Pétrouchka (original 1911 version) / Le Sacre du printemps [The Rite of Spring]

"Andrew Litton has the Bergen Philharmonic playing at a world-class standard. In The Rite he reminds us that despite the extremes of volume and dissonance this is still a folk-music-based work. The tunes (or bits of them) really sing, with such vibrancy and freshness that you might think you are hearing them for the first time. If anything, Petrushka is even better, certainly the best recording of the 1911 original scoring since Boulez/New York many decades ago. Litton shapes the music of the two outer tableaux with unflagging imagination, and the Bergen players are with him every step of the way. In short, this is as colorful and intelligent a reading as you will ever hear, and it deserves the highest possible recommendation."
(10/10 ClassicsToday.com)

"The recording really is in a class of its own. Especially in SACD mode the bass drums in the second part of Le Sacre du Printemps will see your socks ricochet off a far wall and land on the cat, such is the force with which they are blown from your feet. Sonic fireworks are by no means what this recording is all about, but rest assured that this is a demonstration quality disc and one which will impress all who hear it, cats excepted."
(Recording of the Month MusicWeb May 2011)

"BIS Records have once again raised the sonic bar and released a truly spectacular sound recording of two important works by Igor Stravinsky. The two ballet scores to Petrushka and The Rite of Spring. On a scale of 1 to 10 for sound quality, I would have to give this one a 12. Not only is there muscle, and plenty of it, but there is also tons of detail. I hear notes in this recording that I have never heard before.

The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra under Andrew Litton are giving the other orchestral big boys a run for their money. They may not convey the wild and savage imagery that a limited few achieve, but they make up for it in atmosphere, color, rhythmic precision and adrenaline pumping velocity. A case in point is the final minute of the Dance of the Earth segment of the Rite of Spring. Here they easily overtake other orchestras for pinpoint accuracy combined with unbelievable speed.

This recording begs to be played loud. From the softest flute note to the loudest bass drum thwack, the speakers spring to life and reproduce as realistic a recording as you will ever find. And I've only listened to it on a plain old regular CD player through a plain old set of stereo speakers. So be careful. If you are planning on playing this CD on a high-end SACD surround sound system, you may accidentaly offer your family members as a sacrifice to the gods."
(Classical Music Sentinel)

This release sees the critically acclaimed Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra under its music director Andrew Litton perform two scores by Igor Stravinsky that stand at the pinnacle of 20th-century orchestral music.

Both Pétrouchka and Le Sacré du printemps were written for the ballet impressario Sergei Diaghilev and his company Les Ballets Russes.

The particularly striking aspect of Pétrouchka was the extensive use of folk song and street music, treated with extreme refinement and often biting irony - the character of Petrushka, a puppet come to life, was described by Stravinsky as 'the immortal and unhappy hero of every fair-ground in all countries'.

The scandal associated with the 1913 première of Le sacré du printemps has become legendary - a scandal probably caused as much by Nijinsky's choreography as by Stravinsky's score. But even today, the music offers an extremely powerful experience, above all through its rhythmic qualities.

"Litton and the Bergen players are bursting with life" International Record Review