Pierre Boulez in Moscow

Pierre Boulez

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Pierre Boulez in Moscow Review

by Blair Sanderson

On March 5, 1990, Pierre Boulez conducted the Moscow Conservatory Symphony Orchestra in three essential 20th century works: Igor Stravinsky's Petrushka, Anton Webern's Six Pieces for orchestra, and Claude Debussy's La Mer. This 2014 Melodiya release presents the concert with focused sound and clear details, though the orchestra's playing isn't meticulous or clean, and the music comes off a little harsh and abrasive in the close-up recording. These are ambitious works for any student orchestra to approach, and this recording should be judged on that basis, notwithstanding the presence of Boulez or the historical significance of the performance. It's doubtful that Boulez had much time to rehearse the musicians, and the scrappiness of the playing suggests that there was little room for interpretation. This CD is a bit of a curiosity that Boulez specialists might find interesting to analyze, but because he made superior recordings of all three works with world-class orchestras, notably those with the Cleveland Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic, they are preferable to this album.

Track Listing

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
Petrushka
1	Tableau 1. The Shrovetide Fair Igor Stravinsky	Pierre Boulez	00:51	Amazon
2	Tableau 1. A Group of Drunken Revelers Igor Stravinsky	Pierre Boulez	04:33	Amazon
3	Tableau 1. The Magic Trick Igor Stravinsky	Pierre Boulez	01:47	Amazon
4	Tableau 1. Russian Dance Igor Stravinsky	Pierre Boulez	02:33	Amazon
5	Tableau 2. Petrushka's Room Igor Stravinsky	Pierre Boulez	04:01	Amazon
6	Tableau 3. The Moor's Room Igor Stravinsky	Pierre Boulez	03:01	Amazon
7	Tableau 3. Dance of the Ballerina Igor Stravinsky	Pierre Boulez	00:47	Amazon
8	Tableau 3. Waltz (the Ballerina and the Moor) Igor Stravinsky	Pierre Boulez	03:01	Amazon
9	Tableau 4. The Shrovetide Fair Igor Stravinsky	Pierre Boulez	01:06	Amazon
10	Tableau 4. The Wet-Nurses' Dance Igor Stravinsky	Pierre Boulez	02:33	Amazon
11	Tableau 4. The Bear and the Peasant Playing the Pipe Igor Stravinsky	Pierre Boulez	01:17	Amazon
12	Tableau 4. The Merchant and the Gypsy Women. The Gypsy Women's Dance Igor Stravinsky	Pierre Boulez	01:04	Amazon
13	Tableau 4. Dance of the Coachmen and the Grooms Igor Stravinsky	Pierre Boulez	01:57	Amazon
14	Tableau 4. The Mummers Igor Stravinsky	Pierre Boulez	01:35	Amazon
15	Tableau 4. Quarrel of the Moor and Petrushka, and Petrushka's Death Igor Stravinsky	Pierre Boulez	03:28	Amazon
Six Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 6
16	1. Langsam Anton Webern	Pierre Boulez	01:00	Amazon
17	2. Bewegt Anton Webern	Pierre Boulez	01:22	Amazon
18	3. Mäßig Anton Webern	Pierre Boulez	00:50	Amazon
19	4. Sehr mäßig Anton Webern	Pierre Boulez	03:58	Amazon
20	5. Sehr langsam Anton Webern	Pierre Boulez	02:05	Amazon
21	6. Langsam Anton Webern	Pierre Boulez	01:36	Amazon
The Sea
22	1. From Dawn to Noon on the Sea Claude Debussy	Pierre Boulez	08:02	Amazon
23	2. Play of the Waves Claude Debussy	Pierre Boulez	06:56	Amazon
24	3. Dialogue of the Wind and the Sea Claude Debussy	Pierre Boulez	07:37	Amazon

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Pierre Boulez in Moscow Review

Track Listing

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