Stravinsky's three ballets on this album—The Firebird, Petrushka, and The Rite of Spring—are considered a decisive turning point in music history and established him as the supreme composer of the 20th century.
Compositional Technique
Stravinsky's ballets pushed the limits of instrumental manufacturing and introduced rhythmic patterns never heard before, inventing a new collective virtuosity.
Interpretation
The orchestra, Les Siècles, received special permission from Boosey & Hawkes to perform a reconstruction of the original 1913 version of The Rite of Spring.
Recording & Production
This album features Stravinsky's ballets played on period instruments, a little-explored approach for works of this era.
Composer Biography
Despite the immense success of his early ballets, Stravinsky spent his career trying to prove he was more than just the composer of these three works.
Composition History
The score for The Rite of Spring was a "detective story" with many circulating versions and corrections by Stravinsky and other conductors before a definitive version was published in 1947.
Interpretation
The conductor, François-Xavier Roth, realized at 16 that he would likely live through the centenary of these works, calling it an "extraordinary opportunity."
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