Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex

Oedipus Rex, opera-oratorio in 2 acts
Composed by Igor Stravinsky
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra
with John Tomlinson, Alastair Miles, Marjana Lipovsek, John Mark Ainsley, Lambert Wilson, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Peter Coleman-Wright
Conducted by Franz Welser-Most

Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex,Igor Stravinsky,Franz Welser-Möst,London Philharmonic Orchestra,Alastair Miles,Anthony Rolfe Johnson,John Mark Ainsley,John Tomlinson,Lambert Wilson,Marjana Lipovsek,Peter Coleman-Wright,Capitol,Classical,Classical Music,Opera,Opera / Operetta / Oratorio,Russian 20th/21st Century Opera

Average customer rating:

Two masterpieces at a bargain price, but . . .
Stravinsky, Les Noces (Svadebka)
Oedipus: 3 stars; Les Noces: 5 stars

Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex; Les Noces

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Les Noces in Full Score
Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex
Les Noces: Russian Village Wedding Songs

ASIN: B000675OGM
Release Date: 2005-01-18

Tracks:

Prologue
Introducing Creon
Introducing Tiresias
Introducing Jocasta
Introducing The Messenger
Epilogue
Scene One
Scene Two
Scene Three
Scene Four

Customer Reviews:

Two masterpieces at a bargain price, but . . ........2006-05-21

For casual buyers the waters have gotten muddied over Robert Craft's still incomplete Stravinsky cycle, which began on MusicMasters in 1991, switched over to Koch International when the first label folded, and has now transferred to Naxos, who picked up the Koch recordings (all remakes of the MusicMasters titles, I believe). Craft has been recording a Schoenberg orchestral cycle with his new lable, but whether more Stravinsky installments are planned I don't know.

In any event, this Oedipus and Les Noces are both London remakes dating from 2001, and in the decade since Craft first recorded them on MusicMasters, he had lost quite a bit of energy and incisiveness. The earlier Oedipus also had better solo singers; here, Martyn Hill and Jennifer Lane sound wobbly, insecure, and a bit old for their parts. It's unfortunate that the superior Craft performance is only available on an out-of-print 2-CD set (Vol. 1 in the MusicMasters series, coupled with the Rite of Spring and a handful of shorter works--it's well worth seeking out on the used market).

As for Les Noces, the situation is a bit reversed; the solo singers are better on this remake (though not dramatically) than their NY counterparts. I don't find Craft a superior Stravinsky conductor, despite his lifelong association with the composer, but he takes an agrreably lyrical and less barbaric approach to Les Noces than one often encounters. In sum, you can get better recordings of both these masterpieces, yet not at this bargain price.

Stravinsky, Les Noces (Svadebka).......2005-04-23

Haven't heard the Naxos record, but the Craft Koch Les Noces (Svadebka) (out of print and now licensed from Koch to Naxos) is a GREAT performance of one of Stravinsky's most profound and Russian works. Don't miss it unless you can get the Koch disk, which also includes a great performance of Stravinsky's Threni (and an uncompetitive Symphony of Psalms).

Oedipus: 3 stars; Les Noces: 5 stars.......2005-02-21

These two performances led by Stravinsky's protégé, Robert Craft, were previously released in, I believe, 2001 on Koch International, but with different couplings. I'm not entirely sure why they are now re-appearing so soon on Naxos, but it is nice that the reissue is at a bargain price. For my money, the two performances are wildly dissimilar and thus my title line. 'Oedipus Rex' is given a non-competitive performance; 'Les Noces' is among the best I've ever heard.

'Oedipus Rex' is clearly one of Stravinsky's masterpieces. Scorned and shunned for a couple of decades after its premiere in Paris in 1927, it has since been recognized as one of Stravinsky's finest works and it has had a profound influence on the writing of many subsequent composers, primarily those in the French ambit (Honegger, Martinu, Milhaud). The notion that an oratorio sung in Latin would create a greater sense of occasion and grandeur was Stravinsky's. He prevailed on Jean Cocteau to write the libretto in French and then he had it translated into archaic Church Latin by a Catholic cardinal, Jean Danielou. Stravinsky collaborated with Cocteau on the libretto and insisted he rewrite it twice, each time tightening and eliminating verbiage. As he said, 'I am a topiarist at heart, and my love for clipping things sometimes amounts to a mania.' As well, the narration is cut to the bare minimum on the assumption that people already knew the basic outline of the Oedipus tragedy and didn't need too much exposition. Stravinsky insisted that in any performance the narration should be spoken in the language of the audience. He asked E. E. Cummings to write an English translation of Cocteau's narration, but he and Robert Craft, then practically a member of Stravinsky's household, didn't like it and they wrote their own. A comparison of the two versions of the narration shows clearly that Cummings's is superior. In this performance, conducted by Craft, not surprisingly we get his and Stravinsky's version, to our disadvantage. Anyone who has ever read much of Craft's writing will know that he is not an elegant writer. This performance is not helped by the rather schoolmasterly narration by the British actor, Edward Fox.

What of the musical performance of 'Oedipus'? Well, one must remember that this work has had numerous recordings, including two led by Stravinsky himself (one of them with the French narration). Bernstein, Salonen, Abbado, Levine and others have recorded it. The young Colin Davis led an incandescent performance in the 1960s on EMI (with Sir Ralph Richardson electrifying us with the narration). I only once heard the French version led by Stravinsky, many years ago, but it remains an indelible memory. The subsequent recording for CBS/Sony/Columbia (whatever it's called these days) was later and it remains my favorite of reasonably easily available versions. Consider the soloists: George Shirley as Oedipus, Shirley Verrett as a towering Jocasta, Donald Gramm as Creon, John Reardon as the Messenger. And the leaden narration is nonetheless read with considerable drama by John Westbrook. In the present recording none of the soloists measures up to that cast. The best of the lot is Jennifer Lane as Jocasta (and her Wood Dove in Craft's recently released 'Gurre-Lieder' is outstanding). Martyn Hill is adequate as Oedipus, but only just. David Wilson-Johnson is miscast as Creon; he has neither the lower vocal range nor the rhythmic sense of the great Donald Gramm; he also sings the Messenger, more or less adequately. The real high point for this recording is the presence of the Simon Joly Male Chorus; they sing well, with drama and heft. Their pronunciation of the Latin is a bit puzzling (as, come to think of it, is true of the soloists; I wonder if that is Craft's doing?). I think they are mimicking what is thought to be 'classical' Latin pronunciation, rather than the Italianized Latin used by most singers these days. But it is jarring to hear such things as 'Oydipus' and 'c' always pronounced as a 'k.'

Craft, in his booklet notes, quotes the famous Norton Lecture assertion by Leonard Bernstein that Stravinsky was influenced in his writing of 'Oedipus' by Verdi's 'Aïda.' It really makes sense; this is surely one of the most nearly operatic of Stravinsky's mid-period works; in spite of it generally being performed unstaged, its official designation is 'opera-oratorio.' Unfortunately, Craft seems to ignore this insight and conducts it as if it were a religious rite, not a dramatic story. Stravinsky does not make that mistake in his own recordings.

But now we come to a joyous and exhilarating performance of 'Les Noces.' This is a score rarely heard in concert because of its unusual instrumentation (four pianos, seventeen percussion instruments). Special performances are also rare because it is not long enough to take up an entire evening and there are very few works by other composers that partake of similar instrumentation. I was once fortunate to see a performance that featured native Russian dancers and actors (the Pokrovsky Ensemble) who portrayed the action of the peasant wedding. It remains a vivid memory. As Andrew Clements has stated, in this work 'Russian musical inheritance is presented without any civilizing filters.' Nothing like Western art music development or form intrudes. This is raw, powerful, evocative music. Some people find it crude and intolerable. I find it exhilarating. There have been few recordings of 'Les Noces,' although there was one many years ago that featured as pianists the eminent American composers Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, Lukas Foss and Roger Sessions. Unfortunately, the singers and percussionists were not first-rate. No such problem here. All participants are fully up to the task. As I follow the score I note that the tricky rhythms are managed extremely well, better even than the composers mentioned above! The pianists here are Elizabeth Bergmann, Marcel Bergmann, Jeroen van Veen and Maarten van Veen who make up the International Piano Quartet. The percussionists are the 'Tristan Fry Percussion Ensemble,' a group of six players that I gather is an ad hoc group; whatever they are, they're terrific. The Simon Joly Chorale manage the complex rhythms and fast-moving Russian text fluidly (although I must admit my Russian doesn't allow for much more than simply following the words in the score as they fly by). The excellent vocal soloists are Alison Wells, soprano; Susan Bickley, mezzo; Martyn Hill, tenor; and the cavernous-voiced basso Alan Ewing.

What to do? At this price, I would recommend the CD for 'Les Noces.' I cannot recommend 'Oedipus' when there are better versions out there--although some of the ones I mention might require some searching.

TT=76:29

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating:

Don't miss it!
Delectable!
TODO LO QUE ELLA CANTE ESTÁ BIEN
She's back!

Ewa Podles · Russian Arias
Ewa Podles , Alexander Borodin , Sergey Prokofiev , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin , Igor Stravinsky , Modest Mussorgsky , Constantine Orbelian , and Philharmonia of Russia
Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006313Z
Release Date: 2002-04-02

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Konchakovna's Cavatina
Young Maiden's Song (Field Of The Dead)
Joan's Aria
Voina's Arioso
Varvara's Limericks And Dance
Jocasta's Aria
Lullaby
Serenade
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The Field-Marshal

Customer Reviews:

Don't miss it!.......2004-03-31

Ewa Podles' voice is incredibly rich, her technic is astonishing and she sings so expressively that really brings tears in my eyes. She is definitely a diva and performs these wonderful pieces the way they should be performed. The booklet includes libretto with English translation, which is very helpful for those who don't speak Russian. However, the music and the performance are so emotive that can touch you even if you do't know the words.

Delectable!.......2003-01-15

This disc is altogether delectable. With few exceptions, Russian opera is little known or appreciated in this country. Perhaps, if it always had interpreters as stupendously capable as Ewa Podles, the story might be different. She is a true contralto, and, as such, more than capable of bringing appropriate power, flexibility and idiomatic darkness to these largely unfamiliar arias. Even more impressively, she uses her magnificent talent to get inside the character of each piece. The result is a virtuoso variety of texture. The sumptuous richness of her sound makes even the finest counter-tenors seem rather thin-voiced. Do not let the unfamiliarity of most of the pieces put you off. Full translations are provided, with the Russian being helpfully rendered in Roman letters. So, let this superrb and thrilling singer introduce you to some very fine music.

TODO LO QUE ELLA CANTE ESTÁ BIEN.......2002-09-07

Una voz tan impresionante como la de esta mujer, me deja sólo agradeciendo que exista, o que haya existido alguna vez, y que haya respirado, al mismo tiempo que yo, en este planeta. Por lo tanto, recomiendo absolutamente todo material que ella grabe. Es un placer, un poco de luz en medio de tanta oscuridad.

She's back!.......2002-07-01

The first time I heard Ewa Podles was in a live performance of Verdi's "Requiem". After that I've been buying all her records and trying to hear her live. I still don't understand how she is still ignored by the major record companies...
This CD of russian arias could not be rated less than extraordinary: if the voice itself wasn't enough - and it is more than enough - the interpretation would.

Average customer rating:

Important Stravinsky Work, but not his greatest
Still the Most Definitive 'Oedipus Rex' On Record
It's getting a little chilly in here.
a most sinister gift.
A crisp and lucid recording of a masterpiece

Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex / Salonen
Igor Stravinsky , Esa-Pekka Salonen , Vinson Cole , Anne Sofie von Otter , Simon Estes , Nicolai Gedda , Patrice Chéreau , Swedish Radio Chorus , and Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The God Delusion

ASIN: B0000027U0
Release Date: 1992-06-30

Tracks:

Oedipus Rex: Prologue: 'Spectateurs! Vous allez entendre une version latine d'Oedipe-Roi' (Narrator)
Oedipus Rex: 'Caedit nos pestis'
Oedipus Rex: 'Liberi, vos liberabo' (Oedipus, Narrator)
Oedipus Rex: 'Respondit deus' (Creon)
Oedipus Rex: 'Non reperias vetus scelus' (Oedipus)
Oedipus Rex: 'Oedipe interroge la fontaine de verite' (Narrator)
Oedipus Rex: 'Dicere non possum' (Tiresias, Oedipus)
Oedipus Rex: 'Rex peremptor regis est' - 'Invidia fortunam odit' (Tiresias, Oedipus)
Oedipus Rex: 'Gloria!'
Oedipus Rex: 'La dispute des princes attire Jocaste' (Narrator)
Oedipus Rex: 'Gloria!'
Oedipus Rex: 'Nonn' erubescite, reges' (Jocasta)
Oedipus Rex: 'Ne probentur oracula' (Jocasta)
Oedipus Rex: 'Cave oracula!' - 'Trivium, trivium...' (Jocasta, Oedipus)
Oedipus Rex: 'Oracula mentiuntur' (Jocasta, Oedipus)
Oedipus Rex: 'Le temoin du meurtre sort de l'ombre' (Narrator)
Oedipus Rex: 'Adest omniscius pastor' (Messenger)
Oedipus Rex: 'Oportebat tacere' (Shepherd)
Oedipus Rex: 'Nonne monstrum rescituri' (Oedipus)
Oedipus Rex: 'In monte reppertus est' (Shepherd, Messenger)
Oedipus Rex: 'Natus sum quo nefastum est' (Oedipus)
Oedipus Rex: 'Et maintenant, vous allez entendre' (Narrator)
Oedipus Rex: 'Divum Iocastae caput mortuum!' (Messenger)
Oedipus Rex: 'Ecce! Regem Oedipoda'

Amazon.com essential recording

Oedipus Rex is one of the most remarkable and successful of Stravinsky's "neoclassical" pieces. With text set in Latin, a narrator explains what is about to happen, and invites the audience to observe the action objectively, without becoming emotionally involved. The result is music which has the same monumentality and "spatial" quality as a sculpture garden. Esa-Pekka Salonen has rapidly gained a reputation as one of our finest Stravinsky conductors. Together with his stellar lineup of soloists, he turns in spectacular performance.--David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Important Stravinsky Work, but not his greatest.......2006-06-20

'Oedipus Rex' by Igor Stravinsky is a short opera with libretto in French which Stravinsky wrote in the mid-1920s, well after he had completed his most important works, the three ballets he did for the Ballet Rousse, especially 'The Rites of Spring'.

This interpretation by Esa-Pekka Salonen is quite good, and it should be especially pleasing to any Stravinsky fans, as the other reviews make clear. It is not, however, an important work if you happen to be checking it out primarily for the performance by Anne Sofie von Otter. Her role as Jocasta, Oedipus' mother, is relatively small, in this short work.

Oddly, I found the work less interesting than the recording of his collected folk songs recorded under the name 'Les Noces' (The Wedding), as this latter performance was more purely a realization of Stravinsky's writing for chorus.

But, if you like Stravinsky, you will not want to miss this work. If you are not fond of Stravinsky, look elsewhere.

Still the Most Definitive 'Oedipus Rex' On Record.......2005-09-25

Esa-Pekka Salonen is more attuned to the complexities of this brittle and vibrant Stravinsky oratorio than any other conductor, and despite the fact that this recording dates back to 1992 is still retains the magic he brings to this work. Having heard subsequent performances live of Salonen's way with Oedipus, hearing him grow even more secure with the masses to control, this recording has all of the essentials to make it the choice performance.

The Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra may not have the valuable sonic sheen Salonen elicits from the LA Philharmonic, but the playing is responsive and crisp. The cast is superb with Vinson Cole ringingly true as Oedipus and Anne Sofie von Otter as a powerful Jocasta. Patrice Chereau is superb as the Narrator and the cast is rounded out with such luminaries in the opera field as Simon Estes, Nicholai Gedda and Hans Hotter. The choral singing is precise though still in that Swedish manner of straight tone which actually fits this music well.

One can only hope that Salonen will record this work again to demonstrate his current full grasp of a magnificent and too rarely heard Stravinsky masterwork. Grady Harp, September 05

It's getting a little chilly in here........2005-09-04

I've owned a dozen or more versions of Oedipus Rex over the years, and this one still remains on my shelf. I like Salonen's Stravinsky in general. It follows th composer's preference for chilly, precise, detached articulaiton without sentiment. But in this cast the Oedipus, Vinson Cole, sounds overparted, as does the excellent mezzo, Anne Sofie von Otter. Vocally, the parts of Oedipus and Jocasta are as weighty and florid as anything in early Verdi, and here we have lighter voices trying to carry the dramatic thrust but sounding like fairly polite oratorio singers. I imagine that's deliberate, and the result overall is very musical But for me there has to be more fire in the mix, at least as much opera as oratorio.

a most sinister gift........2003-11-08

Diaghilev was correct when called this 1927 work by Igor Stravinsky, "a most sinister gift." Everything about it seems wrong: timing; libretto; translation; narration; staging; Italianate vocalisms; the ominous tympani rolls. Its one standout virtue is its simplicity. For those reasons - & more - Oedipus Rex is really an ironic comedy about Stravinsky himself, & quite Mozartian if one is willing to make a character of the composer & laugh at his pretensions as Mozart laughed & as Stravinsky so rarely did.

Bob Rixon

A crisp and lucid recording of a masterpiece.......2000-06-30

There is not an abundance of modern recordings of this unique work, so I was glad to find one that was as good as this. I came to this piece after falling in love with Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms, and I found many of the same things that I loved there in this slightly earlier piece. While I'm not too crazy about Oedipus himself, Anne Sofie van Otter makes a great Jocasta, projecting a very cool image to hide a genuine fear. The demonic mood of "oracula mentitur" is captured especially well. I love the desperation underlying the agressive music.

Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex; Symphony of Psalms

Average customer rating:

"FINEST" SYMPHONY OF PSALMS -- GREAT OEDIPUS REX
Fate is our real lord
Ancerl - More of the Gold Standard

Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex; Symphony of Psalms

Manufacturer: Supraphon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00008ZL4V
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Customer Reviews:

"FINEST" SYMPHONY OF PSALMS -- GREAT OEDIPUS REX.......2006-01-02

"No need to mince words here: this is the finest Symphony of Psalms available. . ." (David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com)

My reference recording of "The Symphony of Psalms" has always been the one on Telarc with Robert Shaw/Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus. In the mid-90s, Dr. Shaw came to Minneapolis to direct the work and the Durufle "Requiem" with the combined forces of the Minnesota Orchestra and The Dale Warland Festival Singers. I was fortunate to be a member of the latter group. It was an awesome experience, one I shall treasure all my life. The chorus was expertly prepared ahead of Dr. Shaw's arrival in town, so the great man spent most of his time inspiring us and creating something deeply spiritual - and musically stunning.

Today, however, I was totally blown away by this recording. Although new to me, it was originally recorded in 1966. Even though Robert Shaw is responsible for some of the finest choirs in America, the Prague Philharmonic Choir is (or was) undoubtedly one of the greatest choral ensembles ever, rivaling the Russia's finest. The timbre of those voices is darker and richer than American and/or English choirs, yet they sing with great expression and nuance. Additionally, the Czech Philharmonic is an outstanding ensemble, which, under the direction of Karel Ancerl, was surely one of the finest orchestras in the world. And praise must be given to recording director Eduard Herzog and to sound engineer Miloslav Kulhan for an amazingly natural-sounding recording. Listen to the space and air around the woodwinds in the fugue that opens the second movement. Feel the impact of the brass choirs. Marvel in the balance between singers and instruments. Could it be that vacuum tube analog recording is warmer and more three dimensional that its digital counterpart?

To further quote from David Hurwitz: "If your hair doesn't stand on end when, in the first movement, the massed voices hurl out the words "et deprecationem meam", then you are either aurally challenged or dead. Has Stravinsky's immaculately cool wind writing ever sounded better? Has the second-movement double fugue ever been more clearly phrased or the closing pages sung with such calm intensity? Here's the bottom line: if you haven't heard this performance, then you simply don't know the Symphony of Psalms. Orchestra, chorus, and conductor are all beyond praise."

"Oedipus Rex," although an opera, is often performed as a concert piece. The original intent was for the actors and narrator to "remain static on stage in statuesque manner, with their faces hidden behind masks, to create the impression, true to the classical antiquity's dominant pattern of thought, of helplessness in the hands of cruel fate." (liner notes) Although a French-speaking narrator introduces the play and reports on its progress, the rest of Jean Cocteau's libretto is in Latin. Unfortunately, no English translation is provided, my only complaint. The soloists are superb, especially Ivo Zidek as Oedipus and Karel Berman as Creon. "As in the Symphony, the choral singing is stunning, and Ancerl's direction is a model of clarity and rhythmic incisiveness." (Hurwitz)

In 1968, "Oedipus Rex" was awarded both the GRAND PRIX DU DISQUE DE L'ACADEMIE DU DISQUE FRANCAIS and the ORPHEE D'OR DE L'ACADEMIE DU DISQUE LYRIQUE. More recently, this Ancerl Gold Edition disc received a 10/10 rating from ClassicsToday.com, for both Artistic Quality & Sound Quality. It is not to be missed.

Fate is our real lord.......2004-04-15

Jean Cocteau committed here a great short version of the eternal story of ÂŒdipus, that son of a king who kills his father, marries his mother, and finally discovers truth, and that leads to the blackest drama of all. This opera-oratorio is in latin, so Jean Cocteau has included a narrator that summarizes the story in French for us to follow the plot without having to make the effort of learning latin anew. Stravinsky produces a music that contains no strings. He hence uses the magic of wind instruments and percussions to create the necessary atmosphere. He opposes ÂŒdipus as a tenor to all other men, Creon, the messenger, Tiresias, and the shepherd who are basses and sing in a very low coloration. ÂŒdipus and his tenor voice become the embodiment of vanity and the refusal of God, and this vanity leads him to the trap in which he falls. Jocaste, his mother and wife, is a soprano and she brings a soothing atmosphere and discourse in the drama, but her light and elegant voice becomes even vainer than ÂŒdipus' because she rejects any kind of oracle. Her aria on the subject is quite effective and famous : she is totally blinded by her iconoclastic conviction, belief. This piece of music closes with the story of the drama : Jocaste hanging herself and ÂŒdipus blinding himself. This finale is entirely built around the four repetitions of the burden about Jocaste's divine head being dead. This fourness, this squarish construction and the music that goes along with it is like the absolute closing of a door that tries to signify that there is no escape from fate, no possible refusal of destiny or providence. We are nothing but toys in the hands of the great forces that govern us from beyond death as Jean Cocteau says, and Stravinsky sings. Ancerl's performance and conducting give that music a clarity, a neatness that fit perfectly the story, the Greek mythology that looms behind, the Greek sunshine under which such stories are unimaginable, but also the happy and merry 20s when everything seemed possible and when artists were reminding people that the world is in constant danger of being infested with some plague that is always man-made or at least man-caused. This shiny clarity of the music, the singing and the conducting provides us with the strongest argument about our doomed human fate on earth. Could men listen to that lesson !

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

Ancerl - More of the Gold Standard.......2004-03-05

The Supraphon label has been doing an excellent job of reissuing large parts of their back catalog over the last few years. Not only are they releasing numerous performances with the Czech Philharmonic and visiting conductors like Kletzki and Matacic (see my reviews), but they've also remastered (in 24/96) many of the recordings of conductor Karel Ancerl in the new "Gold Edition." Volume 14 of this series features Ancerl and the Czech PO performing Stravinsky's "Oedipus Rex" and the Symphony of Psalms. The performances are golden-age stereo recordings from 1964-65 and 1966 respectively. "Oedipus" is certainly an acquired taste (hence the four stars), but the Psalms performance is surprisingly as good as those by Ansermet and the composer himself. It is an enjoyable disc, and I look forward to purchasing (and reviewing) more titles from Karel Ancerl's "Gold Edition."

Igor Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex, Opera in Two Acts

Average customer rating:

A good performance with a miscast Oedipus
Another Very Fine Performance of Oedipus Rex
A Very Rich and Vibrant score !!!
A wonderful recording of a definite masterpiece!

Igor Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex, Opera in Two Acts
Igor Stravinsky , Seiji Ozawa , Jessye Norman , and Georges Wilson, Robert Swensen Peter Schreier
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Norman, Jessye | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000004187
Release Date: 1994-02-08

Tracks:

Oedipus Rex: Act l: Spectateurs
Oedipus Rex: Act l: Caedit nos pestis
Oedipus Rex: Act l: Liberi, vos liberabo (Oedipus)
Oedipus Rex: Act l: Voici Creon
Oedipus Rex: Act l: Respondit Deus
Oedipus Rex: Act l: Non reperias vetus scelus (Oedipus)
Oedipus Rex: Act l: OEdipe interroge la fontaine
Oedipus Rex: Act l: Delie exspectamus
Oedipus Rex: Act l: Dicere non possum (Oedipus)
Oedipus Rex: Act l: Invidia fortunam odit (Oedipus)
Oedipus Rex: Act l: Gloria!
Oedipus Rex: Act ll: La dispute des princes
Oedipus Rex: Act ll: Gloria !
Oedipus Rex: Act ll: Nonn' erubescite, reges (Jocasta)
Oedipus Rex: Act ll: Trivium, trivium ... (Oedipus, Jocasta)
Oedipus Rex: Act ll: Le temoin du meurtre sort
Oedipus Rex: Act ll: Adest omniscius pastor (Oedipus)
Oedipus Rex: Act ll: In monte reppertus est (Oedipus)
Oedipus Rex: Act ll: Et maintenant
Oedipus Rex: Act ll: Divium Jocastae
Oedipus Rex: Act ll: Ecce! Regem Oedipoda

Customer Reviews:

A good performance with a miscast Oedipus.......2006-09-29

This CD is derived from a riveting live performance of Oedipus Rex from Tokyo that featured extraordinary costumes and giant masks by Julie Taymor, of 'Lion King' fame. One's better off tracking down the DVD for the aded visuals since the musical performance, while certainly good, isn't completely convincing. Ozawa is at times markedly romantic, as a reviewer below notes--tempos and phrasing are soft. The big deficit, however, is Peter Schreier's thin, pinched tone, which undercuts any sense of Oedipus as heroic. (The DVD features the much preferable Philip Langridge.)

The orchestra orchestra and chorus are fine, and Jessye Norman is probably the grandest Jocasta vocally to record this masterpiece. Her sumptuous voice is one of a kind, but I don't think Jocasta's one aria is enough of an attraction to compensate for the rest, especially considering the compelling accounts from Welser_most, the young colin Davis (both on EMI), and James Levine (DG).

Another Very Fine Performance of Oedipus Rex.......2005-09-25

The chief runner-up in the competition for best recordings for Stravinsky's huge 'Oedipus Rex' is this 1994 recording by Seiji Ozawa made in a performance in Japan. There are strong positives and a few negatives in this performance. The approach of Seiji Ozawa here is one of romanticizing the score. What was meant by Stravinsky to be neoclassical, acerbic, somewhat dry and extremely precise music here becomes more lush. The Saito Kinen Orchestra plays well and sounds as though they would be able to obey Stravinsky's detailed notes on performance, but it feels as though Ozawa wanted to play for a more dramatic, operatic sweep.

Jessye Norman in 1994 was at the peak of her powers and her Jocasta is splendid. Peter Schreier has always been a superb oratorio specialist (his Bach Passions are among the finest) but here his voice just doesn't seem to mesh with Oedipus' role. The choral work is wondrous and probably the best aspect of this recording.

This may not be the only 'Oedipus Rex' to own, but it has so many rich moments that it certainly is a runner-up. Grady Harp, September 05

A Very Rich and Vibrant score !!!.......2003-01-23

I've always been interested in this Opera/Oratorio and finally purchased it. Firstly, I'm a great lover of Jessye Norman and I'm automatically drawn towards anything she's recorded. I didn't realize that Bryn Terfel was on the cast, so that was a plus for me, GREAT VOICE.

Mr Ozawa is great with the ochestra and like most reviewers, the chorus is simply GORGEOUS. One of the most richest sounds a corp of male voices has ever created.

I love this rare work and look forward to discovering the world of Stravinsky.

A wonderful recording of a definite masterpiece!.......2001-04-17

Igor Stravinsky's masterpiece Oedipus Rex has been done many times. I chose this recording because it was the version that Julie Taymor designed and directed...and it is a winner!

Aside from the astounding visuals that this interpretation has to offer, there is a gorgeous array of vocal performances. Even though the original portrayal of Oedipus was by Philip Landrige in this production, Peter Schreier throws out what he has to offer, which is a great voice. The supporting parts, including Creon, Tiresias, the Shepherd, and the Messenger are superb as well. And the fabulous Jessye Norman is an absolute treat to listen to as Jocasta. Her voice is magnificent in this recording. What also surprised me about this recording is the beauty of the Chorus. They sound so even and wonderful and add to the beauty of this CD.

This opera is both in French and in Latin. There is a Narrator that tells the story as it moves along; he speaks in French. The actual music, however, is sung in Latin and is absolutely wonderful. The libretto is included in this recording and it written in Latin, English, German, and French.

There is also a video of this opera, but unfortunately it is no longer available. I HIGHLY reccomend this version of Oedipus Rex. Igor Stravinsky's music SOARS and this is truly an operatic EXPERIENCE that is not to be missed! Enjoy!

Tracks:

The Rite Of Spring (Excs), Part I: The Adoration Of The Earth: Intro/The Auguries Of Spring... - Philharmonia Orch/Esa-Pekka Salonen
Petrushka (Excs), Scene I: The Shrove-Tide Fair/The Charlatan's Booth/Russian Dance - Philharmonia Orch/Michael Tilson Thomas
Petrushka (Excs), Scene II: Petrushka's Room - Philharmonia Orch/Michael Tilson Thomas
The Firebird (Excs): Infernal Dance - Royal Concertgebouw Orch/Carlo Maria Giulini
The Firebird (Excs): Berceuse - Royal Concertgebouw Orch/Carlo Maria Giulini
The Firebird (Excs): Finale - Royal Concertgebouw Orch/Carlo Maria Giulini
Pulcinella (Excs): Ov - Yvonne Kenny/John Aler/John Tomlinson
Pulcinella (Excs): Tarantella - Yvonne Kenny/John Aler/John Tomlinson
Pulcinella (Excs): Allegro - Yvonne Kenny/John Aler/John Tomlinson
Pulcinella (Excs): Vivo - Yvonne Kenny/John Aler/John Tomlinson
Pulcinella (Excs): Tempo Di Minuetto. Allegro Assai - Yvonne Kenny/John Aler/John Tomlinson
Scherzo A La Russe - Philharmonia Orch/Michael Tilson Thomas
Ragtime For 11 Instrs - London Sinfonietta/Esa-Pekka Salonen
Ste No.2: I. Marche - Ens Intercontemporain/Pierre Boulez
Ste No.2: II. Valse - Ens Intercontemporain/Pierre Boulez
Ste No.2: III. Polka - Ens Intercontemporain/Pierre Boulez
Ste No.2: IV. Galop - Ens Intercontemporain/Pierre Boulez
The Soldier's Tale: The Royal March - Columbia Chm Ens/Igor Stravinsky
Pastorale - Branford Marsalis
Oedipus Rex, Act II: Gloria - Swedish Radio Chor/The Ericson Chm Chor/Orphel Drangar
Fireworks, Op.43 - Columbia SO/Igor Stravinsky

Schoenberg: Erwartung; Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex

Average customer rating:

Schoenberg y la música del siglo 20

Schoenberg: Erwartung; Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle
Berlioz - Béatrice et Bénédict / S. Graham · Viala · McNair · Cachemaille · C. Robbin · Bacquier · Le Texier · Opéra de Lyon · Nelson
Poulenc - La Voix humaine · La Dame de Monte-Carlo / Felicity Lott · Suisse Romande · Jordan
Schoenberg: Pierrot lunaire - Lied der Waldtaube - Erwartung / Minton, J. Martin, J. Norman, Zukerman, Harrell, Barenboim; Boulez
Béla Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle

ASIN: B000AC5AYY
Release Date: 2005-11-08

Tracks:

Spectateurs - Peter Schreier
Caedit Nos Pestis - Peter Schreier
Liberi, Vos Liberabo - Peter Schreier
Voici Creon - Peter Schreier
Respondit Deus - Peter Schreier
Non Reparias Vetus Scelus - Peter Schreier
Oedipe Interroe La Fontaine - Peter Schreier
Delie Exspectamus - Peter Schreier
Dicere Non Possum - Peter Schreier
Invidia Fortunam Odit - Peter Schreier
Gloria! - Peter Schreier
La Dispute Des Princes - Peter Schreier
Gloria! - Peter Schreier
Nonn' Erubescite, Reges - Peter Schreier
Trivium, Trivium - Peter Schreier
Le Temoin Du Meurtre Sort - Peter Schreier
Adest Omniscius Pastor - Peter Schreier
In Monte Reppertus Est - Peter Schreier
Et Maintenant - Peter Schreier
Divum Jocastae - Peter Schreier
Ecce! Regem Oedipoda - Peter Schreier

Tracks:

Hier Hinein? - Jessye Norman
Ist Das Noch Der Weg? - Jessye Norman
Da Kommt Ein Licht! - Jessye Norman
Er Ist Auch Nicht Da - Jessye Norman
Das Mondlicht - Jessye Norman
Aber So Seltsam Ist Dein Auge - Jessye Norman
Du Siehst Wieder Dort Hin! - Jessye Norman
Fur Mich Ist Kein Platz Da - Jessye Norman
Liebster, Liebster, Der Morgen Kommt - Jessye Norman
Galathea - Jessye Norman
Gigerlette - Jessye Norman
Der Genugsame Liebhaber - Jessye Norman
Einflaltiges Lied - Jessye Norman
Mahnung - Jessye Norman
Jedem Das Seine - Jessye Norman
Arie Aus Dem Spiegel Von Arkadien - Jessye Norman
Nachtwandler - Jessye Norman

Customer Reviews:

Schoenberg y la música del siglo 20.......2007-03-09

Estoy encantado de conseguir TODA la música del mundo a través de Uds.

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Six star performance of one of my favorite works. One of Stravinksy's great masterpieces.
A performance of surpassing drama, one of a kind!

Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex

Manufacturer: Class. for Pleas. Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00009KHY9
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Tracks:

The Version Of Oedipus Rex Which You Are About To Hear
Caedit Nos Pestis, Theba Peste Moritur
Liberi, Vos Liberabo
Here Is Creon... Respondit Deus
No Repeias Vetus Scelus
Oedipus Questions The Fountain Of Truth... Delie, Exspectamus
Dicere Non Possum, Dicere Non Licet
Invidia Fortunam Odit
Gloria, Gloria, Gloria!
The Quarrel Between The Princes Brings Jocasta On The The Scene
Nonne Erubescite, Reges
Ego Senem Cecedi
A Shepherd, The Witness To The Crime, Appears... Adest Omniscius Pastor
Oportebat Tacere, Nunquam Loqui
Nonne Monstrum Rescituri
In Monte Reppertus Est
And Now You Will Hear The Messenger
Divum Jocastae Caput Mortuum!

Customer Reviews:

Six star performance of one of my favorite works. One of Stravinksy's great masterpieces........2005-12-24

This is my favorite recording of this work for many reasons. First of all, the soloists all have a bright and strong timbre to their voices that I think represents the music wonderfully well. For example, when Tiresias finally reveals that the murderer of the king is a king, the D above middle C he holds into Oedipus' entrance on the same note should blend into one voice for the point of the statement to hold (because Oedipus is the murderer - unwittingly, but still the man who killed his father). Here the voice of the fine Australian tenor Ronald Dowd and the rich bass of Harold Blackburn find that magical unity to identify Oedipus as the guilty party.

This recording was made after an historic performance of this work by the young conductor Colin Davis at Sadler Wells (I don't know if he was Sir Colin then, but he is now!). It was done with the kind of stone like masks that Stravinsky called for, but the music is performed with passion and fire. Some liken it to Verdi and feel that this recording has almost too much character for what Stravinsky had in mind. I don't care.

Look, we have Sir Ralph Richardson as the narrator and his version of the narration is the best, by a long shot, of any that I have heard. It has the kind of formal wear dignity one needs for this work without ever being stuffy. As a consummate actor, he imbues the narration with life rather than as an almost embarrassing throwaway. As I said, every one of the soloists is superb. I must mention Patricia Johnson as one of the very best singers of the Jocasta role. Again, she has a bright voice, but has wonderful hues in her lower register (where much of this role is sung) without losing power. And Raimund Herincx is terrific as the monumental Creon.

Davis leads this band of singers, chorus, and orchestra so well that it is always sad when this work ends (not just because the ending is sad, but because you want more music). From the opening fury of the chorus pleading to be saved from the plague to their sad farewell to the blinded and banished Oedipus, this is a performance for all time.

The only disappointment in this release of the work is that the text in Latin and English translation is not provided. Remember, this is a Greek tragedy that was written in French by Cocteau and then translated into Latin by Jean Daniélou. Stravinsky said he wanted it in a language that was monumental and above corruption. And given the way Stravinsky uses the words of the text, in a way it isn't necessary to know the words. However, I like to know them to notice what Stravinsky did with them. And it would only have been a few cents more. When this was released on disk, the notes were on the back cover of the album and the text was provided on the sleeve containing the record. In any case, you have Richardson's magnificent narration for each scene, and the Latin isn't particularly difficult.

Fabulous and emphatically recommended!

A performance of surpassing drama, one of a kind!.......2005-09-04

Although it's a neo-classical work, and therefore often preformed as if more ritual than drama, sometimes Oedipus Rex gets a really fiery reading. This is one, a recording made after performances staged at Sadler's Wells in 1963. In general, the roster of singers is mostly forgotten now, but all are good and the Oedipus of Roland Dowd is superb. If you ever felt that Stravinsky created a flat, featureless puppet in Oedipus, Dowd will convince you that this is a role as full as Manrico in "Trovatore." Highly recommended

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Stravinsky-Oedipus Rex Symphony of Psa

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Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000JCDSG2
Release Date: 2006-12-05