MattGSX

gms, you totally beat me to the punch on that one.

Anyway, Boulez does a wonderful job conducting this as an orchestral piece. I've said it before, but I'll say it again; I may not be a fan of Boulez's composition, he is an incredible interpreter and technically wonderful conductor.

Anyway, I've yet to see it live, but I have a few DVDs of this performed with Najinski's original costume design and choreography. Though the visual element is intriguing, the sound from the dancers just adds another "tribal" layer to the music, making it that much better.

A copy of this score is a must for anyone who wants to become (or study) conducting. Though you may never conduct the piece with a professional symphony, several grad programs (Wisconsin and Iowa are two that come to mind, but I'm sure there are more) use this piece because of its technical demands.

It's funny that you mention the Toronto Symphony with this, because someone in my studio just auditioned for a 2nd violin spot up there, and one of the excerpts was out of this piece (I think it was either 'Sacrificial Dance' or 'Purification of the Chosen One')