Continuing our series of recordings that Igor Stravinsky conducting his own works on labels other than Columbia. I believe this may be the only recording he made for Telefunken and the only session with the Berlin Philharmonic.
Stravinsky wrote Jeu de Cartes (or as it is presented here, The Card Game) in 1936-37. Its premiere was in 1937 in New York. This recording, made the following year, was Stravinsky's first of the work and I suspect was the first by anyone.
Jeu de Cartes, a ballet score, was among Stravinsky's neoclassical works. Neither the Berlin orchestra nor the resonant acoustic are what we associate with this style, but the musicians put the unfamiliar music across with aplomb.
This transfer is from Capitol's early 50s Telefunken series, which in my experience was otherwise heavily devoted to Willem Mengelberg's prewar Concertgebouw recordings.
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4 comments:
I'm surprised Goebbels and the boys even let Stravinsky record with the Berliners. The Nazis hated him. In any case, the performance is good but a bit sluggish. Most amazing for 1938 are the acoustics. I would have guessed this was a post- not a pre-war recording. Nevertheless, I have to confess this is not one of my favorite Stravinsky scores. Neo-classicism wears thin here. Yes, the opening theme for each "hand" is memorable. But things seem to peter out soon afterward--as if Igor was playing solitaire not bridge (and certainly not poker). In any case, thank you from a completist standpoint. I sure hope you find the 1948 or 9 RCA recording of "Orpheus." That, to me, is a masterpiece.
David,
Yeah, I found the whole affair a little surprising myself. And I agree with your assessment of the performance and the music.
I do have that Orpheus recording, I believe.
Buster, dear, please, re-upload this rip. link is dead, alas...
thank you, dear Buster, for re-uploading this gem along with the later Apollo recording on RCA.
regards,
a
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