Stravinsky: Pulcinella

[Petrushka]

You know how it is sometimes. There's a piece you hardly ever play then you give it an airing and all of a sudden you can't stop playing it!
Anyway, that's been my recent experience with the complete Pulcinella.

I've got three recordings: BPO/Haitink, RCO/Chailly and ASMF/Marriner. The Marriner is terrific and sounds as if everyone had a whale of a time making it. With superb characterful singing from Yvonne Kenny, Robert Tear and Robert Lloyd this is my favourite.

Are there any other recordings I should be listening to?

[Bryn]

Stravinsky's own is my favourite. I'd suggest keeping well away from the early Rattle recording. I had great hopes which were dashed.

[rauschwerk]

Abbado, with Teresa Berganza, Ryland Davies and John Shirley-Quirk, has given me much pleasure over the years.

[Don Petter]

Stravinsky's own is my favourite. I'd suggest keeping well away from the early Rattle recording. I had great hopes which were dashed.

Stravinsky's own for me too. I prefer the earlier (mono) one to the later one in the big box, though this may be because it's the one I 'learnt on'.

[Roehre]

Stravinsky's own is my favourite. I'd suggest keeping well away from the early Rattle recording. I had great hopes which were dashed.

My opinion as well (Rattle's 2 suites for small orchestra aren't much better either).
Btw, another performance to consider IMO is Abbado/BPO on a late 1970s DGG recording .

Edit: that's the one Rauschwerk already mentioned.

[HighlandDougie]

I really enjoy the Yakov Kreizberg/Monte Carlo recording which is very well sung (and played). It's (almost) my local band in France so I'm probably being a little partisan but Kreizberg's 3-disc Diaghilev ballets set is one I play often.

[LeMartinPecheur]

I have the 70s LSO/Abbado (does Roehre err in saying BPO above?) and Stravinsky's own, and certainly don't feel any urgent need for another. Fantastic work though!

[Ferretfancy]

Stravinsky for me, but with regard to the suite alone, I still have a fondness for the old Ansermet / Susse Romande version for its nice tuppence coloured recording.

[Roehre]

I have the 70s LSO/Abbado (does Roehre err in saying BPO above?) and Stravinsky's own, and certainly don't feel any urgent need for another. Fantastic work though!

You're right LMP. It's the LSO.

[verismissimo]

Stravinsky's own for me too. I prefer the earlier (mono) one to the later one in the big box, though this may be because it's the one I 'learnt on'.

Got out the old Cleveland/Stravinsky mono LP recorded 1953 at your prompting, Don. Lovely.

[Serial_Apologist]

Does anyone else think Poulenc couldn't have composed "Les Biches" without I.S. first having composed "Pulcinella"?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Does anyone else think Poulenc couldn't have composed "Les Biches" without I.S. first having composed "Pulcinella"?

I'm not sure Poulenc could've composed anything without Stravinsky first having composed ...

(A vicious rumour, no doubt, but isn't IS supposed to have said after adopting Serial practices, "Let's see what Poulenc writes now!")

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Pulcinella's a great work - the first one by Stravinsky that I ever played in, I think.

[Serial_Apologist]

I'm not sure Poulenc could've composed anything without Stravinsky first having composed ...

(A vicious rumour, no doubt, but isn't IS supposed to have said after adopting Serial practices, "Let's see what Poulenc writes now!")

[Don Petter]

Got out the old Cleveland/Stravinsky mono LP recorded 1953 at your prompting, Don. Lovely.

Glad that I'm not the only one, veri, and that it spurred you to listen again!

For a long time I despaired of those 'hidden' first mono recordings being issued on CD, but at least some of them were eventually, in 1998, on one of Sony's 'Masterworks Heritage' doubles. I suspect it was not very long-lived, but is well worth seeking out if you get a chance (MH2K 63325).

The set is called 'Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky - The Mono Years 1952-1955', and it contains:

Le Baiser de la Fee (complete)
Symphony in C, plus rehearsal fragment
Pulcinella (complete)
L'Hisoire du Soldat (suite)
Octet for Winds