Gergiev's Rite and some other recent acquisitions.

Well.  Though Muti's early Philadelphia Rite has been a fav of mine,
I couldn't resist trying out Gergiev's recent much-touted Rite of Spring.
Yes, Gergiev conjures up some deliciously rude noises, but so does
Muti--and IMHO Muti holds things together in a much more satisfying way.
It's one thing to be taken on a joy ride--even to the point of brushing the
retaining wall--but Gergiev makes me feel as though I've been locked in the
trunk for the trip.  A good comparison point would be towards the end of
part one:  With Geriev the savage dances, Jeux des cites rivales and Danse
de la Terre--with their quiet interludes -- are spectacular in their own
right, but they are so individually cast that forward momentum is lost.
Muti, over the long haul, tightens the screws in an exhilarating manner.
His rhyhmic preciseness, coupled with (dare I use the E-word these days?)
the incredible *execution* of the Philadelphia musicians, gives me a much
better rush.  And the Muti is very inexpensive these days.  Try it out.

I'm refreshing my orchestral Debussy and found an EMI Eminence disc
featuring Baudo and the LSO doing the Prelude, La Mer, and Jeux.
Very luminous.  Is his Superaphon (sp) re-release w/Images as good?

As my orchestra just did some of the Canteloube Songs or the Auvergne,
I thought I would set my Kiri set aside and try the new Upshaw.  I really
like Upshaw in Barber's Knoxville, Yet I find her Canteloube (and Nagano's
accompaniment) almost blindingly sunny.  Has anyone heard Bayo?

Finally, Veronique Gens doing Berlioz Les nuits....  What a beautiful
voice.  A timelessly beautiful woman too, (and *no* I haven't had a
six-pack).

John Smyth