The typical Stravinsky sound is less prominent in Apollon Musagète's string pool. We do not hear the clarity and sharp attacs here as we are used to from the works for wind instruments and percussion (including piano). Nevertheless, this ballet around Apollo and the muses unmistakably carries the signature of Stravinsky, thanks to its aristocratic dignity and the Apollonian distance (both figurative
… and literal). The European premiere (1928) by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, with Serge Lifar as Apollo, marked the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration between Stravinsky and choreographer George Balanchine. On this CD the ballet sounds like Apollo, the revised version of the ballet that Stravinsky made in 1947. The Concerto in D from the previous year is one of the many works that Stravinsky wrote for conductor Paul Sacher. (HJ)more
