greg@olivej.UUCP (Greg Paley) (08/23/84)
The same impressive operation which was demonstrated in Michael Tilson Thomas' recording of Debussy's "La Mer", in which the individual strands of the music were brought out vividly while maintaining the necessary unity and cohesion, is equally exciting in his recording of Stravinsky's "Petrouchka". In fact, this recording has much of the same clarity and tensile strength that characterized Stravinsky's own recording, but with the added benefits of the superior playing of the Philharmonia Orchestra and Thomas' own superior technical skill as a conductor. The rather dry digital sound is, in this case, appropriate to the music and interpretation, as opposed to the sumptuous sound and playing of Boulez's otherwise excellent recording. Furthermore, I was very pleasantly surprised to have a Columbia Mastersound release with no blurbs, pops, or goo and a digital recording without the ear-piercing stridency that has afflicted most of those I've heard. - Greg Paley