Igor Stravinsky - L'Oiseau de Feu - The Firebird Suite

The recording I have of the Firebird Suite is the London Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Claudio Abbado. This is without a doubt one of my favourite classical recordings of anything that I have the good fortune of owning. I love Stravinsky's melodies, especially in the finale of the piece. I also love the voicings of the string parts. And the Tuba player on the recording. The moment that sticks out most is the trumpets and trombones at the end, when the Tuba plays the E natural in the bass. The huge buildup towards the end is my favourite bit of the piece.

Of course, you need a VERY good orchestra to be able to do the piece any justice, but if you do have one, I'd suggest this anyday.

Awesome work, his Petrouchka I would have to say is the greatest of all his 3 greatly well known ballet works.

1. Petrouchka
2.Rite of Spring/Firebird
3. Les Noces is one of his less popular correct? it is a ballet?

The huge buildup towards the end is my favourite bit of the piece.

Mine too. Never fails to bring up the hackles on my neck. I'm getting goosebumps just thinking abou it.

It just so happens that my college marching band is playing firebird this year!

Heh, I would hardly call these Stravinsky's melodies..... but certainly Stravinsky's composition.

By the way, if you really enjoy this, don't listen to the Firebird Suite. Listen to the actual full Firebird Ballet, which is considerably longer and develops the material more (not to mention additional themes and material not present in the suite.)

Awesome work, his Petrouchka I would have to say is the greatest of all his 3 greatly well known ballet works.

1. Petrouchka
2.Rite of Spring/Firebird
3. Les Noces is one of his less popular correct? it is a ballet?

Yay, someone else that likes Petrushka! It's by far his best of the three.

Stravinsky is amazing... His violin concerto is one of the most beautiful unorthodox violin pieces ever, with movements entitled "aria I, aria II, tocatta".... Who else really would structure a piece that way? The firebird suite gets a million thumbs up from me...

I find the meter changes in things like his ballets amazing. I can't even think of ways to make swift, varying changes work, but he changes meter so swiftly and smoothly you'd never notice that in the past 20 bars, you've changed meter 18 times, unless of course, you're playing it.