Igor Stravinsky • The Rite of Spring & The Firebird | Leonard Bernstein • New York Philharmonic Orchestra

Igor Stravinsky, Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in two historic Columbia recordings made at the St. George Hotel in Brooklyn: The Rite of Spring, recorded on January 20, 1958, and the 1919 Suite from The Firebird, recorded on January 28, 1957. These performances belong to a crucial period in Bernstein’s relationship with the orchestra and are presented by Capsa Symphōnĭa in CD-resolution PCM, Hi-Res, DSD and DXD.

Recordings

Both sessions took place at Brooklyn’s St. George Hotel. The Rite of Spring from January 20, 1958 originally appeared in the Columbia Masterworks catalogue as ML 5277 / MS 6010; The Firebird from January 28, 1957 as ML 5182 / MS 6014. The original credits identify Howard Scott as producer and Fred Plaut as sound engineer.

The Rite session comes from an important moment in Bernstein’s career: on November 19, 1957 he had been appointed Music Director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra for the 1958–59 season, and at the beginning of 1958 his relationship with the orchestra was entering the phase that would define a major part of his concert and recording legacy.

Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra

The partnership between Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra is central to twentieth-century American orchestral history. Bernstein served as Music Director from 1958 to 1969 and built an extensive Columbia Masterworks recording legacy with the orchestra.

Stravinsky: from The Firebird to the revolution of The Rite

The Firebird, commissioned by Serge Diaghilev for the Ballets Russes and premiered in Paris in 1910, brought Stravinsky rapid international prominence. The 1919 Suite concentrates some of the ballet’s best-known music for the concert hall.

The Rite of Spring, composed between 1911 and 1913 and first performed at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris on May 29, 1913, radically transformed the orchestral language of the twentieth century.

Available formats

• File PCM 44.1kHz • 16bit — CD Resolution
• File Hi-Res 96kHz • 24bit
• File Hi-Res 192kHz • 24bit
• File DSD64, File DSD128 and File DSD256
• File DXD 352.8kHz: DXD at 352.8kHz.

What are DSD and DXD?

DSD (Direct Stream Digital) is a 1-bit digital encoding system based on pulse-density modulation. DSD64 operates at approximately 2.8 MHz, DSD128 at approximately 5.6 MHz and DSD256 at approximately 11.2 MHz. Playback requires a DAC or player compatible with the selected DSD rate.

DXD (Digital eXtreme Definition) is a very high-resolution PCM format: in the version offered here it operates at 352.8kHz. Developed also as a professional editing and post-production environment for very high-resolution workflows, it requires a compatible DAC or player.

Tracklist

Igor Stravinsky — The Rite of Spring

1. The Adoration of the Earth — 15:46
2. The Sacrifice — 18:46
3. The Firebird — Suite, 1919 version — 21:12

Total time: approximately 55 minutes

Credits

• Orchestra: New York Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Leonard Bernstein
• The Rite of Spring: St. George Hotel, Brooklyn, New York — January 20, 1958
• The Firebird: St. George Hotel, Brooklyn, New York — January 28, 1957
• Producer: Howard Scott
• Sound Engineer: Fred Plaut

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