BaL 26.05.18 - Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Oh yes, I've just seen that at the top of the beginning of the second act ... hence why I didn't see it before.

Originally, the chorus sing the Gloria and the curtain goes down/the stage lights go off. After a scene change, the curtain rises again/the lights come back on and the chorus is repeated before the Narrator resumes. In Stravinsky's Washington recording, the Narrator speaks between the repeats, so that Jocasta sings immediately after the chorus finishes the second time, rather than immediately after the Narration.

[Richard Barrett]

Originally, the chorus sing the Gloria and the curtain goes down/the stage lights go off. After a scene change, the curtain rises again/the lights come back on and the chorus is repeated before the Narrator resumes. In Stravinsky's Washington recording, the Narrator speaks between the repeats, so that Jocasta sings immediately after the chorus finishes the second time, rather than immediately after the Narration.

I can see why he does that, because it would be a bit silly on a recording just to have the repeat immediately after the first time (although they were split over the sides of the LP IIRC). But maybe Craft's idea of only doing it once is a better solution. I've just been listening to his recording again. There are a few weird bits of instrumental balance but on the whole it's superb, just the way I think it ought to be, especially, as I mentioned previously, the narrator, who delivers the text in old-fashioned BBC English, that is to say (compared with today's FANTASTIC!!!!! version) as if he's really talking about something that happened thousands of years ago.

[ahinton]

"Reprise du denier Choeur", non?

"dernier", peut-être?...

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

"dernier", peut-être?...

Typos are part of my stocking trade.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I can see why he does that, because it would be a bit silly on a recording just to have the repeat immediately after the first time (although they were split over the sides of the LP IIRC). But maybe Craft's idea of only doing it once is a better solution. I've just been listening to his recording again. There are a few weird bits of instrumental balance but on the whole it's superb, just the way I think it ought to be, especially, as I mentioned previously, the narrator, who delivers the text in old-fashioned BBC English, that is to say (compared with today's FANTASTIC!!!!! version) as if he's really talking about something that happened thousands of years ago.

That's one of the recordings I've been listening to recently - and yes, the narration is wonderfully droll, like an Oxford Don giving his first talk on the wireless, c1947. A pity that the triplets that Stravinsky wanted for the declamation of "the murderer of a king-is-a-king" is ignored - and Craft takes some rather "steady" tempi in places (I may have been influenced by Salonen's greater impetus, which I'd heard most recently, but I started to listen to my own version rather than what was coming from the loudspeakers) - and I prefer a bit more "heft" in Jocasta.

But, apart from that ...


(I'm being increasingly attracted to the idea that "a bit silly" is how the original concept was meant to come across. )

[Alison]

David Atherton used to do a good Oedipus Rex.

Don’t hear of him now.

[Bryn]

David Atherton used to do a good Oedipus Rex.

Don’t hear of him now.

He's been around a bit over the last year or so. Over the past couple of decades there have been some good astravinsky recordings from him with 'his' Hong Kong orchestra.

[vinteuil]

Typos are part of my stocking trade.

... ho ho ho HO

[ no denier me - that was a good 'un... ]


.

[Bryn]

... ho ho ho HO

[ no denier me - that was a good 'un... ]


.

Some fine hose there.

[Beef Oven!]

Typos are part of my stocking trade.

[Alison]

He's been around a bit over the last year or so. Over the past couple of decades there have been some good astravinsky recordings from him with 'his' Hong Kong orchestra.

Good to hear Nethersage.

My dad says he did a brilliant Stravinsky/Ravel(?) series on the radio early eighties?

[Bryn]

Good to hear Nethersage.

My dad says he did a brilliant Stravinsky/Ravel(?) series on the radio early eighties?

Lots of Stravinsky, yes, but the major series was of the works of Ravel and Varèse. The first outing in decades for the early Varèse song Un grand sommeil noir. and re-pairing of Xenakis's Concret PH in one of the concerts. I saved all of the FM broadcasts to cassette at the time.

[rauschwerk]

Pretty obvious from the start that Gardiner would be top choice. And quite right too, from the excerpts I heard.

[DracoM]

Totally agree. Talk about signalled from the mountain top within the first six minutes. Blimey.
Poor review IMO. Cosy voice avoiding issues. Very disappointing.

[Mal]

The reviewer suggested that Stravinsky isn't a good conductor. Other experts differ:

"... despite contemporary carping about his being a mediocre conductor, don't believe it." - Third Ear

Personally, I think he's a good conductor, and will stick with his Oedipus Rex.