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Editorial Reviews

Compared to Igor Stravinsky's popular early ballets "L'oiseau de feu," "Petrushka," and "Le Sacre du printemps," the later ballets are seriously under-performed and under-recorded, so the appearance of any CDs that offer them is good news, even if the performances themselves are not necessarily top-notch. A case in point is this 2008 reissue of Arte Nova's 1995 release of "Jeu de cartes" and "Le baiser de la fée," performed by the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi and directed by Alun Francis. This disc may not offer the most polished or brightest-sounding recordings of either work, and the orchestra seems not to be expert in Stravinsky's neo-Classical period, yet the album is still worth having in the catalog because it offers clear-headed interpretations and respectable playing that put the music across well enough for study and home listening. "Jeu de cartes" is accurately played, but it feels a little dull in color and somewhat stiff in movement, perhaps less limber and agile than this witty ballet should be. Part of the problem may lie with the bass-heaviness of the recording, but the beat itself sometimes drags, and the music seems under-rehearsed and taken slightly slower than warranted. "La baiser de la fée," based on themes of Tchaikovsky, has a lighter and airier feeling and is well executed, though the reproduction still is not sharp, and textures and timbres aren't always clear and crisp. Even so, considering that this ballet is recorded even less frequently than "Jeu de cartes," and that both works deserve a much wider audience for their excellent music, this affordable CD provides decent renditions that will help keep them available to budding Stravinsky enthusiasts who don't yet know them. Blair Sanderson, All Music Guide

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