenor), Samuel Ramey (bass), Opéra National de Lyon (opera company)
Kent Nagano
Stravinsky: Three Songs from William Shakespeare
Ian Bostridge (tenor), Adam Walker (flute), Michael Collins (clarinet), Lawrence Power (viola)
Stravinsky: Concerto for Piano & Wind Instruments
Michel Béroff (piano)
Orchestre de Paris
Seiji Ozawa
Stravinsky: Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra
Michel Béroff (piano)
Orchestre de Paris
Seiji Ozawa
Stravinsky: Violin Concerto in D
Maxim Vengerov (violin), Mstislav Rostropovich (cello)
London Symphony Orchestra
Stravinsky: Movements for Piano & Orchestra
Michel Béroff, Orchestre de Paris, Seiji Ozawa
Stravinsky: Pastorale
Gidon Kremer (violin)
Stravinsky: Three Pieces for String Quartet
Alban Berg Quartett (string quartet)
Stravinsky: Ragtime, for eleven instruments
Ensemble instrumental
Charles Dutoit
Stravinsky: Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet
Sabine Meyer (clarinet)
Stravinsky: Concertino for String Quartet
Alban Berg Quartett
Stravinsky: Symphonies of Wind Instruments
London Symphony Orchestra
Kent Nagano
Stravinsky: Octet for Wind Instruments
Ensemble instrumental, Charles Dutoit
Stravinsky: Duo concertant
Itzhak Perlman (violin), Bruno Canino (piano)
Stravinsky: Elegy, for solo viola
Tabea Zimmermann (viola)
Stravinsky: Ebony Concerto
Michael Collins (clarinet)
London Sinfonietta
Sir Simon Rattle
Stravinsky: Concertino for twelve instruments
Ensemble Intercontemporain (chamber ensemble)
Pierre Boulez
Stravinsky: Double Canon (Raoul Dufy in memoriam)
Alban Berg Quartett (string quartet)
Stravinsky: Scherzo for piano
Michel Béroff (piano)
Stravinsky: Piano Sonata in F sharp minor (1903-4)
Michel Béroff (piano)
Stravinsky: Études (4) for piano, Op. 7
Michel Béroff (piano)
Stravinsky: Souvenir d'une marche boche
Michel Béroff (piano)
Stravinsky: Valse pour les enfants
Michel Béroff (piano)
Stravinsky: Étude pour Pianola
Michel Béroff (piano)
Stravinsky: Piano-Rag-Music
Michel Béroff (piano)
Stravinsky: Les Cinq doigts
Michel Béroff (piano)
Stravinsky: Piano Sonata (1924)
Michel Béroff (piano)
Stravinsky: Tango
Michel Béroff (piano)
Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite
transcription for solo piano
Beatrice Rana (piano)
Stravinsky: Three Movements from Petrushka
Beatrice Rana (piano)
Stravinsky: Petrushka (1911 version)
transcription for two classical accordions
James Crabb (accordion), Geir Draugsvoll (accordion)
Stravinsky: Suite italienne
Truls Mørk (cello), Lars Vogt (piano)
Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring
Fazil Say (piano)
Stravinsky: Ragtime, for piano
Marcelle Meyer (piano)
Stravinsky: Suite italienne
Itzhak Perlman (violin)
Stravinsky: Chanson Russe
Itzhak Perlman (violin)
Stravinsky: Le Baiser de la Fée
Itzhak Perlman (violin)
Stravinsky: Tango 1940
James Crabb, Geir Draugsvoll
Historic recordings with Igor Stravinsky
Stravinsky: The Firebird - excerpts
Igor Stravinsky
Stravinsky: Petrushka (1911 version)
Igor Stravinsky
Stravinsky: L'Histoire du Soldat: Concert Suite
Igor Stravinsky
Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring
Igor Stravinsky
Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms
Stravinsky: Les Noces
Stravinsky: Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra
Stravinsky: Octet for Wind Instruments
Stravinsky: Pulcinella Suite
Stravinsky: Duo concertant
Stravinsky: Jeu de cartes
Stravinsky: Three Pieces for String Quartet
Stravinsky: Ragtime, for eleven instruments
Stravinsky: Piano-Rag-Music
Stravinsky: Serenade in A for piano
Stravinsky: Concerto for 2 Pianos
Stravinsky: Pastorale
Stravinsky: Berceuse from The Firebird
Stravinsky: Scherzo from The Firebird
Stravinsky: Danse Russe (from Pétrouchka)
Stravinsky: Suite italienne: Serenata
Stravinsky: Scherzino
Stravinsky: Ah, joie, emplis mon coeur (from Le Rossignol)
Stravinsky: Le Chant du Rossignol: Marche chinoise