Tracklist:

Classics Explained: Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring (Siepmann): Introduction, background and perspective
Classics Explained: Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring (Siepmann): A gentle, other-worldly start; no sign of the violence to come
Classics Explained: Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring (Siepmann): Music as mosaic; the composer as constructor
Classics Explained: Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring (Siepmann): Two functions of metrical change: going with the flow...
Classics Explained: Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring (Siepmann): ...or disrupting it: a sample of metrical violence
Classics Explained: Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring (Siepmann): A stealthy entry (clarinets)
Classics Explained: Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring (Siepmann): Detour: the destabilising properties of chromaticism
Classics Explained: Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring (Siepmann): On melodies, themes and motifs
Classics Explained: Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring (Siepmann): The new cor anglais motif dominates
Classics Explained: Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring (Siepmann): The oboe's rhythmic motif takes over
Classics Explained: Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring (Siepmann): A primeval awakening
Classics Explained: Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring (Siepmann): A panoply of Stravinskyan birdsong
Classics Explained: Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring (Siepmann): A matter of mode
Classics Explained: Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring (Siepmann): Cue to Introduction
Classics Explained: Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring (Siepmann): Introduction (complete)
Classics Explained: Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring (Siepmann): Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: The Augurs of Spring / Dance
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: The Augurs of Spring / Dances of the Young Girls: The great arrival: bitonality
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: The Augurs of Spring / Dances of the Young Girls: Putting the boot in: a metrical mugging
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: The Augurs of Spring / Dances of the Young Girls: The prevalence of ostinatos, and a rightin
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: The Augurs of Spring / Dances of the Young Girls: Metre restores (briefly) but the 'savage m
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: The Augurs of Spring / Dances of the Young Girls: The musical savages routed
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: The Augurs of Spring / Dances of the Young Girls: An important new arrival (the 'horn motif'
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: The Augurs of Spring / Dances of the Young Girls: Another new theme from the horns
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: The Augurs of Spring / Dances of the Young Girls: A crowded conclusion
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Ritual of Abduction: A real study in contrasts
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Ritual of Abduction: Panic and pandemonium as timpani open fire
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Ritual of Abduction: Climactic melee haunted by 'fear motif'
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Spring Rounds: Suddenly another world, as flutes hover over harmonic vapour...
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Spring Rounds: ...but a transient one: new movement arises from the deep
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Spring Rounds: 'Dragging feet motif' over ostinato violins, twice interrupted
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Spring Rounds: 'Marching motif' developed further by flutes and horns
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Spring Rounds: A trilling commentary from piccolo and high clarinet
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Spring Rounds: 'Marching motif' theme goes polymetric in huge crescendo
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Spring Rounds: An unexpected change of pace as tempo doubles
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Spring Rounds: And an unexpected reversion, to a quiet close
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Ritual of the Rival Tribes: Violent onslaught from brass and timpani launches the 'Rival Tri
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Ritual of the Rival Tribes: Rival Tribes, rival motifs
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Ritual of the Rival Tribes: Sensational violence comes close to chaos
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Ritual of the Rival Tribes: Effects, impressions and alteration
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Ritual of the Rival Tribes: A surprise re-entry and a change of instrumental clothing
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Ritual of the Rival Tribes: A thinning of texture, a new idea, and a rude interruption
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Ritual of the Rival Tribes: The new idea developed: a minor earthquake
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Ritual of the Rival Tribes: The use of tone colour as an agent of rhythm
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Ritual of the Rival Tribes: An unusual climax...
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Ritual of the Rival Tribes: ...and a sinister transition
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Procession of the Sage: Across the threshold into an instrumental population explosion
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Procession of the Sage: A sudden silence and then another world
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Procession of the Sage: Catapulted into the 'Dance of the Earth'
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Dance of the Earth: Tiny changes, unyielding ostinatos, massive tension
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Dance of the Earth: Cue to Part I complete
Part I: The Adoration of the Earth: Dance of the Earth: Part I (complete)
Part II: The Sacrifice: Introduction: Again a muted, subtly coloured start
Part II: The Sacrifice: Introduction: Tone colour as atmosphere - the strings' motif
Part II: The Sacrifice: Introduction: Four solo violas, above gently rocking strings
Part II: The Sacrifice: Introduction: A pregnant pause, and a new motif in muted trumpets
Part II: The Sacrifice: Mystic Circles of the Young Girls: Motif from the Introduction varied and extended
Part II: The Sacrifice: Mystic Circles of the Young Girls: New motif, heralded by clarinets and violins, is introduced by alto f
Part II: The Sacrifice: Mystic Circles of the Young Girls: Variant of Motif No. 2 given out by two clarinets
Part II: The Sacrifice: Mystic Circles of the Young Girls: Continued by oboes and bassoons; new motif in violins, cellos and bas
Part II: The Sacrifice: Mystic Circles of the Young Girls: Main motifs yield to new idea from flutes
Part II: The Sacrifice: Mystic Circles of the Young Girls: All change - direction, tone colour, metre - and two new ostinatos
Part II: The Sacrifice: Mystic Circles of the Young Girls: Motif No. 1 returns in horn, then passed to flutes and strings
Part II: The Sacrifice: Mystic Circles of the Young Girls: Texture, balance and tone colour keep changing
Part II: The Sacrifice: Mystic Circles of the Young Girls: Instrumental enrichment, new counterpoint and a bleat of alarm
Part II: The Sacrifice: Mystic Circles of the Young Girls: New derivative of Motif No. 2, a host of new sounds - and again the b
Part II: The Sacrifice: Mystic Circles of the Young Girls: Into the finishing stretch, and we know we're in for something big
Part II: The Sacrifice: Mystic Circles of the Young Girls: Putting the movement back together again
Part II: The Sacrifice: Mystic Circles of the Young Girls: Mystic Circles of the Young Girls (complete)
Part II: The Sacrifice: Glorification of the Chosen One: On into one of the most sensational movements ever written
Part II: The Sacrifice: Glorification of the Chosen One: The violence is almost graphic. An example of musical terrorism
Part II: The Sacrifice: Glorification of the Chosen One: Motif No. 2: a terrible, off-beat com-pah from strings, horns and oboes
Part II: The Sacrifice: Glorification of the Chosen One: The air is filled with the fearsome baying of wind and violins
Part II: The Sacrifice: Glorification of the Chosen One: A variant of Motif No. 2, but now descending
Part II: The Sacrifice: Glorification of the Chosen One: A study in the bruality of suspense - a musical mugging
Part II: The Sacrifice: Glorification of the Chosen One: The middle section begins with a massive but unequal confrontation
Part II: The Sacrifice: Glorification of the Chosen One: Against the odds, the 'descending motif' comes out on top
Part II: The Sacrifice: Glorification of the Chosen One: In the midst of the fray, a new 'rising motif' emerges...
Part II: The Sacrifice: Glorification of the Chosen One: ...and undergoes a typcially Stravinskyan expansion and compression
Part II: The Sacrifice: Glorification of the Chosen One: A much-needed breath before the movement entire
Part II: The Sacrifice: Glorification of the Chosen One: Glorification of the Chosen One (complete)
Part II: The Sacrifice: Evocation of the Ancestors: The next movement consists of a single, chordal motif, three times varied
Part II: The Sacrifice: Evocation of the Ancestors: The second statement: breaking the metrical flow
Part II: The Sacrifice: Ritual Action of the Ancestors: At last the establishment of a clear and steady beat, but will it last?
Part II: The Sacrifice: Ritual Action of the Ancestors: A counterpoint of ostinatos lends continuity to changing time signatures
Part II: The Sacrifice: Ritual Action of the Ancestors: Horns introduce the first real motif, destabilised by multiple metres
Part II: The Sacrifice: Ritual Action of the Ancestors: The motif disappears, though the background ostinato continues
Part II: The Sacrifice: Ritual Action of the Ancestors: A change of mood, then the whole orchestra crashes in
Part II: The Sacrifice: Ritual Action of the Ancestors: The steady pulse gives way to a tossed salad of one-bar motifs
Part II: The Sacrifice: Ritual Action of the Ancestors: Lately abandoned, the steady pulse returns, as does the 'trumpet motif'
Part II: The Sacrifice: Ritual Action of the Ancestors: The movement ends with a varied reprise of the opening
Part II: The Sacrifice: Ritual Action of the Ancestors: Evocation of the Ancestors (complete) and Ritual Action of the Ancestors
Part II: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance: The last movement is based on two motifs, the first most motable for its rhythm
Part II: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance: The second motif is likewise predominatly rhythmical in effect
Part II: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance: Two variants: one a rhythmic simplification, the other an expansion
Part II: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance: A new section, again with two main motifs, the first from wind and strings
Part II: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance: This is joined by another bried but very striking motif from muted brass
Part II: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance: Tension dramatically increased by a violent interruption from timpani and gong
Part II: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance: Motif No. 2 is passed from bassoons to high wind and trumpets...
Part II: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance: ...and is twice interrupted by horns
Part II: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance: Motif No. 1 erupts in full orchestra, then all hell breaks loose
Part II: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance: New ostinato, over implacable repetitions of Motif No. 1, offset by clarinets
Part II: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance: A new section, kick-started by percussion: timpani, bass drum and gong
Part II: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance: Horns, doubled by strings, introduce the main idea of this new section
Part II: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance: The return of the movement's opening section - or so we may think
Part II: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance: Dramatic compression of now-familiar material
Part II: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance: A terrifying cocktail of motifs old and new confounds expectations...
Part II: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance: ...and leads to the coda, the final flourish of the whole work
Part II: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance: Cue to all of Part II and end of CD
Part II: The Sacrifice: Sacrificial Dance: Part II (complete)

UPC: 636943808528
Label: Naxos
Release Date: 7.15.03
Format: CD

Jeremy Siepmann - Classics Explained: Rite of Spring (2 CD)