Our Summer BAL 74: Stravinsky Les noces

**Pulcinella** · 13-08-20, 11:05

Thread started as a consequence of this comment from Richard Barrett on the What Classical Music.... thread:

Currently playing: Les Noces, OK it is a piece I know quite well, but I hadn't previously heard this fiercely driven performance by Gergiev at the Mariinsky. It's a selling point of the recording that everyone is singing in their native language, which would be a big plus in view of the Esperanto that this piece often sounds like it's being sung in, were it not for the fact that the recorded acoustic is so murky that it's impossible to hear the voices clearly anyway.

I'm happy to have a bash at expanding some of the performer details if it would be considered helpful.
I've just ordered the Ancerl version to supplement those I already have (Ansermet, Ashkenazy, Bernstein, Craft (all of them), Stravinsky, Wood), as I imagine that it's pretty good (and I don't mind having the couplings, Cantata and Mass, too), given the standard of his Oedipus Rex and Symphony of Psalms.

**Rolmill** · 13-08-20, 11:45

There is also a performance in the marvellous Martha Argerich 'Lugano Concertos' box on DG, conducted by Diego Fasolis in 2004. Not sure I have ever listened to it (

) so will rectify the omission.

**Pulcinella** · 13-08-20, 11:48

Originally posted by Rolmill View Post

There is also a performance in the marvellous Martha Argerich 'Lugano Concertos' box on DG, conducted by Diego Fasolis in 2004. Not sure I have ever listened to it (

) so will rectify the omission.

Yes, of course, and I even mentioned it on the other thread!
Don't know how I then managed to miss it out.
Curiously, it doesn't feature if you go to the Presto site and just follow the links to Stravinsky then Les noces.

**Belgrove** · 13-08-20, 12:04

I have the New London Chamber Choir version conducted by James Wood. It’s years since I’ve played it. It’s one of the few works by Stravinsky I’ve never been able to connect with. Time to give it another whirl to see if my taste has changed.

**Pulcinella** · 13-08-20, 12:12

Originally posted by Belgrove View Post

I have the New London Chamber Choir version conducted by James Wood. It’s years since I’ve played it. It’s one of the few works by Stravinsky I’ve never been able to connect with. Time to give it another whirl to see if my taste has changed.

The Voronezh Chamber Choir joins them in Les noces, so the Russian (pronunciation) will probably be more authentic than in the 'Esperanto' versions Richard alludes to!

**Bryn** · 13-08-20, 13:10

Lest's not forget the danced performance conducted by John Carewe:

**Pulcinella** · 13-08-20, 13:27

Originally posted by Bryn View Post

Lest's not forget the danced performance conducted by John Carewe:

...

I haven't: it's listed (though not attributed to Carewe) under 'Ballet performances'.

**Bryn** · 13-08-20, 13:38

Boulez also recorded the work with the Paris Opera but I don't think it ever made it to CD.

Then, if you can find or already have a copy, there's the earlier mono recording under the composer's direction in the EMI Composer in Person boxed set:

**Pulcinella** · 13-08-20, 14:09

I've just been listening to the Ansermet recording (Decca, recorded 1961), following the score, and have realised that it's sung in French.
(I'll add that to post #1.)
I might have to check the other recordings I have (any additional information gratefully received).
I wonder what language the first performance (Ballets russes in Paris) was given in.

The J & W Chester Ltd study score is a bit of an oddity.
It mentions
French version by C F Ramuz
English version by Millar Craig
but only gives the French text (with a fair bit of changed notation for the singers) as well as the Russian, not the English.
The overall copyright date given is MCMXXII, which is curious since the last page mentions the completion date 6 April 1923.
It also says
Duration of performance approx. 35 minutes.

**Richard Barrett** · 13-08-20, 16:57

I got to know the piece through the Stravinsky recording in English, so that when I first heard it in Russian it sounded quite odd to me. However, having got used to that, I can't really listen to it in English any more. So the Stravinsky recording is out. The Gergiev, as I mentioned elsewhere, is hard-driven and exciting, but for me rules out on the grounds of its murky recording. The Bernstein seems to me fine in every way, probably the Russian would sound a bit garbled to a Russian speaker but it seems to me that much effort went into getting it as accurately pronounced as possible. I have the Reuss CD because it contains my favourite recording of the Cantata but I don't recall what I thought of the version on it of Les Noces. Having just had something of a revelation with Ančerl's recording of Oedipus Rex I'm looking forward to hearing what he makes of this piece. More to follow after more homework.

**Quarky** · 13-08-20, 17:31

There was an outstanding performance of Les Noces at the Proms in 2009 Multiple Pianos Day: https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ewhq9r

All Russian soloists: Elena Manistina
mezzo-soprano
Tatiana Monogarova
soprano
Alissa Firsova
piano
Kostas Smoriginas
bass

Stravinsky's best work?

**Richard Barrett** · 13-08-20, 18:11

I've just listened to Eötvös's version of the 1917 score. Interestingly there's material in the orchestral part that doesn't appear in the final version, and it's brilliantly orchestrated for sure - if this had been the final version it would still be regarded as a masterpiece I think (and there would be more characterfully played recordings than this one), although it's obviously not as radical as the 1923 version and builds more obviously on its predecessors in Stravinsky's output, the Symphonies of Wind Instruments in particular. Well worth hearing though. Now: Ančerl. For my liking the instruments are too recessed compared to the voices (I believe they were actually on stage in the first choreographed version). It's a beautiful and colourful performance but I don't think it's going to dislodge Bernstein as my first choice.

**Bryn** · 13-08-20, 18:32

Originally posted by Richard Barrett View Post

I've just listened to Eötvös's version of the 1917 score. Interestingly there's material in the orchestral part that doesn't appear in the final version, and it's brilliantly orchestrated for sure - if this had been the final version it would still be regarded as a masterpiece I think (and there would be more characterfully played recordings than this one), although it's obviously not as radical as the 1923 version and builds more obviously on its predecessors in Stravinsky's output, the Symphonies of Wind Instruments in particular. Well worth hearing though. Now: Ančerl. For my liking the instruments are too recessed compared to the voices (I believe they were actually on stage in the first choreographed version). It's a beautiful and colourful performance but I don't think it's going to dislodge Bernstein as my first choice.

Have you tried Stucky's orchestration (the second work in this concert)?

Les Noces starts about 33 minutes in.

**Bryn** · 13-08-20, 18:48

During the 'Tchaikovsky Experience' (shared with Stravinsky) Radio 3 broadcast the Belgian(?) Radio recording of the first 2 tableaux of Les Noces in the 1919 version with pianola (Rex Lawson), cimbaloms, harmonium and percussion). Unfortunately, I was only able to capture it in the 192kbps mp2 from DAB. I don't think it has made it to YouTube. Rather better than the Craft offering with a standard piano substituting for the pianola.

Our Summer BAL 74: Stravinsky Les noces

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