Audition: Stravinsky - Petrushka - BPo/Haitink

 Audition: Stravinsky - Petrushka

Bernard Haitink conducting Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Recorded by Philips - December 1988

Hiatink’s remake is not a patch on his earlier recording – they both were on Phillips – but the sound in this CD era disc was awful in parts as was some of the playing. The recording focus  switches from strings to woodwind throughout and all too closely miked.  Surprisingly for the BPO there’s also poor intonation at times. As the sound XXX varied so much this played havoc with the dramatic line and the intensity delicate sections are destroyed by the spotlighting of instruments and occasional in children’s soloist.

It had known of the colour verve drive and drama of his first reading and the LPO outplayed the BPO on this occasion.

There are points of delight but they were few and far between I fear this is a very sad reminder of a conductor and an orchestra going through the motions.

Performance 4 out of 10

Recording 3 out of 10

Interpretation 6 out of time 10

NB this was still in Karajan‘s orchestra at the time of the recording. It’s a shocker!