Stravinsky - Pulcinella Suite
Dumbarton Oaks 8 Instrumental Miniatures
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Digital Recording
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Cat#: 419 628-1
Made in West Germany 1982
Condition: VG+ media & sleeve
The esteemed critic Andrew Whittall in his review for the June 1987 issue of The Gramophone wrote:
“Since critics tend to be cautious, if not conservative, they are likely to feel that conductor-less performances of works needing needle-sharp control over complex rhythms and sudden changes of speed are, to say the least, foolhardy. Yet not even a critic reluctant to throw caution to the winds can claim that the absence of a conductor on this new DG disc is a serious drawback. There may be an unusual degree of flexibility in the Pulcinella Sinfonia, and a distinctly careful launch of the Allegro that follows the Scherzino, while in one or two short sections it's not difficult to sense that the absence of a controlling beat leaves the players thinking very much from bar to bar, rather than in still a well-integrated, well-balanced performance, strong in humor and vivid in color, and the way the players manage a tidy conductor-less accelerando is remarkable.
“The first movement of Dumbarton Oaks also displays a degree of caution in the Orpheus account. But there is nothing labored about this playing. It is strongly accented, as the score demands, the clearly differentiated instrumental counterpoint fresh and unfussy. With the Eight Instrumental Miniatures reminding us of the not-so-distant Russian background to all Stravinsky's neo-classical works, this is a very enjoyable release.”
The production credits are as follows:
Recording Supervision: Wolf Erichson
Balance Engineer: T. Van Geest
Incidentally, the striking cover art is by Pet Halmen. There are superb liner notes on the reverse side of the jacket in English (by Jeremy Noble), in German and Italian (by Wolfgang Dömling), and in French (by André Lischke).
