The Firebird / The Rite of Spring

"A Jansons performance has all the comfort and security of travelling in a high-class limousine. There's still much to admire, of course, especially the woodwind playing in The Firebird, while The Rite is just a little too well manicured. If you didn't know the ballet, you'd hardly guess that this is a depiction of a pagan ritual that ends in a human sacrifice; one longs for something a bit more visceral, more dangerous." The Guardian, 4th July 2008 ***

"The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra has always traded on the subtleties of its instrumental sounds, which has made it ideal for interpreting such widely diverse music as Bruckner and Ravel. It puts this distinctive colour to good use in Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, reminding us that there is far more to the work than the crash, bang and wallop of its climactic dances." The Telegraph, 12th July 2008

"The luminous colours and weightless harmonies of the Firebird sit more comfortably with the cultured Concertgebouw than the hard-edged primitivism of the Rite of Spring. The fragrance of the "Ronde des princesses" with its leading oboe and echoing cello and bassoon lines is exquisite." Gramophone Magazine, September 2008