The Subtle and the Delicate

For those familiar with the blazing conclusion of The Firebird, the complete work is airy and mystical more than anything bombastic.

I came to this recording shortly after performing with these same performers in one of their US debuts following the fall of the Berlin Wall and the thaw between the US and Russia.

The late Alexander Toradze played the solo piano in Scriabin's Prometheus with the Kirov Orchestra under Valery Gergiev. At that performance, a Clavier à lumières was used, an aspect I will never forget. The work itself is a monster of a composition; I imagine it would be tough for a new listener as well, but I have always enjoyed its eccentricities.

Not having seen Gergiev before [this was in the 90s], following his conducting was a feat of impossibility; where was the ictus? Somewhere between his loud, gasping breathing, something the conductor is loathed for on recordings, and a shaky conducting form, we had to somehow find our entrances. And he always wanted more! It was a great experience regardless, and we were able to hear The Rite of Spring from these superb players.

I was unprepared for how understated Stravinsky's full Firebird ballet sounds. It moves in spice-laden whiffs and wafts, with little in the way of meat and potatoes. It could be Gergiev's handling of the work as well, one that is wispy and light, which can be tough over a 50-minute runtime. Perhaps it is my favoring of the concert suite, which more adroitly carries the work for a listening experience without visual dance. Of course, I never took to Rimsky-Korsakov's Golden Cockerel either...

In any case, I really only hang on to this recording for the memories of performing the Scriabin, plus the audible grunts and exhalations of Gergiev, one which is poorly timed during the grand pause just before the final moment. For the rest, it is a pass from me.

Listen on YouTube

Works
The Firebird (Complete Ballet) (48.55)
Prometheus: The Poem of Fire (22.48)

Performers
Alexander Toradze, piano
Kirov Orchestra & Chorus
Valery Gergiev, conductor

Label: Philips
Year: 1998
Total Timing: 71.52

 

 

I only hang onto this recording as a keep sake to spur my memories.

The complete Firebird is too atmospheric for my likes, although perhaps this is in comparison to the concert suite or merely Gergiev's handling of the work.

I could very easily toss this one into the Oozy moat, however, who can fault these very exemplary sounding performers?

Find more recordings of Stravinsky and Scriabin