Len Fehskens ([log in to unmask]) wrote:

>Jonathan Ellis writes:
>
>>But one which is not frequently suggested is one which gives a new
>>perspective on the work: Boston Philharmonic conducted by Benjamin Zander
>>(Masters MCD 25).  Zander bases his tempi on those authorised by Stravinsky
>>himself for the piano roll recordings (also included), and these are in
>>some cases - particularly in the Danse Sacrale - considerably faster than
>>normal ...
>
>Could this be because different tempos might be appropriate when the
>piece is performed as "standalone" music rather than as accompaniment to
>a ballet? I have heard this notion applied to the ballets of Tchaikovsky
>and Prokoviev.

There's also the question of the medium.

In the interview with Harnoncourt in his Beethoven symphony box, he says
that when he is running through music in his head he takes it faster than
when playing the piano which is again slower than with an orchestra.

This is his reason for not putting too much faith in Beethoven's metronome
markings, added post facto to the symphonies (except No.9?) by which time
he could only hear the music in his head.

It's also possibly significant that Stravinsky himself, in all three of his
recordings, takes the Rite considerably slower than Zander.

Deryk Barker
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