Don Satz wrote:

>I'd like to get Stravinsky's Symphony in C, Symphony in 3 Movements, and
>Symphony of Psalms.  Schwann Opus lists three cd's having these works:
>Tilson Thomas on Sony, Stravinsky on Sony, and Neumann on Praga.  What's
>your opinion among these three? Also, are there any outstanding recordings
>of any of the three works in different couplings?

You're leaving out the newly released Solti recording of the 3....I don't
know how successful that would be.  I have the Tilson-Thomas and the
Stravinsky and I'm not totally satisfied with either.  The CBS [Stravinsky]
recording is a very good interpretation, marred by an odd balance of the
choir and highlighting of orchestral instruments that I don't really care
for, as well as rather slip-shod ensemble in the orchestra at times, and
harsh choral tone in the Psalms.  Tilson-Thomas' Sony recording has much in
common with his other Sony recordings from the same period---I find them
really strangely recorded.  I'm grouping this recording with his recordings
of Janacek's Slavonic Mass, Debussy's St. Sebastian, and Stravinsky's
Oedipus Rex.  Everything seems to have, for lack of better comparison, a
matte finish.  The detail is there and the orchestral playing is entirely
appropriate to the music, but there is this odd haze over everything.
What I like about Tilson Thomas' is the superb orchestral playing and
warmer choral sound in the Psalms.  The interpretation is probably
nothing groudbreaking, in fact, he really stays true to the score and lets
Stravinsky's music speak for itself.  If forced to choose, then, I would go
for Tilson-Thomas.

Marcus Maroney
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