Audition: Stravinsky - Petrushka Pierre Boulez Cleveland Orchestra

Audition: Stravinsky - Petrushka

Pierre Boulez 

Cleveland Orchestra 

DG - recorded - 11.03.1991

Audition: Stravinsky - Petrushka

Pierre Boulez Cleveland Orchestra DG 

Recorded - 11.03.1991

Boulez, in his second recording of the piece, is exacting and as usual methodical in revealing every nook and cranny in this score and it pays off in three areas. 

Firstly he reveals layers of relationships in the rhythms – in particular he spots subtle intricacies which others miss and this adds depth, colour and complexity to the recording.

Secondly he gives inner voices time to shine, for example the harps which can be heard almost entirely through the recording! Boulez brings so much detail to this familiar work, especially in the first half.

Finally the percussion, Boulez takes care to have space around each instrumental line, the score jumps out beyond the dance forms and drama to the most meticulous details of colour and timbre.  For example almost all the percussion is well placed in the sound space, especially the similar instruments like the xylophone and campanelli. Better still we can clearly delineate lines given the excellence of DG’s recording.

The climax is a lean and oddly, some of a quieter music is louder than expected, but this is a fabulous performance by Boulez. Seriously considered, dramamtic and revealing much which others miss.

10 out of 10 for the interpretation 

10 out of 10 for the recording and 

10 out of 10 for the performance.